The Tiger Safari 2013: Day 2

This is what we came for – tigers, tigers and more tigers! Day 2 produced four different tigers and allowed us a fantastic three hours in the company of these magnificent cats! To make it even more special, the first tiger we saw stalked and chased a spotted deer, nearly catching it. All this action was right in front of us and out in the open, so the cameras were going crazy. The (nearly two year old) cubs we saw in the afternoon were equally obliging for the cameras, playing in the water and then with each other. Not a bad day at all…

Major sightings of the day:

Female tiger hunting spotted deer
3 Tiger cubs (around 2 years old)
Spotted deer
Barking deer
Peafowl
Many species of birds

The Tiger Safari 2013: Day 1

Day 1 – always exciting! We started off this amazing safari with a good look at the rest of the players in the tiger reserve. Loads of spotted deer, barking deer and indian gaur, or indian bison, filled the cameras’ viewfinders, as well as the brilliant and ever-present langur monkeys. As for the tigers themselves, the best we managed was a fresh set of tracks for a female, heading to a nearby waterhole. We were confident she was in the area but she didn’t show herself – this only brews excitement, as the hope of seeing a tiger increases!

Major sightings of the day:

Spotted deer
Barking deer
Langur monkeys
Indian gaur
A variety of birds, including peafowl

Japan: Winter Wildlife Safari 2013: Day 7

The final morning of the safari had a very nice surprise in store for us. We woke to an awesome snowfall, which added drastically to the atmosphere of the photos! To make the morning a little more special, a japanese serow made an appearance midway through the snowfall. This awkward looking antelope foraged on the cliffs above us for a solid hour before heading back into the hills. The snow monkeys were as obliging as ever, and had all concentrated in the hot spring because of the cold weather. All in all, it was the perfect way to end an amazing safari!

Major sightings of the day:

Snow monkeys
Japanese Serow

Japan: Winter Wildlife Safari 2013: Day 6

A full day with the snow monkeys is never a bad day! The busy little monkeys kept the cameras clicking all day, which produced some lovely images and memories.

Major sightings of the day:

Snow monkeys

Japan: Winter Wildlife Safari 2013: Day 5

After a (very) quick trip on the famous bullet train, we made our way to photograph some of the smartest monkeys cold weather has seen. This famous troop of monkeys have worked out the easy way to see out the cold of winter – by taking a hot bath! There is a natural hot spring that runs through the reserve, and every morning, these monkeys make their way up to the spring, and climb in for a bit of rest and relaxation. The spin of of this behaviour, is some very cool photographic opportunities!

Major sightings of the day: