How safe are our animals in National Parks? India edition

 

We had a great time at Ranthambore National Park. We were immersed in the yellow and green expanse of the wilderness.We were also lucky to sight the tiger in our second safari. And it was not a regular sighting. We were tailing her for five minutes. From the second she was in the bushes to the minute she paraded on the main jungle pathway. We were ecstatic. We had been to two national parks for tiger spotting – Corbett & Bandhavgarh, but nothing was close to what we were about to witness. 

There were three gypsy’s including ours and one canter. Each was trying to get a better view. There were hushed whispers of T-39 also known as Mala walking in the bushes. Our driver said she would eventually walk on the main path where gypsy’s drove, so we rushed a few steps ahead of other vehicles. As expected she came on the very path and strolled ahead of us, unperturbed by our presence. She kept walking for a minute and suddenly she stopped, turned to take a look at us and walked away in the woods.(The video can be found here)

 

It was a successful journey and I am glad it happened, but it also brought into light how vulnerable these animals are. Many overzealous drivers are known to take the jeeps/canters excessively close to the tigers, enraging them. A quick search on Youtube and one would see agitated tigers chasing the vehicles eventually leading them out of their territory. It can be traumatizing for not just the animal but also for those sitting in the vehicles. 

Another incident at Gir, Gujrat, in the summer of 2009 is testimony to the horrors of allowing visitors in wildlife sanctuaries. This sanctuary is known to be the sole home of the Asiatic lion. It was probably May and the jungle was facing one of its most harsh months. We had two guides with us. On reaching the heart of the jungle they stopped our jeep and stepped outside with two thick bamboo poles. They went inside the jungle beating the poles to the ground and within a few minutes we saw them behind two lionesses – driving them near our jeep. We don’t know how they did it. They apparently did so to make a quick buck.  

We were told it is not allowed to step out of the vehicle, but apparently everything is possible in Indian national parks/sanctuaries. I know of friends who have taken many a night safaris in sanctuaries equipped with booze. We were offered deer and monkey meat during our Bandhavgarh sojourn multiple times. (Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh is supposed to have the highest density of Bengal tigers in India.)

If you have money or access to certain privileges you can get away with anything. Hunting is not unheard of either; the black buck shooting case is testimony to this fact.  What is the solution? Do we stop visitors in sanctuaries/national parks, considering the dangerous animal our own species is turning out to be? 

T-39/Mala at Ranthambore

 

Lionesses seen at Gir

Adventures are waiting to happen - Get Out There!

Our Corbett trip in Feb, a few years ago, was rather uneventful. 3 safaris and just a glimpse of the Tiger miles away from us, it was a total disappointment.

Entertainment and surprise awaited, thanks to this auto rickshaw ride which was supposed to be inside the periphery of the national park. We asked him to take us around the place for lesser known spots. Kailash, the rickshaw driver, was beaming, he had just seen two naive youngsters and he was to guide their travel crusade for the rest of the evening, and perhaps even the night. "Nainital is forty five minutes away, you must've heard about it," he said in a very matter-of-fact manner.

We were ecstatic! Nainital! That too 45 mins away? Seemed way too good a proposition. Didn't bat an eyelid to blurt out. "YES!!"

Indeed, adventures happens by surprise.  With our cell phones drained out, we had no way to check where we were headed. But, how harmless could a 45 minute ride be? Anyway, we were gung-ho for Nainital. Half an hour into the ride, it was hard not to notice the drop in temperature. Dressed in light, cotton summer wear, me, the Mumbaikar was certainly having a tough time containing herself.

After what seemed like an eternity we reached Nainital. The temperature was around 10 degrees. In the last two and a half hours, we were two teeth chattering, clueless tourists, heading to the nearest store to pile on couple of layers of clothes.

We took in the sights and sounds of the place for the next forty five minutes, as the sun was setting. Time was less and who knew another two and a half hour had to be spent in the Rickshaw with forests and valley in the periphery. We hurried back, and about 10 kms away  from the national park, my heart skipped a beat. We finally had our date with the bold yellow beast. What a frightful sight, s/he was a few metres away, crossing the road and Kailash beamed, "You are lucky. It was surely chasing some animal, else we would have been dead meat."

I think we paid him extra that night.

Come to think of it, who could have imagined, a rickshaw ride from Corbett to Nainital, three safaris, one tiger sighting and one helluva escape! Phew!