Big Cat Safaris!

Greetings all. We've been inIndia for two weeks now, although at times it feels like much longer. Times such as spending 15 hours on a bus in 100 degree heat, 8 hours on a train with 9 million others and sitting in restaurants ordering with care usually reserved for dismantling a nuclear weapon for fear of sabotaging our intestines.

However, there have been some wonderful highlights, as good as anyting we have yet done.

Our first safari was in Gujurat, 9 hours north of Mumbai. The Asiatic lion was once spread across Asia. It is the lion of the Bible and the one the Christians were fed to. Now, it remains in just one park in Western India, at the Gir Forest. We got really close to this female.








She was busy feasting on a spotted deer kill and, amazingly, we were allowed out of the jeep to take a closer look. One snarl from her and we instantly knew our limits! However, curiousity got the better of this cat and she came towards us for a closer look, walking past our jeep no more than 5 metres away before settling down under the shade of a tree to relax.








Next up was Ranthambhore, a tiger reserve I had visited 6 years ago and where I was lucky to see many tigers. None quite as close as this stunning female. I don't think either of us have ever seen a more beautiful animal.








As with the lioness, she crossed the path in front of our jeep and gave us extraordinarily close views. Only 4 years old she is still growing, but already she is massive. The park is also home to much other wildlife including leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, sambar & spotted deer, mongoose and over 300 birds. We took 4 safaris but were only lucky enough to see a tiger on one occasion.