I had been on several safaris before, but nothing could have prepared me for this moment. We were driving through the buffer zone of Kanha, the forest bathed in the golden light of the late afternoon. Our naturalist, with his keen eyes, suddenly stopped the jeep and pointed towards a thicket of bamboo.
The Majestic Presence
And then I saw her. A tigress, majestic and powerful, emerged from the bamboo. She walked with a silent grace, her stripes a perfect camouflage in the dappled light. She was so close that I could see the twitch of her whiskers and the intensity in her amber eyes. For a few breathtaking moments, our worlds converged. She looked at us, not with aggression, but with a calm, regal indifference.
A Lesson in Humility
In that moment, I felt a profound sense of humility. I was a guest in her kingdom, a fleeting visitor in a world that has existed for millennia. It was a powerful reminder that these wild spaces do not belong to us. We are merely custodians, with a responsibility to protect them for generations to come.
The Importance of Conservation
This experience reinforced the importance of the conservation work being done by places like Surwahi Social and the forest department. Every effort to protect these habitats, to create corridors for wildlife, and to mitigate human-animal conflict is a step towards ensuring that future generations can also experience this sense of awe and wonder. My safari was not just a tour; it was a life-altering lesson in the importance of coexistence.
About the Author
A Guest Blogger
A recent guest at Surwahi Social who was deeply moved by their wildlife experience.
