It was a hot summer day in Bandhvgarh Tiger Reserve in Central India with temperatures averaging 45 degrees.
Almost at the beginning of our morning safari we came across this beautiful young tigress who was resting on top of a rock under the shade of some huge sal trees.
The tigress was asleep but she acknowledged our presence opening one eye and looking at us for a couple of seconds.
After having realised that we weren’t much worthy of her attention nor of her worry, she resumed her nap.
So we stayed there and waited, admiring the perfect pattern of her fur and the lovely pink of her young tigress nose.
As a wildlife photographer, it’s very important to know the behaviour of the subject to predict what is going to happen (thank you Sudhir Shivaram for the precious tip !). Like any cat, big or small, a sleeping tiger is bound to roll on her back.
That’s how I had the privilege not only to witness the beautiful striped young lady rest, roll and enjoy a good stretch, but also to take pictures of the moment.
Here’s the sequence, I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed being there.
Wild tigers are an incredible wonder of nature, I don’t think I’ll ever have enough of looking at them.
Pictures taken in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, Central India, June 2018.
Comment
I love the white spots on the back of her ears! So cute! And the stretching….