While driving through the lush jungles of Bandhavgarh at the khitauli gate, we came across pug marks of a female & male tiger. A huge powerful male was on the prowl , possibly seeking out the female while the female was leading him astray. The ways of the tiger confound man , it took us over two hours to come anywhere near the area where we hoped to have a sighting.On hearing multiple alarm calls followed by low roars , we arrived at crossroads unsure of which direction to turn to. The roars were of a female tiger , clearly signalling her arrival to her cubs. Then came a decisive roar that had us turn our jeep in the right direction and we were finally blessed with an amazing sighting . There she was , the gorgeous Tara , walking the “walk” , predator & mother seamlessly merged into one gorgeous specimen. The winter sun kissed her countenance & the shadows caressed her graceful form. She was returning to her cubs hidden in a secret cave.