Nagarahole Tiger Reserve-Day 8

As with yesterdays’ drive we started early for our final safari in the park, eager to make the most of our last opportunity. As we began, our drive noticed fresh tiger tracks on the road, so he decided to follow them. The tracks led us deeper into the park, and along the way, we spotted a large herd of Gaur grazing peacefully. About 100 meters further, our guide Kaustubh suddenly shouted, “TIGER!”

We quickly stopped and realized that the tigress, our tenth tiger sighting of the week, was sleeping just a meter away from the road, almost hidden by the foliage. We kept our distance and watched her for quite some time. She seemed very relaxed, likely because we were once again the only jeep there. After about 20 minutes, as more jeeps began to arrive, the tigress calmly got up, stretched, and walked off into the forest.

As we continued our safari, we spotted several other animals, including and number of Malabar Giant Squirrels, Stripe-necked Mongooses, Elephants, and more Gaur. Among the birds, more woodpeckers including Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpeckers, Streak-throated Woodpeckers, and Black-rumped Flameback. The forest was alive with activity, offering us a fitting end to our time in the park.

Heading Home

After returning to the lodge, we had breakfast and began packing for our journey back to Bangalore. We departed Kabini at noon, clearing our bills before setting off. Two members of our group had opted to extend their tour and headed towards Wayanad, while the rest of us traveled to Bangalore with Kaustubh.

After checking in at the Taj Yeshwantpur  with some time to rest before dinner, we took it easy. Following a quiet dinner, we called it an early night, knowing we had an early morning departure for the airport.