While in Jungle: Thumb Rules for The Wildlife Enthusiast

IndiaWilds "showcase the beauty of India’s wilds through Nature and Wildlife Photography, with the focus on wild tigers,to convey the importance of preserving this fast vanishing wilderness."

IndiaWilds members appreciate nature in her pristine form and are concerned about the way things are progressing (or regressing) now.

In the past, IndiaWilds members have raised issues regarding how certain "Eco-tourism operators" conduct "business", about ill-planned industrialization affecting delicate ecosystem and other pertinent issues. Members have gone on field to confront challenges head-on, we have sent mail to Field Directors and PM to act. I cannot speak about others, but today I am more responsible than I was before.

Kudos to one and all!

Now, let me ask you a question: As people become more affluent and enterprising can we really prevent the phenomenon of overcrowding of our jungles? Who should go in to the jungle and who should not? Many members would suggest that only "responsible" wildlife enthusiasts should be allowed. Does "super telephoto" wielding, camouflage attired and jungle jargon spewing tourists be classified as responsible? What about the quintessential middle class Indian family (Mr & Mrs. Sudhakar with their kids Chintu and Pinky) who saved up for last 6 months and have come to assuage their curiosity of "sighting a tiger or an elephant"? Reality is, at the end of the day, the cause of conservation is strengthened when more people (from all walks of life) experience our beautiful wild heritage and decide to become vocal stakeholders of it.

Now lets talk about rules.

People have religions and values, countries have Constitutions, organizations have Policies. Rules help in instilling a sense of order to this absolute chaotic phenomenon called life. Friends, how about collectively framing best practices that are most suitable for the Indian wildlife safari? Imagine a IndiaWilds member going to a Tadoba or Kaziranga and abiding by these rules and more importantly acting as an evangelist amongst his fellow eco-tourists about best practices?

Wouldn't it make our wildlife a bit more safer and better? If nothing, I am sure it would allow Rahul Parekh to again return to his beloved forests!:) Incidentally he is protesting by boycotting the jungles...

Folks, I will be regularly updating this thread to incorporate more ideas that YOU put forth (hopefully after a healthy debate over it).

IndiaWilds Thumb Rules for The Wildlife Enthusiast when in Jungle:

1. Encouraging safari driver to drive well within speed limit.
2. Encourage safari driver to keep a 40-50 feet distance between the animal and the vehicle.
3. Expectation setting: Before start of safari, the naturalist and a volunteer (from IndiaWilds perhaps) should talk to fellow photographers and tourists about the secrets of bountiful forest apart from the big cats.
4. Not carrying picnic food into the jungle or plastic water bottles.
5. Rules of driving: No overtaking because a "deep pocket" tourist offer extra cash. Such incidents should be raked up with full impunity at the highest level.
6. Discouraging drivers to be egged by tourists to drive off path.
7. Be watchful: IndiaWilds members should document instances of wrongdoing: bribe, crossing the line by tour operators.
8. IndiaWilds members should practice watching nature in silence. Communication to be best limited to whispers. They should also encourage other members in their safari jeeps to do the same.
9. Buy a binocular or t-shirt, shoes or good caps while going on safari. Tell safari driver what's your expectations are for responsible eco-tourism. If the driver shows responsibility during the safari gift these apart from appropriate emoluments.

These are a few I could think of now. I will be constantly adding more.

Please comment and add more best practices.

Ranbir,

You forgot the mobile phones :-)

In any event, such an initiative needs to be driven top-down, by the park management and by the drivers, guides, and naturalists.

I agree with your comment that people from all walks of life should be able to visit the jungles. The only way to do this is to encourage resorts with affordable rooms. This would mean that the FD would have to offer an incentive (such as reduced entrace fees) to the promoters of such resorts.

To offset that loss of revenue, the camera fees for DSLRs could be increased.

I have always suggested that photographers be treated as the new hunters. Charge them in the same manner as licensed hunters used to be charged, and grant them access to the forests.

Apana

Hi Ranbir,

Very nice & important article. TFS your lovely idea to ease the wildlife. I would like and strongly support fixed & more safari routes...at NP. I would like to add....

1) Currently, when one group finds the tiger their tour operator/ guide/ driver/ naturalist inform other groups to come to specific spot to see the tiger from other routes. I think this should be stopped. This creates deadly chaos and massive traffic at single point and wildlife also suffer a lot. As we talked one innocent tiger cub died becasue of this kind of misbehaved activities of the tour operators. There are many other incidents also... :(

2) No one should allowed to change the route in middle to watch the tiger at different route. One should give respect to the nature & luck. Don't you feel this is the fun of wildlife...that attract us to the nature :)

3) As Apana said, Mobile phones are crucial these days. This is boon as well as curse. I recommend use of mobile phones to communicate between gypsy/elephant safari should be banned. Only communication between gypsy/elephant safari with park authority be allowed to give important messages.

4) As these 'Tiger Parks' comes under higest traffic zones. To accomodate majority tourists at one time & earn revenue to handle the park effectively & efficiently, Park authority has to create more safari routes to divide the safari traffic at one route, so there will be no heavy impact on wildlife at single area. People like us who truly love nature will enjoy the wildlife with more ease and happiness too.

Hope our writing be some day used in reality. I'll add more regularly. and yes i truly wish, if this will happen i'll surely return to my beloved jungles again to meet my one of the favourite animal :)

Best wishes...

Rahul

None of us had visualised this. Now we have to add one rule: Thou shalt not beat others*


*After the incident in Dandeli where tourists killed an ACF ( When tourism goes Haywire - Indiawilds: Land of the Tiger. Conservation, Wildlife Photography, Communities)