Chasing Gold: A Photographic Quest for the Elusive Golden Tiger

Kaziranga holds a special place in my heart—it was here that my love affair with the SLR camera began. In 2008, I embarked on my first trip to Kaziranga with my eight-year-old daughter, Gayathri. It was also my first time using a SLR, a Nikon D80 with a 70-300mm lens. By then, Gayathri and I had already spent three years exploring wildlife sanctuaries, but we were yet to see a tiger in the wild

Me, Gayathri and my first SLR 2008

On the final safari of that trip, Gayathri insisted that we sit on the Kathpora watchtower for the entire drive. She had overheard some American photographers, armed with massive lenses, excitedly discussing a tiger sighting from that very spot. For over three hours, we waited, hoping for a glimpse of the elusive big cat. As time passed, she took a piece of paper from me, borrowed a pen from our guide, and sketched a tiger, hoping to manifest its appearance. That day, the tiger remained unseen. It would take another two years before we finally saw one in the wild.

Kathpora watch tower now

After 2008, life took over, and there was a gap before I returned to Kaziranga in 2013, after retiring in 2012. Since then, I have made it a point to visit the park at least once a year. In 2015, I finally saw my first tiger in Kaziranga, deep in the Eastern Zone. From that moment on, luck seemed to be on my side, and every subsequent visit gifted me with at least one tiger sighting.

My first tiger at Kaziranga – 2015

My Best tiger image from Kaziranga-2017

In 2019, I heard whispers of a legend—a rare golden tabby tiger had been photographed for the first time. From that moment, every trip to Kaziranga had one goal: to witness and photograph this elusive marvel. In 2024, I missed it by a whisker, but I refused to give up. Finally, in March this year, my perseverance paid off. I was able to photograph the golden tabby tiger, thanks to the sharp instincts and deep knowledge of Ranjit, my trusted driver, whose understanding of this rare tiger’s behaviour made the sighting possible.

We found the golden tiger stalking an elephant calf, which was being protectively led away by its concerned mother. It seemed that the tiger had managed to separate them from the herd. Unfortunately, we could not capture them in a single frame. The golden tabby is known to hunt large prey like water buffalo and even the occasional rhino calf, but for the first time, people witnessed it going after an elephant—a sighting that left us in awe.

The mother guides her baby protectively away from the Tiger

A few Seconds later the golden at the same spot

The Golden Tabby Tiger: A Rarity in the Wild

The golden tabby tiger, also known as the strawberry tiger, is an exceptionally rare color variation of the Bengal tiger. This striking morph results from a recessive gene that affects melanin production, giving the tiger a lighter, golden coat with red-brown stripes instead of the typical black ones. Like white or melanistic (black) tigers, the golden tabby tiger is not a separate subspecies but a genetic anomaly. Conservationists express concern that such rare color variations could indicate inbreeding within isolated tiger populations.

Last month, whispers of another golden miracle surfaced—one of the three cubs born to this female and fathered by the golden tabby appeared to share his unique coloration. However, after that fleeting glimpse, the cubs have remained unseen.

The Mother of the Golden cub

Kaziranga, the place where my journey as a wildlife photographer truly began, continues to hold new wonders, calling me back time and again to capture the untold stories of nature.