Parwaali, The Reclusive Tigress

Two years since my last sighting of the famed Bengal tiger and not for lack of trying; I found myself back in Dhikala again, getting ready for a pre-dawn expedition. Islam Mama and I had a goal – a sighting of the famous Parwaali, so named because she was often spotted across the river. We parked our 4 wheel drive on a bed of smooth, white stones. A misty morning, a 360-degree view and LUCK – all the elements in place. This photograph of Parwaali was taken just as dawn broke over the horizon, just one of many photographs I shot of her that day as she walked right across our field of vision into the dark forest beyond.