That’s right – the title does indeed read correctly. Better still, it’s his home too!! And he’s a far worthier resident of the property than I am.
Let me begin with a little history. The year was 1995. My father bought a parcel of land in the Singara region at the foothills of the Nilgiris range, deeming it to be a valuable investment. The property serves as an abode for a multitudinous array of flora and fauna, many species of which represent endemism. The estate was christened Anekaadu or “Forest of the Elephant”.
Although I always knew that tigers would thrive in such a suitable environment that consisted of a large prey base, I never made an effort to consciously track one down for 15 long years. True, I did visit the estate numerous times; however, I never looked for signs and tracks that would give me a clearer picture of a tiger’s whereabouts.
The last few months saw intensified tiger activity within the estate. The cat was almost asking me to track him down. My close friends Phillip, Vinay and Siva joined me on this expedition, and we were later joined by Sandesh and Srikanth. Nights were spent listening to the awe-inspiring call of a male tiger looking for a mate and the silence of dawn broken only by the sawing call of a leopard. It is in these winter months that big cat activity is at its height, and we were here to see what we could document.
On January 24, 2009, the four of us (Phillip, Vinay, Siva and I) were on a morning safari in Anekaadu. The sun had risen a fair amount, throwing golden light onto the land. The Nilgiri hills provided a resplendent backdrop. When, right there on the middle of the path stood a massive male tiger, golden light shining on him and providing his coat with a glistening luster. Within a split second, he got down on his haunches and went into stalk mode, staring at us with eyes that paralyzed me, causing me to surrender to him instantaneously. An apparent striped necklace draped his neck. He filled me with an awe and wonderment that’s indescribable. He stared at us for a good six to eight minutes, after which he decided he could calmly go about the rest of his day. Thus, he disappeared into the lantana bushes.

Believe people when they tell you that sighting a tiger in the wild is a monumental experience. Believe the poems and stories that put tigers on an elevated pedestal. Believe me when I say that having a wild tiger at your home is an ordeal that can provide you with goosebumps that refuse to leave you for a long, long time.

Camera traps showed that the male tiger had female companionship. A litter is inevitable. Happy mating, guys. May the Anekaadu tiger heritage become illimitable in the years to come!

Siddarth Reddy is an ardent birdwatcher and a keen naturalist with a passion to learn about the natural world around him. He enjoys writing about his travel and escapades and is a Felis Associate.