The Monday morning greeted us with a refreshing coolness, and the sun cast a bright glow all around. Mr. Mohit, in his kindness, had made all the necessary arrangements, considering it was my first safari experience. Our safari adventure was set for the evening, from 3 to 6 PM.
A fortunate encounter occurred the day before when I met Mr. Atul, who, by chance, happened to be our safari jeep driver. At 2:30 PM on the scheduled day, he arrived to pick us up from Gir Birding Lodge. Checking if I had packed essentials, such as my metal water bottles and a kettle filled with coffee, he reminded me of their importance. Realizing I had overlooked these items, I hurriedly sought assistance from our chef, Mr. Yakub, to help me pack them.
Having packed everything, Mr. Mohit, Mr. Amit (our lodge's in-house naturalist), Mr. Atul, and I set off for Sinh Sadan to obtain our safari permits. Upon arrival, Mr. Mohit engaged in conversations with old acquaintances and friends. When I inquired about his first visit to Gir, he shared that it took place during his college days.
As Mr. Mohit immersed himself in catching up with others, he suggested that I use the time to gather information about Sinh Sadan for future reference—an invitation I promptly accepted. During my exploration, I discovered that disposable plastic is prohibited within the Gir forest, and the safari routes we would be assigned are selected randomly from a pool of 13 different routes.
Following the acquisition of our permits, we proceeded to the safari checkpost located just beside Gir Birding Lodge. A mere 100 meters past the checkpost, our attention was captivated by a Spotted Owlet peacefully sleeping in a tree hole, its head peeking out. Eager for a closer look, I requested the binoculars from Mr. Amit, who was carrying them. After capturing some photos and admiring the enchanting creature, we resumed our journey.
About 10 minutes into the drive, our guide signaled us to halt, pointing out an Indian Nightjar perched on a tree branch. Initially, I struggled to distinguish the bird from the branch, as its camouflage was impeccable.
Continuing our journey, we noticed a cluster of parked cars where enthusiastic visitors were capturing moments with their cameras. Filled with anticipation, we accelerated and positioned ourselves behind the other jeeps. It was there that I witnessed my first wild male lion, leisurely resting in the shade of a tree. Some distance behind the lion, three Nilgai grazed, unaware of the majestic presence in front of them.
However, the vigilant Nilgai soon sensed something amiss, and one of them noticed the lion. Communicating the potential threat to the others, they swiftly changed direction, avoiding any unwanted confrontation. The lion remained relatively still, and after capturing some photos, we continued our journey.
Like many forests, Spotted Deer were abundant, scattered across the landscape, making it unnecessary for us to halt for photographs. Soon after, our attention was drawn to three young lions peacefully asleep. What added an unexpected and exhilarating twist to the scene was the presence of lion trackers seated under a tree merely 20 meters away from these formidable apex predators.
Our next stop was by a stream crossing, offering a delightful view of an Indian Pond Heron, a Green Sandpiper, a turtle, and a young Mugger Crocodile. All of them seemed to be relishing the cool mud, seeking refuge from the sun, exemplifying the harmonious coexistence of these diverse wild animals.
As the vehicle resumed its journey, a sudden wave of thirst prompted me to reach for our water bottle. Taking a refreshing sip, I caught a glimpse of something from the corner of my eye. Desperately attempting to convey this to the driver, all that escaped my mouth were unintelligible sounds. Fortunately, he halted, and I discovered that the intriguing sight was a Grey Mongoose! Contrary to their appearance on television, these creatures are surprisingly larger than house cats.
Moving on, for an hour we just saw many Hanuman Langurs and a lot of birds like Oriental Honey Buzzard, a pair of Indian Stone-curlew (or thick-knees), a dozen or so Indian Peafowl, Asian Woolly-necked Stork, and a Brown Fish Owl.
The main attraction of my safari came when we saw a pride of lions, however, there were a lot of vehicles in between hindering my sight of these majestic animals. When we got the opportunity to get closer we were welcomed by a cub who was roaring at the driver to let them know who is the king of the jungle. The mothers were unbothered by our presence and continued to stroll with effortless grace. Bidding the family adieu we drove at a faster pace as the timing demanded us to exit the park by 6 and it was already 5:30 PM.
But even in the end, we got an amazing sighting, as we got to see the local buffaloes of the Maldhari tribe who live inside the national park. Although we could not see the Maldhari people we got to see the Eastern Cattle Egrets riding atop the buffaloes. 15 minutes later we reached the exit check-post which concluded our grand and delightful safari which sure left me with an increased respect and awareness for the forest and its inhabitants.
Report By: Mohit Aggarwal
Date: 12 February 2024
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