In 1973, India launched Project Tiger, an education campaign and a series of wildlife preserves aimed at preserving bengal tigers and their natural habitat. One of the original reserves is in Bandipur, in the Indian state of Karnataka. This picture was taken during a recent trip to Bandipur, in the jungles of the Project Tiger reserve there. Even with the protection of the reserve, tiger populations are declining throughout India and seeing a tiger in the wild is a pretty rare occurrence, which makes this photo all the more special.