Africa in Gujarat (India)

Exploring the Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat, India, Simon Raven finds himself face-to-face with the Asiatic lion in a world where man and beast walk side-by-side.

by Simon Raven

“We’re not scared of the lions. You show you’re scared, maybe you have trouble. The leopard is different. We’re scared of the leopard.”

Rammed into the back of a jeep, Raju glances over his shoulder. “Are you ready to see lion?” he cries, offering me a beedi, a small Indian cigarette rolled from a tobacco leaf. A cool breeze fills the air as we head out of Sasan village on a 100-km night drive around the perimeter of the Sasan Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. Raju, like many of the young men we’d met since arriving in Sasan was a tour guide. We’d been introduced to him by Nitin the owner of the Family House where we were staying. He’d immediately offered to take us on a night safari, and hungry to see an Asiatic lion in the wild we’d happily accepted. Taking a pit-stop around midnight, Raju slurps tea from a saucer and excitedly explains how the lions live mainly in the national park, but at night come out to the villages looking for cattle and easy prey. His mobile suddenly begins to buzz, and he whips it out of his pocket and proceeds to speak in Hindu to a voice on the end of the line.

“Now you ready to see lion?” he grins, wiping his thin black moustache with the back of his hand. “For sure we see lion tonight.”

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By Simon Raven
Photography © tripsideways.com