Protecting Tigers

The tigers of Kaziranga National Park are famous for a number of reasons; they are among the biggest in the Benagl tiger family and the most elusive. So, catching them on camera traps is usually the only way we get to see them. But sometimes the team in the field get a magical, rare glimpse of the animals we are working so hard to protect.

Just before the monsoon the team were out checking camera traps when something caught their eye. A mother and cub cooling off on the river bank about 70 metres from them. They stopped to watch. Seeing one Kaziranga tiger is rare, but two was a treat. And then, incredibly, a third appeared, took a drink from the river and slipped back into the tall elephant grass. Heart's thumping the team couldn't believe their luck and then, just when they had thought they had seen everything, three grown up cubs came into view.

The team had never seen anything like it. Five Kaziranga tigers - a happy, healthy, tiger family living wild and free in one of the world's most amazing landscapes. An hour passed in the blink of an eye as they watched the incredible tiger family before returning to work.

"While checking the remaining cameras that day we continued to smile and think about our encounter," says Binita. "Yes, this is Kaziranga, a place that sometimes allows us a glimpse into its beautiful soul, a place where you never know what is waiting for you. But to ensure that others too can experience these glimpses of magic we must continue to provide a safe and secure environment for tigers to survive and thrive and to make sure that future generations have these forests, these plains and these moments of pure wild magic."

It is with your continuing and invalauble support that we can protect these amazing big cats and all the flora and fauna that they, as apex predators, in turn protect.

Links:

• Find out more about our work for endangered wildlife