Times Passion Trail Day 5 & 6: Sasan Gir.
We left in the morning around 7.30 am after a buffet-breakfast. We took a break on the outskirts of Amreli and munched on the famous Bhavnagari Ganthia (Light crisp fries made of chick-pea flour with local condiments), with three different types of chutneys and piping hot tea. We arrived at the resort around lunch. Our stay was arranged in a beautiful resort “Woods at Sasan”, which was built in a mango orchard. The décor was unique, the architecture and layout were stupendous, and hospitality was superb. The touch of rustic ambiance was complimented by the use of coir-ropes winding around steel structural columns.
We started for the afternoon safari around 3.00 pm. The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary were originally in the territory ruled by the Nawabs of Junagadh. They used to invite the British Sahibs, to hunt the lions. More than a hundred years ago, during one such expedition, Nawab Mohammed Rasool Khan Ji II, realized that there were hardly any lions left for his guests! He decided to declare Gir Forest as a protected area. His son, Mahabat banned all kinds of hunting in Gir Forest. The Government of India established this as an Asiatic Lion Sanctuary in 1965.
This region is the sole home for Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) in the wilderness. The ecosystem of Gir is protected as a result of persistent efforts of the forest department-Government of Gujarat, to ensure education and inculcation of pride in the local folk. Their efforts have borne fruit, which was obvious from the passion and pride of the locals, to preserve the ecosystem and ensure safety of the fauna. The activists, NGOs, and the Wildlife enthusiasts have also played their role. We saw the local guides halting the safaris to pick up trash from the tracks, thrown by some of our previous tourists. What a commitment to the environment by these guys!
During monsoon, which coincides with the mating season of the lions, the sanctuary is closed to the public and visitors. When we asked our guide about livelihood during the monsoon months, he replied that the youngsters went to neighboring towns to find work, but the majority just stayed put in their villages. They don’t have any other income. The local folks are totally dependent on the tourists, guiding them thru’ this glorious forest and proudly demonstrating the wild-life.
The Gir sanctuary was found to be very green as compared to the other places we had visited earlier this week. It is a deciduous forest, dotted with small lakes. Water tanks have been built in several places for the lions and the other wildlife to quench their thirst. The lions hunt during the night and rest during the day. They prefer to walk on the dirt tracks, to avoid making a noise walking on the dry leaves of the forest, as the prey would hear them easily and be warned of the imminent danger. We could see their pugmarks on the track. Of course, they were brought to our notice by the guides.
The ‘flame-of-the-forest’ tree (also called as Palash in Hindi), was in full bloom, adding to the beauty of the forest. We could see parrots, the oriental white eye, and sunbirds among the blooms.
I was lucky to see so many birds- three species of owls, black redstart, peafowls, common buzzard, grey francolin, etc., which you would find in my Photos portfolio.
We saw a good many Sambar Deer, (Rusa unicolor) and the spotted deer or Chitals (Axis axis).
Primarily, we had come here to see the majestic Asiatic lion! And, see him we did! In the first safari, we saw only one lioness, who was resting lazily in a clearing. But we went on two more safaris the next day, the early morning one at 6 am, and again at 3.30 pm. We learned quite a bit from our guides. The male lion is basically a loner and generally hunts on his own. The lioness is the one who looks after the cubs and hunts to feed the entire pride. The lions have their own territories, where they are the kings. A rival lion attacks the male cub to decrease competition, leaving the female cub unharmed!
In the morning safari, we saw a pride of lionesses and their cubs.
.But we waited….
And there came the one we were eagerly waiting for – the Lion King! He came walking majestically through the trees, crossed the dirt track in front of our vehicles to go towards the water tank, and have his fill. His whole bearing was regal, totally nonchalant, and not at all bothered about the attention he was getting!
And we, the mere humans were clicking away happily! Our day was made!!
Green Forest Lizard: Gir National park
The Alligator
The Mongoose