Wildlife Photography.

We were extremely lucky to spot our first tigress within first ten minutes of our first safari in Bandhavgarh,  Madhya Pradesh.  She was resting in the cool shade of the trees ringing an artificial water hole probably after a large meal.  It was a hot summer day and the heat brings the tigers out in the open.


In wildlife photography it is essential to know the habits of your subjects to make it easier to click them.   As explained by our mentor, Sudhir Shivaram, tigers rest near waterholes after their meals getting up now and then to go to the waterhole for a drink.  Tigers do this in a specific manner as shown in the pictures below.

Here the tigress, nicknamed "Kankatti" for reasons that will become obvious in subsequent photographs, rests in the cool shade of the trees next to an artificial waterhole at Taroba point in Bandhavgarh National Park.

As noon approaches she gets hotter and walks to the artificial waterhole.

She does not drink right away but turns around after getting into the waterhole......

...sitting in the waterhole with half her body inside the water.  Notice the torn left ear which earned her the sobriquet "kankatti".

From time to time she would dip her mouth into the water and lap up a refreshing cool drink "in situ"!

Having cooled her body and drunk up her fill she would then get out of the waterhole and back to rest under the cool shade of the trees.  Only to repeat the whole cycle again after a couple of hours!