Tiger Forest: A Visual Study Of Ranthambhore Park

The single narrow track cuts through a gap in the mountain range that has towered above you since leaving the shantytown of Sawai Madhopur in the cover of darkness. During the journey, night quickly becomes day, and with the onset of another cold dawn comes an almost palpable air of expectancy. Sheer cliffs faces loom over on your passage through an ancient stone gate carved deep into the rocks. The road then rises sharply, you travel upwards for a time, before it eventually levels off. Emerging from the forest you are greeted with an expansive panorama. Jungle stretches as far as the eye can see, mountains rise into the sky and the centrepiece of this spectacular landscape, a magnificent fortress, sits atop a huge rock. A stone sentinel overlooking the wilderness, as it has done at day-break for a thousand years. Suddenly the road dips; with the wind rushing through your hair and the fresh forest air filling your lungs, you enter the National Park of Ranthambhore, the best place in the world to watch wild tigers. I have had the good fortune of undertaking that same journey many times since glimpsing my first wild tiger here in December 1998. I was at the time a 21 year-old photography student seeking adventure and enlightenment; Ranthambhore was to exceed all of my expectations. Those early days were some of the most exciting of my life. Spellbound I watched and photographed tigers stalking, walking in broad daylight along roads, killing prey and even turning up unannounced on the edge of cliffs. I was back just a couple of months later and over the years I've returned as often as possible, documenting the lives of several tigers and photographing the forest and all of its inhabitants.This visual study is the result of those glorious times. In it I aim to celebrate the wonders of this tiger forest, in the process shedding some light on the lives of the animals that live in harmony with the tiger in thisChris Brunskill is the author of 'Tiger Forest: A Visual Study Of Ranthambhore Park', published 2004 under ISBN 9781920785222 and ISBN 1920785221.