Dear ngrewal ,
My 2 cents on your choice of cameras
the D5000 is actually an inferior SLR camera for stills as compared to the D90. Both have video capability - the D5000 has superior video capability than D90 - but what the heck . Even a medium range sony compact handycam shoots better video than any of these DSLRs . My view on this is - for the present and possibly the next 2 years - keep your DSLR and the video cam separate .
The D90 scores over D5000 in still capability and I feel it is more ruggedly built .
If you can afford it , you can go for the D300 or the D700 . They are better still - more ruggedly built and can stand a lot of abuse .
I am actually suprised by the results of the D40x - a very good entry level SLR . With a good Nikkor lens this gives very good results .It however needs to be handled with care as dust easily gets inside and it does not have auto sensor cleaning . In the US where you stay , dust is not a serious factor . So I recommend , as a first time dslr user - you can go for this camera . Buy the 18-200 Nikkor AF-S DX VRII
lens with this and you are set for most photographic situations you shall face .
If you want to do serious wildlife , then you need to upgrade to a more rugged body and longer telephotos .
End of the day , you can own a paradox , a H&H 0.375 or a H&H double - if you shoot the tiger in the tail -the animal does not go down in reverence of your equipment . In photography , at the end it is the composition and the feeling you bring to it .
happy shooting
Dear hvj1
it is a very "moving" experience . I had an enterprising mahout . The 2nd , 8th( same tiger) and the last snap were taken within 12 feet of the tigers . The mahout kept on saying "do not worry - they know this elephant and wont come near ". The elephant was a 65 year old tusker called Indrajeet . Its back is a min 12 feet from the ground . Perched precariously on the seat , holding on the to the cameras , son and wife ( my wife maintains it was in that strict order) I almost felt my bowels "move" .
The mahouts in bandhavgarh , takes the elephants nearest to the tigers in my limited experience .
On a more serious note - nothing is a more majestic sight than a wild tiger roaming freely in jungles which are rightfully their's . Trust me on this .
Best
Joydeep