A Bengal Tiger. This gorgeous animal needs no introduction. What a stunning beauty. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the best way to see a wild Tiger was in a small handful of very touristy parks. Jeeps and drivers would compete and even crash into each other to try to show their guests a tiger if one was found. It was a terrible experience that felt nothing like being in the wild. But for this one shot, I happened to have been up on the back of an elephant and out into the jungle just a bit. The size and majesty of a tiger cannot be appreciated from a picture of me putting a story on here. Seeing one in person, even if only at your local zoo, you would certainly be amazed by a tiger. Unfortunately, in spite of best efforts, tigers are still at risk of disappearing from the wild entirely.
Bandhavgarh National Park, India February 2006