Sasha and Malia will miss a roaring adventure

Unable to get away from school US president Barack Obamas daughters will have to wait for another time to see tigers in India Luckily for you they are just an overnight train ride awayOur sixseater gypsy bounced and rattled along a narrow track as we rapidly closed in on our designated zone within the park Passing under the ancient battlements of Ranthambhore Fort I craned my neck skywards and glimpsed the ancient fortifications on a hilltop high abovePassing through Misradhara Gate was like escaping into another world I felt as if I had been hijacked and thrust onto an Indiana Jones movie set A Bengal tiger named Boomerang rests in brush where US President Bill Clinton saw him when he visited Ranthambhore National Park in 2000 The park is home to 35 Bengal tigersAncient ruins many over a thousand years old lay overgrown and scattered throughout the parku00a0Forts temples and hunting palaces rubbed shoulders with a pristine natural landscape of lakes and rolling hills to produce an environment like none I had ever encounteredu00a0It was a truly captivating scene that thrust me back to a bygone era when the Chauhan kings had constructed the magnificent Fort around 900 ADAu00a0new set of kingsOur naturalist guide Subhash explained that Ranthambhore National Park took its name from this impressive 10th century fortu00a0The fort dominating an entire hilltop at the heart of the park is named after the two adjoining hills of Rann and Thambhore Seven kilometres of imposing stonewalled fortifications encompass a hilltop fortress that boasts an impregnable location with breathtaking views over the parkLegend has it that after successfully resisting a siege by Emperor Akbars army during the 12th century King Hamir was betrayed by some of his most trusted soldiers and a mass suicide followedu00a0The fort was abandoned soon after this catastropheu00a0 However a thousand years on the fort still dominates the scene only the kings are gone and the tiger now presides over this kingdomEars to HelpI was one of the more than 100000 wildlife enthusiasts from around the world that year visiting Ranthambhore National Park in search of an elusive Bengal tiger Sitting in the opentopped gypsy I followed Subhashs instructions and kept my ears and eyes peeledu00a0I was surprised to hear him say You are much more likely to find a tiger with the help of your ears than your eyes alone The alarm calls of our forest friends often help us to locate where a tiger is hiding He went on to explain that the dry deciduous forests of Ranthambhore make it a prime location for viewing wild tigers in their natural habitat with the relatively open terrain making it considerably easier to spot them than in many other Indian tiger reserves Im feeling lucky today I think we will find a tiger this afternoon he smiledThe 392 km square core area is part of the much larger 1314 sq km square Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve a flagship park for Project Tiger However even though tigers are the modernday rulers in this corner of eastern Rajasthan their situation remains precariousThe previous evening Goverdhan Rathore owner of the luxurious Khem Villas Camp explained Severe poaching five years ago greatly reduced our tiger population When I asked the inevitable question of how many tigers remain in Ranthambhore he said the last camera trap census indicated around 31 tigers Distress SignalOur vehicle had stopped and we were watching a family of sambar deer feed in the shallow waters of Padam Talau when the shrill alarm calls of chital snapped us back to reality The barks of these spotted deer instantly changed the atmosphere on the vehicle from relaxed to fever pitchu00a0Get going yelled Subash to the driverand we took off around the lake in the direction of the distress callsu00a0 Soon we located the anxious deer staring towards a thicket not far from a ruined hunting palace on the edge of neighbouring Raj Bagh Lake As we sat listening to the chital alarm calls I silently begged the tiger to emergeWith lightening speed a tigress broke cover and charged the startled deer The herd exploded in every direction as the anxious chital ran for their lives The tiger zeroed in on two unwary rutting males and was on top of one before he even realised what had hit him His legs hopelessly flayed the air as she went straight for the throat In this picture taken in January 2002 a tiger crosses the road in Ranthambore National ParkMinutes later the deer was dead and peace returned The tigress left the carcass and strolled into the shallow lake to slake her thirst After noisily lapping up some water she emerged dripping wet to reclaim her prizeu00a0Turning towards the ruined palace she disappeared behind a stone wall and melted back into the jungle to enjoy her feast in quiet Cooling off in a palaceI was ecstatic Subhash was grinning like a Cheshire cat Our gypsy exploded in excitement as we looked at one anothers pictures and discussed how beautiful and relaxed she had been It is difficult to eloquently capture in words the powerful emotion stirred by such a savagely beautiful encounter with Indias superpredator A fellow guest ecstatic after his firstever tigersighting gushed My first ever wild tigerI found it especially ironic that in a bizarre twist of fate the hunting palace in the heart of Ranthambhores zone 3 has in time become the popular haunt of tigers As Subhash elaborated During the hot summer months tigers come here nearly every day to sleep on the cool stone floors of the old palace That the tigers had reclaimed control of their rightful domain was encouragingDear fateh thank you for the wonderful tour of ranthambhore yesterday and for your struggle to save the tiger i will do what i can to helpu00a0 Former US president Bill Clintons letter to Fateh Singh Rathore former field director of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve US President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea tour Ranthambhore National Park with field directors GV Reddy and Fateh Singh in March 2000 during Clintons sixday trip to South Asia Clinton saw two tigers on his twohour safari at the parkObama kids will miss the roarUS president Barack Obamas daughters will not be able to see Indian tigers as theyd expected to this November even as their parents are likely to visit the Taj Mahal when they come early November The kids were looking forward to the trip and the chance to spot tigers after US ambassador Timothy Roemers kids chatted with them about their encounter with four tigers in RanthamboreLocationRanthambhore along with the gateway town of Sawai Madhopur lies on the eastern edge of Rajasthan 440 km to the southwest of Delhi and 190 km southeast of Jaipur Where to stayThere are quite literally hundreds of accommodation options in and around Sawai Madhopur however the outstanding Khem Villas Luxury Jungle Camp wwwkhemvillascom located in a tranquil natural setting on the periphery of the park is undoubtedly Ranthambhores bestkept secret Another recommended option is the Ranthambhore Bagh wwwranthambhorebaghcom What to doRanthambhore is one of Indias most famous wildlife havens and the primary reason people visit the park is on a quest to find a tiger Twicedaily drives provide an opportunity to view a diverse range of animals including tiger leopard sloth bear antelope and deer along with the parks prolific birdlife A maximum of 20 gypsies and 20 canters are allowed to enter the parks five zones so it is essential to book well in advance A trip to explore Ranthambhore Fort is another highly worthwhile activityHow to reachBy train The closest airport is in Jaipur a 35 hour drive away However the easiest way is to get to Ranthambhore by trainu00a0 Sawai Madhopur Railway Station is conveniently located on the main MumbaiDelhi train route and has excellent train connections with most parts of India Trains are cheaper faster and more comfortable than the long drive