Being a frequent tiger tourist myself, I know I don't really have the right to criticize others infected with "Tigermania." If you've ever visited a tiger reserve, you'll know what this is. It's a kind of insane desperation to see a tiger, to get at least one "sighting" of our magnificent jungle king before we leave the forest. It makes us drive madly around the paths, chasing pug marks and alarm calls of prey animals. Every time another vehicle passes by, we anxiously scan the passengers' faces: you can tell from their smug smirks or dejected looks whether they've seen one or not.
Tigermania doesn't affect only the wildlife enthusiast or the animal lover or the cat-worshipper (I am all three). Everybody gawks stupidly when the stripes finally appear, and even the noisy picnickers actually shut up. Whether it's the powerful muscles - something you'll never see in a zoo - or the expression of cold ferocity, somehow this animal holds one spellbound. Just for that brief span of time, I think we realize who is really at the top of the food chain...much as we insolent apes may have tried to usurp that position.
The unfortunate tiger has always been the victim of his own charisma, hasn't he? While our ancestors wanted to hang his pelt on their walls, today we obsessively want to witness a bit of his life at any cost, ignoring the fact that he is a cat and therefore rather fond of privacy and solitude. We want to see him crossing a road, taking a nap, having a bath, hunting, mating, yawning, anything.
There is even this obsession some people have with wanting to cuddle tigers, something I don't understand at all, but it sends hordes of tourists to the famous, or perhaps infamous tiger temple in Thailand, to pose cheek-to-cheek with an animal which in its natural state would be ripping their heads off (my personal opinion here, so please don't attribute this to Satpuda Foundation!)
Some wild tigers seem to have got used to the attention and perhaps they dismiss us as harmless pests, something in the background like crows. But I have seen many others who are clearly distrustful of us, as any sensible animal should be, and though they make brief appearances, they keep a wary green eye on us at all times.
I am torn between a strong urge to stare as long as possible, and an equally strong one to leave them in peace.
And when it's time for us tourists to leave, I feel secretly relieved. Because for some hours at least, the forest will belong to the real animals again.
Photos: taken by me in Kanha National Park, Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Pench Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh)
3 comments:
I totally relate to what you are saying. when i was in tadoba for MHU i was told that there was a female tiger with cubs spotted close by and that 15 jeeps had already reached the spot to see her.. I thought to myself she is not going to be there for long 15 jeeps are too many people for the tiger to tolerate.
But at the same time i saw how these tourists have made the tiger so important, Every thing in the reserve is so tiger centric.
When you talk to the locals who turned into guides you can just sense the importance of tiger and some kind of respect that they have just because it has got them a job. The forest officials are not the way i thought they wud be.
Tiger is a priced possesion and to a large extent it may be because people are spending a lot of money to come and see them ALIVE in wild.
I think this will bring a big change in tiger conservation. But there is a definte need to introduce responsible tourism and that wont be very difficult.
I dunno...I felt hugely sad when I saw the two pictures of a tiger with 2 vehicles in the frame. They seemed to epitomize the tiger human conflict of our times.
The only time I saw a tiger was in Nagarhole - thick elephant grass and there she was. Much as I would like to see more tigers, I don't want to be noisy tiger-tourist. I want the sighting to be a suprise -quiet, secretive.
I just loathe the tourists and the buses that have ruined the Bandipur-Mudhumalai road and cringe with every horn I hear.
I applaud your blog that i just viewed thanks to my daughter who is very passionate about all animals.
Thank you
Thanks Kirtana. I know, tourists are pure hell sometimes...but at the same time their presence is believed by some to be a deterrent to poachers, who are a much bigger evil. I hope some balance can be found soon and tiger tourism can become more sane and civilized.
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