India, March 26 -- We arrive at Topslip in Tamil Nadu's Anamalai Tiger Reserve with a sense of quiet anticipation. I feel the stillness settling into me as the wilderness begins wrapping itself around my thoughts, and I understand why this forest is considered one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in southern India. Named for 'ana' (elephant) and 'malai' (mountains) in Tamil, the mountains are rich in pachyderms as well as many other forest dwellers, including about 30 tigers. The reserve covers 1,480 sq km at an elevation of 1,400 metres above sea level.

As we sit on the creaky wooden chairs of the rest house verandah and listen to the sounds of the jungle rising and falling like waves, I feel like I'm surrendering to a rhythm that i...