... or, in my case it was an Indian winter with temperatures dropping to 2°C early mornings. I visited the northern area of the subcontinent visiting specifically five of the major national parks: Sariska, Ranthambore, Bharatpur, Kanha and Bandhavgarh and which meant seeing the cities of New Delhi, Agra and Jaipur as well.
If I wasn't so dumb as to have left my camera at Indira Gandhi International Airport (I am ever hopeful) I could show you pics of the Royal Bengal tigers. The only word to describe this magnificent creature is awesome but, sadly, the day before my departure home the Hindustan Times ported that the latest five-year census shows their numbers have dropped by 50% and the species per se is doomed to extinction. The impact on the environment is profound: the predated species (antelope and deer) will over-populate and thus over-graze, turning the meadowlands into desert areas.
There’s also great pressure from the abutting villagers for the land, its water resources and wood for fuel. With 1,2 billion people India - let alone the tiger - is hard-pressed to survive.
