An Audience with the Queen

To be granted an audience with royalty is a privilege beyond many of us. Attempting to gain one with a rare and elusive royal bengal tiger can test the patience of the most devout of courtiers.

The seat of this particular royal family is at Ranthambhore National Park in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is relatively easy to visit being only a short journey from the tourist trail favourites of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.The park is home to thirty five tigers and is set within 1300 sqkm of dry, deciduous forest with trees that are liberally spaced allowing for good visibility. Much of the park's action takes place around it's lakes, much needed oases for all the park's life that includes tiger favourites such as sambar and spotted deer. In the water lurk crocodiles; in the air over three hundred species of birds and the park is also home to the seldom seen leopard.

To appreciate the scale and beauty of Ranthambhore, a trip to the fort is a must. Built in 944 A.D, it nestles into the cliff faces naturally and provides a wonderful panoramic view across the lakes and forests. It also allows you to keep abreast of the action within the park. With the help of binoculars it is possible to watch the jeep and open-top minibuses that shuttle around the park for three hour safaris twice each day.

For a whisker, her alert yellow eyes locked into mine and spoke: how can you exploit my image to sell petrol, cereal and balm; use it to brand companies and name sporting teams. And yet, all you will be left with is this image should you continue to hunt me. Even here at Ranthambhore, one of the Indian Government's Project Tiger success stories, tigers cannot be complacent. They have been poached. Their body parts command huge figures on the black market and are used in supersticious Chinese medicines, erroneously claimed to be cures for a wealth of ailments.We were lucky.

Our audience lasted for 30 minutes. Many visitors receive no such favour. As was fitting, we took our leave of the tigeress, making way for the entrance of another vehicle, visibly excited at their audience with the queen.