NATURESCAPES.NET 2008 WILDLIFE GALLERY
IMAGE OF THE YEAR

"Tiger in a "Reflective" Moment"
Image copyright Kiran Khanzode

This image was taken in the Bandhavgarh forest of India (Land Of The Tiger), a place 11000 miles away from here(USA). This place dates back to about 2000 years, used to be the private hunting grounds of the many Kings and Princes of India for centuries, now under the protection of the Indian Forest Department, especially Project Tiger. I was riding on the back of an elephant(a very bumpy ride) with my wife and a couple of friends. The Tiger was sitting in a shady spot at my eye level since the elephant was in a narrow, dry creek. He was sitting in a dense grassy patch and was a bit too close for comfort. We were about 20-30 feet away. For a moment, and the Tiger stopped staring at me and looked up to the rays of light that were coming through the trees and were hitting his eyes. That is when I decided to pull the trigger and get this very moody shot where it appears as if the Tiger is looking up to the Gods up there in heaven and praying to them for his survival and begging them for help against a very uncertain future on this beautiful planet of ours. Canon EOS 20D, EF 70-200 f/4 lens with a 1.4 x tele at 280 mm.

About the Photographer

I live and work in the San Francisco Bay area, California. I am a Software Engineer by profession and have a passion for wildlife photography, especially Tiger photography. Although I have to travel thousands of miles to see this elusive creature every year, I believe it's worth it for every mile travelled and every $ spent. I hope my photographs motivate enough people to go to India to see this most magnificent creature in his natural element and help towards its conservation.