Face to Face with the Elusive Asian Lion in Gir Forest
Ranjan Mukherjee
The king of beasts evokes a sense of awe and majesty. I grew up watching movies
of tawny, full-maned lions hunting zebra and antelope in the grasslands. To most people,
lions are symbolic of Africa. However, in one forest on another continent, the Asian lion
has made its last stand. Once upon a time they roamed in large numbers across a vast
swathe of Europe and Asia, especially northern India. But now hunting and habitat
destruction have greatly reduced their numbers. Even during the waning days of the
Mughal Empire, there are documents of royal lion hunts. Gir is the last stronghold of the
Asian lion. Now, there are only about 200 of these animals left. The small number and
lack of genetic diversity makes their survival perilous. And so on a trip to India in
January, I decided to visit the Gir forest in the state of Gujrat in Western India to see
these elusive Asian lions.
I traveled by car from Ahmedabad and stayed in a hotel on the outskirts of the
jungle. The evening was spent talking to the inhabitants of the local villages and making
arrangements for a safari the following day. Very early in the morning I entered the
jungle in an open Jeep with a driver and a forest guide. It was still dark with a gentle cool
breeze. Scent travels far under such conditions, ideal for lions to locate their prey. There
was no sound except that of the engine and the indescribable cacophony of the jungle.
Every rustle would set our hearts racing. Gradually, the inky darkness yielded to a
glorious dawn. Shafts of golden sunlight filtered through the canopy and lit up patches of
the forest floor covered with dry brown leaves. Our ears and eyes were straining to catch
sound or sight of the elusive lions. After some driving on jungle tracks, we heard muffled
roars in the distance. We stopped and listened, trying to gauge the direction and distance
of the lions. Suddenly the driver whispered “lion” and pointed to the right. My heart
nearly missed a beat. There, about 30 feet from us, a male lion broke through the cover
and walked unhurriedly and purposefully towards a waterhole on a track parallel to us.
We followed at a respectful distance. He drank, lay down and looked straight at me
alternately yawning and blinking. He seemed to be enjoying posing for us. I took many
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pictures, one of them hangs framed in my study. I could not believe my good fortune in
being able to see a full-grown lion in its natural habitat. We spent several more hours
driving through the forest. Beside the lion, I saw spotted deer, wild boar, nilgai, monkeys
and many beautiful peacocks.
I left with wonderful memories and much food for thought. It gradually dawned
on me why the lion was chosen as Goddess Durga’s “vahan” in her battle against
Mahisashur. It is big, strong and strikes fear in all animals, perfect companion in a war
against evil.
I hope their habitat can be preserved and even expanded so that future generations
can hear the roar of the Asian lion and be mesmerized as I was.
Ranjan Mukherjee is a freelance writer and photographer
[email protected]
October 2014
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The Asian lion at a waterhole in Gir forest.
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