Sarus Cranes Tigers and Crocodiles are among my favourite Wildlife Subjects to photograph.

Alert Cranes

Each time I spot Sarus Cranes, I can't help but admire them, not just for the fact that they are amongst the world's largest flying birds, but also because they are majestic, graceful, and closely knit. Sarus Crane pairs are perfectly coordinated and in sync. They fly together, feed together and rear offspring together. Sarus Cranes are metaphors of integrity, trust and respect for one another.

A Symphony of Cranes

I was able to spot this particular pair of cranes at the Chandu Budhera wetland yesterday and of the two pairs of cranes usually spotted, this one is without an offspring. I guess this pair cranes is yet to give birth to its offspring and I have been observing this pair for quite some time now, perhaps more than a a year. Sarus cranes are territorial in nature and they generally do not trespass into another's territory, though they do communicate with other pairs in that rather loud trumpetlike sound, which is also an alarm call that can be heard from a long distance. The best places to photograph Sarus Cranes in Gurgaon include, The Sultanpur National Park and the Chandu Budhera wetland area.

After, perhaps Sarus Cranes, it is Tigers that are among the most sought after wildlife subjects to photograph. Unfortunately, tigers are less easily spotted and you need to travel quite a distance, specifically a National Park. Some of the closest National Parks to Delhi NCR include Jim Corbett Park, Sariska National Park and the Ranthambore National Park. You are more likely to spot a Tiger at the Ranthambore National Park than the Jim Corbett National Park, or even the Sariska National Park. Out of the three visits to the Jim Corbett National Park, I was able a tiger on the third visit, that too besides the road in a depression while returning from Ramnagar to the Corbett Treat resort. That sighting, was however too brief and we were not able to photograph the tiger! A number of safaris in the Jim Corbett National Park did not reveal any tiger.

In the footsteps of his mother

In the above photograph you have Shubh, T2505 crossing from the ruins of a building towards the mainland. If you look closely, you can also spot a crocodile in the water moving towards the ruins. It was surprising how quickly the tiger covered the distance. Shubh was spotted in the morning of the 7th of June, 2026. Shubh is a four year old tiger, an offspring of Ridhi the Tigress and he is turning out to be a handsome young tiger.

Startled Birds

Even as Shubh advanced, there was a thrashing commotion as the birds attempted to get out of his way. Shubh, however, seemed unperturbed as he proceeded towards mainland.

Got You!

The Ranthambore National Park, however is more likely to present a better opportunity for spotting a tiger. This is because of, not only a higher number of tigers present in the park, but also the terrain, the rocky outcrop and the sparse forest growth. Out of four visits to the Ranthambore National Park we were rewarded by sightings on three occasions. The prime zones for spotting tigers are zones one to five. The buffer zones are more likely to be a disappointment!

Don't be Fooled, Those are not Logs!

The Ranthambore National Park also has a large number of Crocodiles. They come in various sizes. One can either find them chilling out with their huge jaws gaping open, (to ventilate their blood) or floating slyly with only their heads out of the water, (an imitation of floating logs for the unsuspecting victim). 

What Else Besides Tigers?

What else can you spot besides Tigers at the Ranthambore National Park? Well, during my frequent trips, I have been able to spot some amazing birds and animals. Among some are Francolins and Crocodiles. But then some of the candid poses of spotted deer and Sambhar deer can be an amazing experience. Momma Sambhar Doe stamps her foot hard on the ground when she perceives danger. I saw the mother stamping her feet to warn her offspring of danger, which was in the form of a large mongoose, and not fortunately, a tiger!

Watching a Sambhur Deer and her offspring can evoke emotions associated with parenting. I spotted a mother Sambhur Deer with her offspring, and they were in perfect sync, ears pointed in one direction, the offspring waiting to spring to safety when prompted by the mother.

But then, the crocodiles basking in the sun can be as terrifying, though not as terrifying as the Nile Crocodiles that I used to see in Ethiopia. 

Apart from all the birds one will spot at the Ranthambore National Park is the Indian Thick Knee. Spotting one could be a gift, but spotting two can be a treasure!

Ultimately, it comes back to the question of whether one has spotted a tiger at the Ranthambore National Park, and the fact is that yes, you are more likely to spot one or more!

Special thanks to Sam Travels and Tours New Delhi, the link to which I have posted at the top of my post. Sam Travels and Tours in New Delhi handled our resort and safari bookings for the trip. They were constantly in touch with us during our visit.

A walk into the interiors of Sawai Madhopur or Ranthambore will reveal a lot about how artistic these people are. The murals on the walls of buildings reveal how welcoming the people are and how eager they are to share their happiness. This is what I came across at one of the houses on our walk back from the museum.

And the welcome notes on a temple wall were colourful and pleasant to look at. It caught my attention, and I took a snap of them.

Photographing T 2505 (Shubh) at the Ranthambore National Park Today

Just spotted T-2505 in Ranthambore National Park. He is supposed to be a young male Bengal tiger nicknamed Shubh. I spotted him as he was crossing a causeway from the Joggi Mahal area in zone three.

Shubh is the offspring of the dominant tigress Riddhi, and he carries the bloodline of the tigress Machli. Shubh is growing up into a confident young tiger, asserting his dominance in zones 2 and 3.

And then he walked away with great nonchalance, as if he did not have any care in the whole world. Incidentally, we were able to spot his pug mark, which is how we were able to spot him. In close proximity to the exit point, we were able to spot Shubh's brother, T 2506, in the bushes.

Shikra on a Branch and Jackals on the Bund

Shikras are small birds of prey. They are raptors that hunt small rodents. In medieval times, they were used to get food for hawks. While Shikras are generally found in forests, these days they are more likely to be found in residential areas, thanks to changing ecological patterns. With forests disappearing and game disappearing, Shikras and even white-breasted Flamingos are forced to scavenge for food in urban areas.

We are all heading towards an ecological disaster because of the damage being done to the ecosystem. While birds like Shikras and Flamingoes are adapting their lifestyles to suit changing conditions, one wonders how we human beings will be able to cope with adverse environmental conditions. We are already reeling under a heat wave, Shikras will be able to fly away to other lands, but we will remain stuck within a situation that has been made worse by ourselves.

But then, Shikras are not the only victims of human developmental activities! Jackals have also learned to adapt to changing conditions. Jackals are now edging closer and closer to urban areas. A scarcity of food has led them to converge on residential areas in search of food. These, once shy mammals, are now growing bolder and bolder, and are often used to human presence.

At Mom's Memorial Service

We held a special memorial service for Mom, in which the life of Mrs Ivy Lal was celebrated. She had lived. We were honoured by the presence of many family members, relatives, friends and members of the congregation. The memorial service took place in the Church of the Epiphany, Civil Lines, Gurgaon, on the ninth of May, 2026.

Pews were occupied, and the grandchildren presented a musical rendition that was spell-binding and mesmerising. Mom would have felt proud to see her grandchildren performing so well in her honour. Blessed are those who are remembered and honoured, for they live on in minds and memories.