28 tiger sightings in 2 days in Ranthambore and here’s how can you do it

By Dewang Mehta

This blog article and the video highlights why the month of April remains one of our most favorite months to visit to Ranthambhore.

It was April 2021; in the face of adversity, during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hetal & I made a courageous decision to embark on what became a truly unforgettable journey to the Ranthambore National Park.

Despite the cancellations and safety precautions, we were determined to experience the beauty of the jungle. Armed with sanitisers, a ton of masks, and a spirit of adventure, we set out on this journey.

It was Hetal’s birthday, 8th of April and we were on our full-day safari. The safari had already treated us to 17 unique tigers being sighted 21 times. As the day progressed, we got to know that a pair of fully grown tigers - 1 male, and 1 female had been sighted a few kilometres from where we were. Usually, when male and female tigers are found in close quarters, there is a possibility that it could be a mating pair. A mating pair of tigers tend to be around each other for about 4-5 days together before parting ways and during this time they are known to mate several times a day.

Until 2021 we had never witnessed tigers sharing an intimate moment and so we requested our guide and the driver to head in that direction. We moved towards zone 5 of Ranthambhore filled with excitement. Suddenly we see a tigress T103 resting peacefully by a stream of water and a huge male tiger T112 fondly called Jam, sitting just a few feet away from her. It appeared that they had just finished feasting on a spotted deer and were now enjoying a moment of respite. As the sun began to set we reluctantly bid farewell.

Though we couldn't witness the pair mating that day, our spirits remained high. We sought to change our safari permits for the following day, hoping to revisit Zone 5 and see these magnificent tigers once again. Hetal was certain that we would find the two tigers in the same location.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get our permit changed for the morning safari and missed the chance of witnessing them mate, yet again.

However, the morning safari had something unexpected and rare in store for us. It cheered us up straight away, as we saw a tigress sleeping in the old ruins near the Rajbagh Lake. The tigress was at a far away distance, but to witness the tiger in the old ruins of Ranthambhore is something that dreams are made of. Ranthambhore is one of the very few forests in India that is renowned for its lakes, lush greenery, and historic ruins, providing for a picturesque backdrop. In the same safari, we also saw tigress T124, Riddhi if you remember her, boldly walking towards our jeep.

However, our heart was set on zone 5 and the mating pair. Cut to the afternoon safari, we had managed to get our zones changed and we rushed to the spot.

We found the mating pair in the same area, sleeping peacefully under the bush and saving themselves from the intense summer heat. It must’ve been about 3:30 in the afternoon, and the 42-degree heat. It made us melt and our skins burn. We didn’t have any shade but the excitement to see these tigers mate remained as the only saving grace.

Two and a half hrs later, the tigers suddenly woke up from their slumber and mated! It must have lasted for about 15-20 seconds, but what we witnessed will be etched in our memories forever!

I could hear Hetal’s camera going mad clicking a ton of pictures! Hetal even managed to shuffle between two of her cameras. I have no idea how she managed to do that in such a short span.

I, however, could only capture a 20-second video as it was an overwhelming moment for me. Tiger roars could be heard for miles. The male tiger sank his canines, deep into the female tigresses. The female tigress shutting her eyes tightly perhaps from all the pain. It was an intense moment and perhaps not as romantic as we would believe.

YE DIL AB DEFINITELY MAANGE MORE!! We wanted to spend more time with these 2 tigers.

Luckily for the next day, we had afternoon safari tickets to the same zone 5. As soon as we entered the park for the afternoon safari at 3:00 pm; we saw a female tigress sitting near a tree. It was barely 5 minutes into the safari. Our guide identified her as Tigress T102 who had recently given birth to 4 tiger cubs. Due to the summer heat, she was panting profusely and it seemed that she might head towards the watering hole which was on the other side of a T junction road. After getting some of her pictures, we decided to park ourselves closer to the water body.

However, as soon as we reached the waterbody; we saw another tigress sitting crouched down! This tigress was T125 also known as Siddhi. If you recall our previous video, Siddhi was the one who got into a massive territorial fight with her sister Riddhi T124 in January of 2021. This wasn’t T125’s territory however she showed no signs of moving from the waterbody.

After about 30 minutes, T102 walked towards the water body and seemed quite angry to see T125 in her territory. She snuck up close and growled at her ferociously, ready to attack. However, just as she was about to attack, T125 immediately bowed down and surrendered herself. Siddhi froze near the waterbody for the next 20 minutes while T102 circled the entire area marking her territory; showing all of us including Siddhi who the boss of the territory was!

This was a fantastic start to the afternoon safari and at about 4.00 pm we decided to head towards the mating tiger pair. Within the first hour of the safari, we had nearly witnessed two tigresses fighting over territory. Luck was definitely on our side. On our way towards the mating pair, we came across a shy sloth bear who was sitting on the side of the road. We quickly took some pictures before he ran back into the bushes.

Soon, we reached the spot and parked ourselves on the side of the road. The male T112 was sitting near a bush but his mate was not in sight. After patiently waiting, for some time, we heard some movement in the bushes and his lady walked out. T112 immediately sprang on her and we witnessed what looked like another intense round of mating.

We couldn’t have wished for a better way to end this trip! This was truly an incredible experience and will remain the highlight of all our wildlife safaris.

We will cherish this April 2021 trip for the rest of our lives. As always - don’t forget to check out our page on our recommended parks to visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We hope that you join us for a tiger-filled trip to Ranthambhore in the summers to come.