Lion tagged posts

On Big Game Hunting and What Africa Can Learn From India

The recent cold blooded murder of Cecil, the lion, by an American big game hunter has sparked outrage across the world and has taken the social media by storm. The hunter (I prefer to call him murderous coward) has also stated that big game hunting is an activity that he loves and practises “responsibly”.This statement brings to the fore the mindset of a culture that has eradicated most of its wildlife and biodiversity in its quest to pursue “development” and material benefits.

While the social media outrage does show that this mindset is abhorred by the majority even in the west now, it is too little too late. The forests of North America and Europe may once have had a dazzling array of wildlife but  many of the erstwhile  residents of those habitats are now gone forever...

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The Call Of The Wild

I had signed off my previous post with the resolve to be back in Gir for a rendezvous with the Asiatic lion. So when I had a chance to visit Gir a couple of weeks back, I jumped on the opportunity. The forest looked pretty much the same except for the fact it was quite hot. But I am happy to report that the trip was not in vain. I was able to spot two of the last remaining 411 wild asiatic lions in the world. It was an amazing experience. With these sightings, I have now seen two of India’s biggest cats in their natural habitat. The leopard and the snow leopard still elude me. Hopefully, they will also oblige me someday.
So without much further ado, behold the jungle of Gir and its residents in all their glory:
The tented accommodation where we spent the night amidst lions calling in the distance

The tented accommodation where we spent the night amidst lions calling in ...

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