There might be more of these majestic beasts in captivity in the US than there are left in the wild, but dedicated conservation work in India’s national parks is ensuring more are roaming free again

‘Look! These tracks are fresh – he’s very close!’ says my guide, Satish, as our driver Arun slows our open-top vehicle beside a patch of well-defined paw prints, stamped along a sandy path in Kanha National Park in the heart of India. I cling to the roll bar as Arun hits the gas, the four-by-four bumping along through the forest of towering sal trees. All eyes are trained intently on the road ahead.

Another clue appears – a tree trunk scored deeply by claws. This oversized scratching post at a fork in the road is a sign spurring us on, revealing the size and strength of the creature we are seeking. As we continue, ghostly grey langur monkeys leap through the canopy above, their alarm calls signalling that our prize is in their sight. Just minutes later, our vehicle slides to a halt and Satish springs onto his seat, as finally our quarry is revealed. ‘There he is – M1!’

Perfectly powerful

Slipping silently from behind a stand of sunlit bamboo and padding slowly across the dappled path ahead is one of the world’s most legendary beasts: Panthera tigris tigris, the Bengal tiger. This iconic big cat is heralded in literature and lore, yet has been driven to near extinction by poaching and threats to its habitat. Indifferent to the vehicle growling along his path, ignorant of our awe and the cameras clicking into overdrive, one of the world’s most powerful predators swaggers over to a tree and sniffs. Languidly raising his stripy tail, he sprays his scent onto the bark – a warning sign for other males considering entering his territory and a message to any females looking for a mate.

M1 is around six years old and a son of T8 who is also known to the guides less formally as Mundi (‘Mother’) Dadar. He is one of three large males in the Kisli Zone, one of around 100 tigers in Kanha National Park, one of 526 in the state of Madhya Pradesh, one of 2,967 that roam India and one of 3,900 that remain in the world. It’s taken an eight-hour flight from London to Delhi, a two-and-a-half hour flight to Khajuraho, an 11-hour drive via Bandhavgarh and 20 hours exploring two reserves by four-by-four to find him, but he is worth every minute of the search. M1 is one of our planet’s precious endangered species, and he is magnificent.