What a day we had on 15th March 2015. We arrived at Club Mahindra at 11:30 am from Somnath and left at 2:30 pm for a safari in an open-top Maruti Gypsy. We visited the Forest office to validate our permits, were assigned a guide, and then started our journey. On concerns about the open-top Gypsy, the guide mentioned that lions and leopards do not attack creatures taller than them. The dry arid forest and the afternoon heat were already bearing on us. Route no. 5 held no great promise on its 17 km run in the jungle. We did see the mandatory spotted deer, peacocks and sambhal but the lion remained elusive.
Spot the camouflaged birds
A surprise was a set of birds which were indistinguishable from the ground. Apparently, they cannot perch on trees due to the absence of some claws. Spot them if you can. The Sasan (pronounced Saasan locally) is spread over 1412 kms with 411 lions as per 2010 census. The area comprises a core zone surrounded by a buffer zone. If the lion population continues to grow, even this large area might not be enough since lions are already moving beyond it.
The Ghost of a tree
The forest is full of teakwood tress but the white tree (aka gum tree or ghost ttree)stood out. This tree changes colours to pink and brown within the space of one year and provides material for gelatine capsules as well. Gujarat had plenty of wild life, including tigers, but indiscriminate hunting had virtually decimated them in the previous century. The Nawab of Junagarh, perhaps anticipating the extinction of lions, set out this area of Sasan Gir for the lion sanctuary even before independence. Even today, there are tribals living in the core area with herds of buffaloes.
Sasan Gir is the only place where Asiatic lions live, which are the lions that fought with gladiators in ancient Rome. Asiatic lions are smaller than African lions with a thicker coat, longer tail tuft, a fold of skin along their belly, and a smaller mane. The mane helps forest officials understand the age of the lions (manes range from black to gold) and the paw prints are unique to each lion. A BBC documentary on the Asiatic Lions can provide additional perspective for those interested.
The real challenge in a safari is to spot the lion as they truly blend in with the forest. We had gone a fair distance on route no 5, when our guide spotted some trackers. Trackers help forest officials identify if lions and other wild life are injured and need help. They pointed out a lion snoozing in the jungle just off the path under the tree. We waited for bated breath and the King decided to saunter out, stretch himself and then went back to his snooze. We saw a lion on our first visit and had more surprises waiting for us.
A few kms further down, couple of trackers cautioned silence, and we were privileged to spot two majestic lion siblings. They had this bored look on their face and were possibly 7/ 8 years old (lions live up to 15 years in the wild). The photos don't fully capture the beauty of the two lions lying lazily, but the memory will always stay.
Satisfied, we moved on, but were hushed into silence as there was some movement near a man-made water pond. A majestic lioness emerged to quench her thirst. She had her fill and her ears perked up when she heard another vehicle approaching. She was extremely alert, and the guide mentioned that she had cubs recently. Three safari vehicles were poised in silence, eager to witness the unfolding scene. After she had her fill of water, the lioness strode across the path right in front of our Gypsy. That moment symbolised the lioness' rule over the jungle. It was a walk which seemed to say that this is my world, and you are only a spectator here. She ignored the vehicles on both sides as she crossed the path and vanished into the jungle.
Spotting four lions on your very first safari is incredible. I have been on tiger safaris at Kabini and did not spot a single tiger in three days. I had booked an additional trip the following day, which I promptly cancelled when we returned to the hotel. A visit to Sasan Gir is highly recommended. You can also visit Diu, Somnath and Junagarh which are in the vicinity.
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