It all began with an informal invitation in 1998. Just a simple mention by Tripathi Ji at Khinanauli about the tiger census coming up the next year and asking me to keep in touch around April if I was interested in being a part of it. I asked him what all it entailed. The moment he said it included trekking all around the jungle, wading across riverbeds, climbing up and down hillsides, all the time on the lookout for pugmarks and tigers in the flesh, I told him to count me in! All through the year I kept reminding him to let me know exactly what were the formalities and when I should take care of them. Then during my trip there in early April 1999, he told me he had spoken to the director about this guy who was crazy about animals and wanted to take part in the census. I had been given the go ahead but had to once personally speak to the park's director myself. Unfortunately during that visit, he was away from Ramnagar on duty. I was taking no chances and planned another trip, the weekend before the census began. On the way out on that trip, lady luck finally shone on me and I met Mr. R.C. Gautam. After getting his clearance for myself and another friend named Sanjay, all the various letters and applications were submitted. Now…preparations could begin and the excitement began to take root.