Wildlife Whisperer

Wildlife Whisperer: (Part 2 - The Learnings) Before entering the world of actual jungles, the synonym that I associated with jungles was ‘jungle raaj’, essentially meaning chaos and anarchy. Where might is right. An adage used to describe much of the chaos that humankind is associated with. Now, having visited jungles multiple times, across the length and breadth of the country, I can guarantee that whoever has coined the word, or uses it regularly, has never ever entered a real jungle. Because a jungle is about absolute order, respect, balance and sustainability - as long as humans do not interfere. There was a time when humans were awed by nature, and responsive to it. Now, with a sense of entitlement creeping in, we think we have ownership and rite of passage everywhere, including the jungles and wilderness. Some of my basic learnings from the jungles are: 1. In jungles there is no hoarding. Animals hunt / eat ONLY when hungry. No random killing. No killing to eat later...

THE JOURNEY OF WILDLIFE WHISPERER (PART 1 – The Beginning) My tryst with wildlife started in March 2008, when I accidentally wandered off to Bandhavgarh National Park (Madhya Pradesh – central India), as a part of an itinerary curated for a friend who was visiting India for the first time. We went to Agra, Khajuraho and Bandhavgarh – logic of the itinerary being to introduce him to different beautiful aspects of India – one of the wonders of the world, an ancient heritage site and a jungle. In our 1 st safari itself, before I saw the tiger, I heard it roar, a happy roar of a full tummy as it descended a hill. We were 3 people in the gypsy, one felt super scared, one entertained and one ecstatic. No prizes for guessing which one of these was me. Back then I did not have a DSLR. I was still shooting with a point and shoot, and the 1 st picture that I clicked of the tiger was a blur, as it was moving while we exited the gate. The thrill stayed with me and inspired me...