A Book Named Jungle!

Every time I have some moment on seashore, or in the mountains, or sometimes in a quiet forest, I think this is why the environment has to be preserved….Bill Bradley

William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American Hall of Fame basketball player, Rhodes Scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. And was known for his stand for environment, especially forests!  Adhering to his words I always go to Jungles to have my own moments & each such trip is like reading another page of the book named Jungle making us exited about what lays ahead on next page! That’s what I always feel about my every Jungle trip. Recently to assist forest dept of MP at Kanha & Pench on some technical issues I was visiting these forests & during one such round in Pench forest with Game ranger Mr.Tiwari came across an exciting incidence. We were just leisurely traveling through the forest & there were a herd of nearly 200 & more chital (spotted dears) on road & before we realize a huge tigress come across that herd without even looking at any of dears, walking in her own mood! So thrilled, exited, mesmerized call it anything we were that for a second I even forgot to lift my camera & take a shot! Once again my own experience confirmed my opinion about Tiger sightings, that when you are not looking for a Tiger, you see one!

Yet in that rush of adrenaline  I clicked whatever I could & when back at   room I checked what I have clicked then seeing the tigress walking past the herds of chital, the tagline first come to my mind for that image was “I live by needs & not greed's”! Because as the Tigress had her lunch or dinner, she wasn’t interested in killing unnecessarily & this is where any animal in the nature scores above humans. Where as we hog & hog, may it be food or money, it’s never enough for us is a fact with many & that’s main reason of deterioration of the nature around us! We live by greed where as even the hunting predator like Tiger lives strictly by its needs! I posted the same on Sanctuary Asia’s face book page & the response in terms of comments was huge. I am not the person to gauge any achievement or action from FB likes & dislikes, yet Sanctuary Asia's Face book page is not just for making time pass & fun. But it’s a great platform where you get exposed to some of best wild life moments, sharing as well with bosses in the field of wild life conservation! And a comment coming from that level about whatever you post is serious stuff. What I did this time is instead of writing in usual way about the trip, compiled my own comments on some of the remarks & wow, a share-up comes out instead of write-up! Let’s go then with starting words of my first post...

Friends, leisure drive in calm & quite Pench forest after the work & feeling the fresh green air in lungs with a slight drizzle & warm sun light too. Listening stories of tourists crazy for the tiger sighting & experiences of forest staff & suddenly from a heard of at-least 200 more chitals on road  comes ahead a full grown tigress, least bothered by anything around & walks straight towards us! Even the chitals were silent & no calls from anywhere! So surprised we all were that I even forget to raise my camera for a while. Such is the grace in walk of the Queen of Forest! Mesmerizing, when u look in eyes of a full grown tigress in her kingdom, at close range.... That's what u feel, as if she is spellbinding you by those powerful green eyes, telling you to get off her way & she care a hang about you & your camera! I have seen hundreds of tigers & like the great Jim Corbet once said, I remember each of them, such is the encounter, each time something different. Agreed, forest in itself is special by every aspect & even a tiny insect or a wild flower too is equally important, still some sights are better than others & some are best! This was in Pench, Aug last week while at work for forest dept to assist them & all hats off to Game Range Officer, Mr. Tiwari there, who was ever enthu in sharing info as well a true field officer too. Such sights & incidences makes us come back again & again in wilderness for getting hypnotized by those green eyes, at-least to me it’s that way.

I agree about creating awareness through sharing such experiences as that’s the sole purpose of sharing such images as well knowledge, someone somewhere will get benefited & at end it’s the nature which will have advantage of it. Joke is myself & ranger Mr.Tiwari was discussion about the way people search for tiger sighting & in that zest forget about to enjoy the beauty of forest! But then this rarity & beauty of the animal is the answer in itself, as had it been common sight then there wouldn’t have the charm which it enjoys now, is equally true! Though through such shots we come to realize about nature & its behavior, actually I was a split second late in getting my camera or else the tigress come literally through the chitals without even glancing at them! We couldn’t believe it, though the chitals seems to know as not a single alarm call was there! So many years in forests yet each time it gives some different experience & that’s why maybe it’s the best school existing!

Yeah was a bit lucky & the sole purpose of sharing such images as well knowledge is someone somewhere will get benefited & at end it’s the nature which will have advantage of it. Joke is myself & ranger Mr. Tiwari was in discussion about the way people search for tiger sighting & in that zest forget about to enjoy the beauty of forest! But then this rarity & beauty of the animal is the answer in itself, as had it been common sight then there wouldn’t have the charm which it enjoys now, is equally true! Though through such shots we come to realize about nature & its behavior, as I have mentioned actually I was a split second late in getting my camera or else the tigress come literally through the chitals without even glancing at them! Even the forest officials said that in their so many years of service they also haven’t witnessed such rare scene of tigress walking past dears & they are at such ease. But then they do witness many such extraordinary scenes each day as the forest is alive with many such!

Many a times those of us who visits forest regularly often came across a question by our friends & family! At-least I do have such experience & it’s, "What’s there that you go in jungle so often?" Well, answer lies in above such moments! Each time there is something which we take back & best thing is we don’t know what it is that we will be taking back, when we enter in forest! It is that feeling of experiencing unknown makes us to visit forests again & again & then it need not be a tiger every time, even a butterfly or a wild flower can be equally thrilling sight & is important for the forest. And it’s from this affection towards forest a moment starts & there only lies the hope for survival of the forests, is what I think! At the same time it’s not just going to forests & enjoy the sighting but our responsibility is much more than that, towards everyone who is part of forest system. So let’s work in hand & make the tiger & many such species feel safer in their forests!

Adhering to my own words, at Sanjeevani we have always tried to take our share of responsibility towards conservation of wilds. In one such event we have distributed nearly 150 sets of School Bags as well Water Bags for the school going children at Kanha. Mostly those are of guides working in park as well local Baiga tribal’s kids. In a cozy function at Khatiya Gate at Kanha we handed over the sets too representatives of guides association of Kanha park. Kanha Park Director Mr. Jasbir Chauhan was also present at the occasion. Friends as I always say this, I am sharing with you not to show how philanthropic we are but some where someone might get inspired & will help the cause in better way! We shop for fun on any day of the week for our kids & just for our greed, forgetting need of many around places like Kanha. Many of the school going kids have never in their life seen a school bag like thing! As the job of conserving forests is not of any department or individual’s but of every one of us. And we don’t know what moment will make someone become a wild life conservationist, as its just phase of mind not any post!

Summarizing the share-up will add few words which I wrote to my kids after getting so many applauds for the image I posted as well our work for forest conservation, sharing the same here…

Dear Rohit, Rohan & Nkihil,

One simple click & on platform like Sanctuary-Asia I am loaded with comments & applauds! Agreed the image has come real well but it was just my luck & my only contribution was apply some mind, lift camera & shoot! They are saying for sending this snap for wild life photography competition at Sanctuary!

What I learn from such incidences is, your hobby can be your best way to happiness too! And whatever we do we should do it with total dedication & there is every chance that we get success in doing that & lastly I wasn’t doing it for all these appreciation, but for my pleasure & what has come along is just bonus. It should not go to my head that I was the creator of the image but my role is just like a postman who has the luck of carrying good news to others! Wanted to share all such thoughts especially with you, as some day you all will be in such situation & remember the cause is not photography but conservation of such sites!

Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

MSEDCL (Power) Committee, Credai, Pune

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