Tiger, Tiger Out of Sight: Why the big cats are elusive in our national parks

Certainly, the leopard sightings were the more exciting of the two. For a start, ours was the only Gypsy at the location on both occasions. The first time we spotted it, was early dawn, when it sneaked out of cover for a drink at one of the artificial waterholes. We could really only see its haunches as it leaned over to drink. But the second time, it was a more natural sighting and the guards who were with us, were equally thrilled – not only because of the sighting, but because we were so enthused by it, claiming that most tourists were just not interested in this extremely elusive animal (even though they prowl around the villages bordering the Borivali National Park in Mumbai and have begun checking out Gurugram’s gated colonies). They pointed it out, sitting perfectly camouflaged in the dappled cover, obviously waiting for prey, its eyes glinting. Eventually, it moved away and vanished soundlessly as a forest spirit.

As for lions, well, they seemed blasé about being looked at. There were actually forest guards sitting nearby watching over them and while the animals looked us over (and a lioness yawned), they seemed totally disinterested. It reminded me of what you see in so many African parks – where lions seek the shade in the shadow of Land Rovers agog with tourists, or else get on with their normal lives. They have even learned to ignore the blazing searchlights of filmmakers trying to get footage of them hunting elephant, wildebeest and buffalo at night. Frankly, the lions have little choice: if they do not hunt they do not eat and cannot feed their cubs.

Not only did the Gir lions ignore us, but one lion got interested in a lioness and relentlessly followed her, till ultimately the pair unabashedly had their honeymoon right in front of us! Imagine if they had done this in view of our leaders! Would the police have lodged an FIR against the lions, for conducting an obscene act in view of a VIP? And how would tourists explain this behaviour to their children? ‘Nahi baby, sex nahi ho raha hain, woh sirf uski shubh naam pooch raha hain’!

While these Gir lions appeared almost domesticated – let that not fool you for a second – if you stepped out of your vehicle for a selfie, they would take your face off with a single swipe. But yes, they seemed all too used to being stared at. Not life-changing but I ought to be thankful that we saw lions aplenty, because there have been people who have missed out on even this (and demanded their money back).

As for tiger spotting, I’m wondering if I actually would like to see a tiger in the way most people do. Once, forest guards report a sighting, Gypsies from far and wide, crammed with chattering tourists, home in like dung beetles to a dung pile. The vehicles jostle for the best angles, and of course the voyeurs just cannot keep their mouths shut, their cameras going off like machine guns. There was one horrifying picture I saw on You Tube I think, where the poor animal was squeezed between the vehicles that hemmed it from both flanks – I can only hope this was photoshopped. Or else, you have a line of Gypsies following a tiger, like stalkers as it walks down the track, occasionally glancing backwards irritably. All people really want is to be able to boast that they have ‘seen the tiger’ (and photographed it), regardless of the fact that the poor animal was virtually gheraoed in the process. The forest guards themselves are under huge pressure to deliver the goods or face petulant complaints. But really, if this is how one gets to see a tiger, perhaps, it would be better to just go to a zoo or safari park.

How much does this kind of intrusion affect the animals and their behaviour? How much pressure does it put on them? You wouldn’t like to be gawked at by a host of chattering people surrounding you from all sides, firing away with their cameras, would you? There have been cases where agitated tigers have charged at Gypsies and elephants carrying tourists clearly indicating that they have had enough and would like to be left in peace. The best (and most life-changing) way to see a tiger, is to ensure that you haven’t been detected by the animal first, which is a very tall order because in nine out of 10 cases, the tiger would be well aware of your presence, much before you are aware of it. Perhaps, if you crouched down in a machan overlooking a waterhole for hours on end… But these days, who has the time or patience for that! We want tigers, on tap!

Soon, our imported cheetahs may face the same situation. At the best of times they seem to be nervous, highly-strung animals, so being surrounded by a fleet of Gypsies may not exactly be what the vet ordered.