Jungle book: Majestic photos of India's wildlife

See stunning pictures of sloth bears, tigers, leopards and more, captured—on film, only—across the country’s deep forests

Sep 07, 2019, 08:22 IST2 min

<p>A family portrait of a dominant female of Zone 6 and her two male cubs, Ranthambore National Park. Female tigers are super-moms. After a gestation period of a little more than three months, they give birth (on average) to two to three blind and helpless cubs. The female is the sole provider for them until they reach independence at two years of age.</p>

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A family portrait of a dominant female of Zone 6 and her two male cubs, Ranthambore National Park. Female tigers are super-moms. After a gestation period of a little more than three months, they give birth (on average) to two to three blind and helpless cubs. The female is the sole provider for them until they reach independence at two years of age.

Image by Kairav Engineer

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A snarling female tiger walks underneath an ancient gate in Ranthambore National Park. You can hear a tiger"s roar from up to two miles away. Tiger vocalisations include roaring, growling, hissing, moaning and chuffing

Image by Kairav Engineer

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A golden jackal runs across the Little Rann of Kutch. The golden jackal is more closely related to the gray wolf, coyote, African golden wolf, and Ethiopian wolf than it is to the African black-backed jackal or side-striped jackal

Image by Kairav Engineer

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A jackal photographed on a very cold winter morning in one of the Bandhavgarh meadows. Jackals are extremely versatile and can survive in a variety of environments ranging from deserts to rainforests

Image by Kairav Engineer

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A shy leopard photographed outside Ranthambore National Park at sunset. The Indian leopard is one of five big cats that make their home in India. The others are the Asiatic lion, Bengal tiger, snow leopard and clouded leopard

Image by Kairav Engineer

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An old male leopard after a confrontation with a rival. Leopards are territorial and males often confront each other over territories and mates

Image by Kairav Engineer

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A leopard and cub photographed along the Lala Kund ridge in Jhalana, Jaipur. In 2015, 7,910 leopards were estimated to live in and around tiger habitat in India about 12,000 to 14,000 leopards were speculated to live in the entire country

Image by Kairav Engineer

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A young male leopard emerges from his cave situated behind a small shrine in Bera. Leopards and humans have coexisted peacefully for centuries at Bera/Jawai and they share a mutual respect for each other. Leopards here are worshipped by the local communities and they are duly compensated for their livestock kills

Image by Kairav Engineer

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A female sloth bear carries her solo cub in Zone 2 of Ranthambore National Park. Sloth bears are the only bears that carry their young on their backs

Image by Kairav Engineer

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An osprey in flight over Padam Talao, Ranthambore National Park. Ospreys mainly feed on fish and are found around lakes and rivers during winters and early summers

Image by Kairav Engineer