Watching last night’s last episode of the series ‘Tigers About The House’, it was not difficult to understand why there was such an emotional bond formed between tiger mad zoo keeper, Giles, and his two tiger cubs, Spot & Stripe.

Because of illegal poaching, there are currently only around 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. There is a distinct chance that these truly magnificent cats could be extinct by as soon as 2025!

All Sumatran tigers bred in captivity have descended from the same 14 parents and there’s a limit to how often those descendants can interbreed without health implications.

There are many arguments and counter arguments about these breeding programmes and about keeping big cats like tigers in zoos, however, without the incredibly selfless work that is being conducted and achieved by totally committed conservationists like Giles Clark, the likelihood of total extinction within a very short time frame due to man’s incessant greed and stupidity are a clear certainty.

In the famous ‘Jungle Book’, Rudyard Kipling acknowledged the undisputed status of the mighty Bengal tiger by introducing Shere Khan as the King of the Beasts.

Although the cat family includes many impressive and attractive animals, there is an aura of power and majesty about the tiger. Observing a male tiger patrolling his territory in an Indian Reserve is like watching an unchallenged ruler strolling through his domain.

Unfortunately for the tiger, being the top predator was no protection against the activities of man, and as in Sumatra, the tiger in India has suffered from a combination of habitat destruction and hunting pressures which have reduced the Indian population from an estimated 40,000 to less than 1500 before the conservation initiative known as “Project Tiger” sought to halt this rapid decline by the establishment of numerous tiger reserves throughout India, with Bandhavgarh being one of the best places in India to see the mighty Bengal tiger, one of the most stunning, handsome, and awe-inspiring creatures on earth.

Bandhavgarh is famed for having a high percentage of tiger sightings, despite the relatively small area of the reserve. Teeming with fascinating reptiles and some wonderful bird life including bee-eaters, egrets, kites and storks, the reserve has so much to offer the wildlife enthusiast.

Historically speaking, Bandhavgarh is extremely important. Home to a large, elegant fort that sits high on one of the hills in the centre of the reserve, Bandhavgarh is the site of many a legend. The fort is believed to be over two thousand years old and is thought to have been a gift from Lord Rama to his brother, Lord Lakshmana. The fort is a great place to watch the evening sun sink low in the sky over the park’s lake and the views from the top are breath taking

A huge range of flora and fauna inhabits these wildlife reserves in India, and visitors have plenty to keep themselves occupied even when the tiger is proving a little elusive. The wild dog, sambar deer, spotted deer, wolf, and sloth bear offer frequent sightings and if you are very lucky you may even see a leopard lurking in the dense protection of the forest. In order to have the best chance of spotting a tiger, travel into the jungle on two game drives every day and make the most of every minute spent in this incredible wildlife haven.

It is hard to believe that game reserves were originally established to protect the animals from rogue poachers, saving them only for official poaching by the influential maharajas of the day. In the time of the Raj, hundreds of tigers were shot and the more tiger trophies a maharaja received, the higher the esteem in which he was held.

Hunting is now very much a thing of the past and the reserves are positively protecting the environment of all of the animals that make up the ecosystem within them.

If it has long been a dream to spot a tiger, travel to one of India’s game reserves for the best opportunity. The reserves offer the whole unforgettable experience including exciting game viewing, wonderful scenery, and fantastic hospitality.

The park of Bandhavgarh – covering one hundred and five square kilometres – is only one of the many reserves dedicated to protecting the tiger. Whichever one you choose, your Indian wildlife adventure will be one to remember.