Photo by Karine Aigner kaigner / Deep in India’s Ranthambore National Park lives a famous tigress. Some call her T-39, some call her Mala. And some of us know her as Noor. Noor was raised in the limelight of tourists and trucks. She is the pride of the Indian guides who have observed her her entire life. During my weeks in Ranthambore, I was graced with Noor’s presence several times. Noor is magnificence, confidence, and strength all wrapped into one gorgeous creature. Seeing a big cat in the wild landscape it belongs in changes you. I realized how small we really are, and how perfectly nature works without us. I was able to see Noor several times, and even more special was to see her with a set of three subadult cubs. Twenty feet in front of my vehicle sat Noor and one of her kittens, pictured here. Grooming and watching, Noor’s kittens were much like their mother in confidence and stature. Not yet old enough to be completely independent, this cat and its siblings still tagged along w...