Asian Lion in the Dawn

Gir Forest

Was up at 5.30 and waiting at the gates to climb aboard a Gypsy jeep for the 6.30 entrance to the Gir forest – only 4 people in mine so eyes to all quarters in the hope of seeing an asiatic lion. There are only two places in India you can see them and although there are over 400 in 300 square ks there is also an enormous amount of forest too. There are leopard, hyena, jackal, crocodile, a variety of deer and smaller beasts like mongoose. The lions predate the tribals' cattle (for which they get compensated) for they aren't athletic enough to catch most of the deer and they need a good feed when they do kill – about 6-9 kilos meat a day. Very soon we came upon the alpha male of an area near the park gates – he let out a roar and continued for a couple of minutes, his whole body swelling and almost rising off the ground with the effort . Am so lucky to have got a small video recording of it. We saw lots of spotted deer – one doe feeding her calf and another of a mating – a mongoose, black ibis and a very large samba deer drinking at a water trough. He had broken one horn and was pretty scarred so was probably past his prime. We did see a second male lion ambling down the track in front of us but unfortunately a jeep in front masked most of his movements. The number of jeeps was limited and we had different routes we had to adhere to so it was quite well organised but the advertised 3 hour trip turned out to be a lot less as the driver and guide decided they had done their bit showing us the first lion and didn't let us have much time looking at anything else that turned up. They ignored the peacocks and most of the birds but did stop for the obligatory owl asleep in a hole who obviously is there every morning.

We then decided that our intended visit to the coast to see ships beached and being cut up for scrap was a non starter. Apparently they hate photographers so we've retraced our route from yesterday and stopped off at Morbi where I had spotted some rather fine buildings in our rush through yesterday. We got tangled up in a religious procession preceeded by a music center playing crashingly loud music, ladies carrying parcels covered with marigolds on their heads and followed by a skewbald horse pulling an ornate silver carriage containing a frizzy haired priest who smiled benevolently at me and my camera and made a namaste blessing. They were collecting money for a charity supporting the Holy Ones and Yusuf commented the cows would probably get 10% and the priest and woman running the show would live comfortably off the rest...

Yesterday we saw 9 dead dogs and a pig before lunchtime, today it was only two before teatime – could the full moon be to blame for their foolishness in running out in front of traffic? They will be more than replaced if only quarter the number of litters we see survive. There was a lorry overturned on a dual carriageway yesterday too – he hit the kerb trying to avoid a Holy One who got away unscathed. The amazing skills of drivers has only to be applauded. I've never driven so close to other vehicles in all my life but everyone weaves around the others and the motorbikes weave in between – roadworks take place and everyone just piles onto the opposite track of a dual carriageway without a cone or sign to direct you and everyone respects the traffic going in the wrong direction and gives way. There are no traffic lights at junctions, everyone presses forward just a little bit at a time until the side on comers just have to give way – very little hold ups except at railway crossings and then there is a mad scramble as the road will have become solid with everyone piling in to try and get an edge over someone else in the queue, 5 or 6 abreast in a 2 lane gateway!

Resting the night in a rather noisy hotel/guest house – not very clean but hot water on tap was most welcome in my bucket, for the showers are cold so you use a small plastic jug to pour the water over yourself. Thali for supper as is most usual – lots of little dishes of veg, dal, rice, pickles, sweet and sour dishes, buttermilk to drink, slices of onion, cucumber and carrot to nibble, chapattis and roti. No internet so you'll have to imagine I'm still with the lions.