Tigers are the apex predators of India’s forests. Their numbers numbered in the thousands in the early 1900s, but extensive hunting by British colonials and Indian maharajas reduced populations dramatically; by the 1970s only a few hundred remained. In response, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched Project Tiger, creating protected areas across the country. Today there are 58 tiger reserves, and India’s tiger population has rebounded to about 3,700—one of the world’s most successful conservation stories. Two states hold the largest tiger populations: first Madhya Pradesh, second Karnataka. This year I took a photographic safari to one of Karnataka’s largest reserves—Nagarahole National Park in the Kabini forest—to document tigers over four dedicated days. The reserve is about 800 sq. km, of which roughly one-fifth is open to visitors; the protected area contains an estimated 149 tigers, around 20 of them in the visitor zone. I reached Kabini from Calicut via Wayanad. My base was the Kabini River Lodge, part of Jungle Lodges & Resorts. Set on the banks of the Kabini backwaters, this early ecolodge is beautifully maintained and ideally located for safaris. I stayed on the top-tier Maharajah package. The lodge has a well-tended garden, direct access to the backwaters, and convenient dining—breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner are all a short walk from the rooms. Their cuisine is authentic and tasty. JLR provides its own safari gypsies, which start right from the lodge. I booked eight safaris—two 3-hour drives each day for four days (mornings 6–9 am, evenings 3–6 pm). Our driver-guide was the same throughout: experienced, patient and adept at tracking tigers, birds and other mammals. The sanctuary is divided into Zones A and B; vehicles alternate between zones and quotas limit the number of jeeps per area. Tiger tracking demands patience and luck. Over eight safaris I had four sightings—a 50% success rate, which felt like an achievement.