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Journalism of Courage
Few are aware that the path snaking into the heart of Munnar8217;s Eravikulam National Park is known as the 8220;Gouldsbury Track8221; 8212; in honour of the late British tea planter and conservationist who perhaps did more to preserve wildlife in these hills than anyone else.nbsp;John Gouldsbury managed a tea estate near Munnar where my father worked. As a boy, I recall him zipping up and down the road past our house on his Francis Barnett motorcycle, anbsp;battered hat clamped over his unruly silver-streaked locks with a nervous assistant perched precariously on the pillion.nbsp;
A World War II veteran who was awarded a Military Cross, JG was a sharpshooter. In the 8217;60s, I had seen him effortlessly peppering clay pigeons with his shotgun at the annual Thorpe Cup shooting competition.nbsp;Quite knowledgeable about nature, he competently nurtured and headed the local wildlife and angling associations for several years.nbsp;And when a proscribed rogue elephant had to be put down, it was he who led the hunt 8212; a task that often saddened him.nbsp;
Thanks to the untiring efforts of local conservationists spearheaded by the indomitable JG, in 1971, Eravikulam was declared a wildlife sanctuary and eventually a National Park in 1978 8212; Kerala8217;s first. JG lived to see his cherished dream come true.nbsp; Before leaving India, he made an impassioned appeal to all concerned through the visitors8217; logbook at Eravikulam to leave the park8217;s pristine splendour untouched 8212; a request that has, thankfully, been heeded so far.nbsp;
