It’s four in the morning. The alarm goes off. On my right, there are neatly folded earthy-toned clothes. On the left, my papa’s well-travelled Nikon D7200 passed down to me in all its glory, waiting to be turned on for the day.
The alarm did its job, but it didn’t need to; my body has a self-clock when I’m on a trip to the jungles of India. This time, it was Panna Tiger Reserve, tucked in the Vindhya mountain range of Madhya Pradesh, located in the heart of India.
I quickly jump out of bed, put on my clothes, throw on my camera bag, and step down for the “chai aur charcha” (conversation over tea) with the group before heading into the jungle.
Before venturing into the forest, it’s essential to understand a few principles about being a part of the jungle. Above all else, remembering that you’re just an observer is of utmost importance. The jungle works on its own time and pace. It would be unnatural for you to insert yourself in an ecosystem that has opened its doors merely to welcome you as a guest. While you may think of it as your home, it’s not. And just like you would follow an unspoken set of etiquettes while visiting someone else’s abode, whoever that may be, you must do the same as you get into the gypsy and through the doors into the wilderness.
The first safari of the day begins at the crack of dawn. For decades, the means of transportation used for jungle safaris across India has been the Maruti Suzuki “Gypsies.” The drivers and a guide traditionally will receive you from your lodging to advance towards the main gate of the forest. The cars are lined up, one behind the other like a colony of ants, at the foot of the main gate at Panna Tiger Reserve.
There’s your first lesson: a “five more minutes in bed” attitude will downright not work in your favour here. You’re either before the set time or late. The law of the jungle is simple, it does not wait for anyone. While it may seem hard to wake up at the crack of dawn, it has its own thrill. The vehicles begin racing one another to compete for the best spot in the line, right from the moment you are received.
After entering the gates, the guide and the driver commence a brief instruction session for those who haven’t been to the jungle before (and yes, they can tell). Let’s start with the basics: no littering of any kind. This is my favourite rule whilst being inside the forest — “take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints,” as they said to me. As self-explanatory as it may seem, there are always a few “exceptions” who think they can continue to do as they please without consequences. Please, don’t be one of them. Appreciate the beauty and maintain the sanctity of the jungle, and it will reward you.
The most exhilarating experience is witnessing the grandeur of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The jungle is divided into multiple zones; the numbers could range from one to 10, and it could be less or more depending on the area of the forest.
Now, let me paint you a picture: your car is making the rounds of the Madla Zone (zone two), it has been a silent drive through the Dry Deciduous forest, sighting a few spotted-deer, an assortment of birds and a collection of beautiful flora. Right as you turn around to capture the setting of the jungle, your driver receives a phone call: “Zone 4.”
Before you can comprehend what is unfolding, the speed has gone from zero to 60. The driver isn’t in the jungle anymore; he is maneuvering his way through what feels like a Formula One racetrack.
A little general knowledge about the roads inside the forest: they do not exist. It’s the most rugged trail with a million stones, rocks, and branches distributed unevenly along the way. Overstimulation may be the correct word to describe my emotions at this moment, with the driver informing us about the intricacies of the sighting, co-passengers trying to set up their cameras — at 60 miles per hour on roads that look like a one-way ticket to the chiropractor, in a fully open car — and the snacks that I was eating now ended up all over the place.
Nonetheless, the driver has one mission: to get you to the sighting before everyone else in the jungle has reached the rendezvous point.
The group has made it to the site in time, cameras are ready and fitted with the correct lenses, pin-drop silence, and other cars pulling up right behind us but this is where the real test begins. Here’s a fact about tiger sightings: you stay in one place for as long as it takes!
The crowd is a mixed bag of people from award-winning, professional photographers to families on a trip. One thing that unites this crowd is their determination to stick it out as long as it takes to see the “Queen of the Jungle.”
Lesson number four: patience is key. While it may sound monotonous, I have learned this the hard way. Being patient, giving things time, and letting them unfold on their own time will prove to be far more beneficial and long-lasting; because short-lived happiness is not real happiness after all, is it?
To prove my point, here is what we patiently waited an hour in the scorching sun for:
My Papa has been a wildlife photographer for over a decade now. I remember being fascinated with the photos he clicked on his travels to the diverse jungles of India when I was a mere child.
However, the one thing that stood out to me ever since is a statement he continues to swear by even today, “The jungle is the cake and the tiger is the frosting on it. In your zest for sighting a tiger, don’t forget to enjoy the wonderful experience the jungle offers. The birds, the butterflies, other mammals of the forest and the beautiful landscapes.”
Imagine yourself, sitting in that very gypsy, entering the gates of the thick jungle of Panna and as we continue down the road, here’s everything I see:
- The Indian Gazelle, also known as Chinkara
-
Original photo by Sia Shete - Changeable Hawk-Eagle also known as Crested Hawk-Eagle
-
(The bird is called “Changeable” since it shows a wide range of variation in plumage, that varies with moult and age.)
Original photo by Sia Shete - Indian Langurs (lung-oooor), also known as Gray Langurs
-
Original photo by Sia Shete - National Bird of India, the Peacock
-
Original photo by Sia Shete - Sloth Bears
-
Original photo by Sia Shete - Long-tailed Shrike
-
Original photo by Sia Shete - Rhesus Macaque
-
Original photo by Sia Shete - Crested Serpent Eagle
-
Original photo by Sia Shete - Indian Scops Owl
-
Original photo by Sia Shete
Elton John was right in saying, “There’s more to be seen than can ever be seen,” because entering this mystical jungle is more than just an experience for me. It’s agreeing to accept a way of life for as long as I am a part of the wild and I would not trade that feeling for anything in the world.
My papa took me on my first-ever wildlife safari when I was barely two years old, and the tradition continued throughout the years. The fond childhood memories I share with the jungle — whichever it may be — keep bringing me back. So much so, that now as an adult I continuously yearn to be in the wild with my Nikon D7200 and the sounds of the forest.