BHPian Stryker recently shared this with other enthusiasts: The last safari of the visit. Almost as soon as we enter the park, we hear loud alarm calls from Spotted Deer and langurs. There follows a merry dance of following the calls, going up one path and returning down another, still not able to see what is causing all the commotion. Obviously, it is a tiger, but where is it? We come across another vehicle that is doing the same dance, and we stop to share views. While doing this, out pops the tiger! This is a sub-adult female, possibly from the last litter of the Temple female, who has been missing since, probably moved towards Wayanad in search of new territory. Fortunately, she seems to have passed on her boldness to her offspring too. This one is not shy and is not too bothered by the vehicles present. That dratted bush thing in the foreground kind of spoils the view for me, but I think the image is still good enough to present. She slowly crosses the path while keeping an eye on us. She doesn’t seem to be in any great hurry, out for a leisurely stroll in the morning. Get across to the other side and continue her regally paced walk. And she gets into a ditch! We hadn’t even realised there is a ditch here, it is well camouflaged from our angle. No! We want to see more of you, my lady! Fortunately for us, the ditch isn’t long enough or deep enough to hide her, and out she comes again. She continues to keep an eye on us all the time, while she moves towards the bushes on the other side. One last look at us, before she vanishes into the undergrowth. A crop of the look she gives us, this isn’t a 1:1 by any means, just a simple crop. And she disappears! High fives all around! I have taken 200 photos in this short duration. Our driver thinks she might return back to the path along a particular stretch, so we head over there. And he is right, as usual! She has already come back to the path under the power line and is walking slowly up the incline. This is called a missed opportunity! The vehicle that was with us earlier has moved up the path ahead of the tiger and is going away without looking back. We can’t call the other driver; there is no signal. Our driver flashes the lights, but the angles are wrong and he can’t see it in his rear-view mirror. Ah the joys of back button focusing! Focus on the tiger, move the camera to reframe to get the vehicle in the frame, and fire away! The Z8 locks focus on the tiger effortlessly, so as I move the camera up, the focus point keeps shifting downwards. Some time later, I show this photo to the people in that vehicle and they all go “What?? No!!” Things like this give great pleasure, since I’m on the receiving end at other times! There is no other movement anywhere else this morning; we were the only two vehicles to spot the tiger. Surprisingly, there is very little movement from other animals, too. This curious female Sambar stares at me, wondering what I’m doing. An adult Crested Hawk Eagle shows off its crest in great lighting. And thus ends another enjoyable visit to this greatest of all parks, at least for me. I’m very happy with the Z8/400 combination; they seem to be made for each other. Just like my D500/200-500 combo. The focal length is just right for shooting large mammals, and one can always crop heavily to get closer, thanks to the 46 MP resolution of the Z8. I now have no doubts about my purchase and can sleep peacefully! As ever, I hope you people enjoy these photos as much as I enjoy taking them. Until next time, then, bye and drive safe. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
