Tiger Canyon Lodge Trip Report

Let me start by saying WOW! Tiger Canyon Lodge is a first-class destination. I say destination because it immediately felt like we had arrived somewhere very special. The accommodation, guides/ drivers, food and staff were all five stars! Plus, the photo opportunities were endless and the tigers were amazing.  I’ve always wanted to photograph tigers in the wild but have not wanted to visit India. Nothing against the country, I just haven’t felt the draw to go. After learning about tigers in South Africa, I couldn’t wait to go— and believe me, I am so glad I did. This conservation area is a vast wilderness with free roaming tigers that have all been born in the wild, with the exception of one tiger (now very old), he was brought in at the early stages of the conservation efforts. There are currently eleven tigers at the reserve. Hopefully there will be some more tigers with hopes of cubs in the near future! At least that is the rumor.  “Our work advances cheetah population recovery and global tiger conservation through responsible tourism revenue, education, research partnerships, and a commitment to wildlife welfare and ecological integrity.” — Tiger Canyon Lodge Each morning and late afternoon we headed out in our safari vehicles searching the expansive reserve for tigers. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was on day one with our very first sighting, a six-year-old tigress under a tree waiting for the rain to stop. Our group was lucky in that every day we located tigers, sometimes we got lucky and found them before the morning light faded. But all of our sightings were a real treat. One morning we watched a tigress as she chased a herd of zebra and antelope only to come up empty, but it was still a great experience watching her hunt.  In this photo, the adult is fighting with one of the sons while the daughter grabs the meal while they are not paying attention and makes off with it. Our best or maybe most exciting tiger encounter was with a family of four (father, daughter and two sons). We came upon them as they were fighting over a half-eaten warthog carcass. Our guides were pretty sure that the three-year-old female made the kill and then the father and male liter mates took it away from her. The two sons stay pretty close to dad. Remarkably, they still allowed their aging father (he didn’t have any teeth and could not make a kill on his own) to feed first. Apparently, he still held the power, but I don’t think that will last much longer. The father fed for far too long making the young ones go crazy! They continually growled at each other and at him trying to take the warthog for themselves. None of them got seriously injured but you would never have known that as they looked and sounded like they were fighting for their lives. At one point the father was challenged by one of his sons who was trying to get a last piece of meat for himself. Once the two tigers started to fight the young tigress came in and grabbed what was left of her kill and snuck away with it.  On another of our game drives we got a “proof of life shot” of the female White Bengal Tiger. She claimed the part of the reserve that was difficult to traverse, so spotting her was a real treat. She is the last remaining White Bengal Tiger in the world living free in the wild. And she is a fierce tigress. Our guides said that she killed her own sister, all the tigers stay clear of her. She lost her vision in her right eye after a terrible fight when she was younger. Still, she is a beautiful creature commanding respect that is no doubt well deserved.  We ended up having a couple more brief, photo sessions with the white tigress. She was very elusive but that just piqued our interest. I’m looking forward to another chance with her. Donna and I are returning next year with most of the group—we all loved our time with the tigers. I do need to clarify that this is not a game farm. The animals are not trained, fed or handled in any way. The reserve does not step in to assist the tigers with medical needs or food. These are wild animals, born on the property, living and roaming free.  In addition to the tigers, there is also an expansive wilderness area dedicated to the conservation of cheetahs. Here we photographed a family of four. One female with her three male sub adult offspring. This area is sectioned off from the tiger wilderness, and the cheetahs roam free and are completely wild. We watched the adult chase a Springbok, after successfully taking it down. The entire family ate the prey quickly. Their bloody faces and full bellies warmed our hearts. But it was our first sighting of the cheetah family that will be a memory I’ll cherish. We were able to get out of our vehicles and watch the family of four at a safe distance, as they sat together under a tree. I loved my photo from that morning.  Morning frost It is worth mentioning that we were the only photographers at the 6,000 hectares private reserve. The lodge only accommodates 8 people, so we had the entire place to ourselves! Imagine that, only 2 vehicles and each client with their own row!Fingers crossed that next year when we return, there will be tiger cubs!!  Subscribe Sign up with your email address to receive my blog posts. Email Address Sign Up I respect your privacy. Thank you!