Actress Malavika Mohanan has several memorable wildlife experiences from her safaris in places like Tadoba and Ranthambore, and even from Serengeti in Tanzania. She talks about what it is like to sight tigers in India, safari destinations on her bucket list, and more. Excerpts:

Growing up, I read a lot of books and watched several documentaries on wildlife. So, I have always been a nature lover. But living in big cities, you are not exposed to that part of the world. About five-six years ago, I went to Wayanad with one of my friends. From there, we went to Mudumalai, Masinagudi and Kabini that whole belt. That was how I reconnected with that childhood love of wildlife. As I started doing more safaris, I felt the need to start documenting them. That’s how I started taking photographs and all that. And it’s a nice change from what I do career-wise; it feels good to do something completely different and then come back to work.

It’s said that lions are the most majestic animals in a jungle. Yes, they are. But I find tigers equally majestic. What makes them even more enduring is that they are hard to spot; they are very shy cats. If you go to Gir National Park or certain parts of Africa, you can see lions sitting in the open. But tigers… if they sense human movement, they crouch and slink away. Tadoba National Park, which is in central India, is one of my favourite places. Thanks to the landscape, it’s easier to spot tigers there than in other places, like Bandipur. Even Wayanad has tigers, but the place has a rich rainforest. So, they stay hidden in the lushness and you may not find them easily. Central India has a more barren and bushier landscape. So, it’s a great place to spot tigers. Especially during summer, when the water bodies start drying up, if you go to these watering holes, you may spot tigers there. I went on five safaris last month and I ended up seeing eight tigers and three leopards!

We were near Ranthambore for Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif’s wedding. It was a big fat Punjabi wedding — three days of partying and dancing. We were also exhausted by the end of it. Even then, I really wanted to go on a safari and told my parents to accompany me. It was a two-and-ahalf-hour safari in the evening and we had a very good naturalist with us. When you’re in the wild, it’s very important to have a good naturalist. They know how to track the movements of big cats and are also familiar with individual tiger behaviour. Two hours went by and we didn’t spot even one tiger. Ranthambore is strict with the entry and exit timings of the safari jeeps. When we had barely five minutes before the safari came to an end, we heard a roar in the distance, and it kept getting louder. And suddenly, we saw a tiger coming out of the bushes. The experience was all the more special because it was just us, as all the others had left. The tiger came close to our jeep and we took some pictures against the setting sun. It was a magical experience.

Well, I have had another one in Africa (in Tanzania), one of my favourite places in the world. Africa is where you can feel closest to nature. Though the safaris are curated, once you enter, you don’t know what’s going to happen or what you are going to see. You usually get to do a full-day safari there. So, if it’s a six-day safari, on the first day, you go from point A to B and on the next day, you go from B to C. So, we were just finishing the day safari and heading back to the camp for the night. We had gone to see hippos and suddenly, our driver stopped the vehicle and showed a leopard climbing a tree with its prey — a deer — and there were hyenas below, waiting to feed on the remnants. These are things that you see in pictures and videos, but when you see it in real life, it’s very humbling.

We’re lucky that India is one of the best places to spot tigers. There are some continents that don’t even have tigers. I want to go to Kanha and Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh to see tigers. I want to explore more of central India. Photography-wise, I want to click more pictures of them in their element and capture their emotions. I have taken enough pics of them simply sitting. That’s one thing on my list.

In many ways, we have intruded into their habitats. The forest covers have shrunk. But a place, like Ranthambore maybe — the whole national park is not open to tourism. It’s only a part of it that is open for safaris, and everything else is protected. The idea is to get more money that can then be pumped into wildlife protection and conservation projects. But that said, we have to follow certain rules and maintain decorum while going on safaris. Imagine that you are sitting in a park and suddenly, 10 jeeps with people halt in front of you. But we’ve very stringent wildlife conservation laws.

1. Don’t make noise and maintain the sanctity of their space

2. Avoid using anything that has a strong scent. Their senses are strong and so, I don’t wear perfume on safaris.

3. Wear neutral colours. The idea is to try and camouflage as much as you can.

4. Don’t litter. Unfortunately, that is something most people do.