We had prided ourselves on the fact that we had spent the most time with the family without testing their patience and in harmony (read Part II).

17:45

We neared the safari end time. Both the guide and driver were engrossed in an excited conversation. Five out of six passengers were also engaged in low intensity chatting. I stood up to feel the cool and gentle evening gust of Gir. Gazing at road in front, I stared. Closing in, there was a huge lump of mass lying, actually, sleeping on the road ahead. I warned the driver, who applied a timely break. But the screeching sound and an excited yell from one of us made it jump.

Facing us, with an apprehensive and a questioning look on its face stood the most elusive and secretive among the feline predators, the leopard. Both the parties were completely caught unawares. The leopard that had been dozing off was all of a sudden shaken out of its siesta. We on the other end stood fascinated and gaping at the magic that had just transpired in front of our eyes. The leopard stood just for a second before it arched and darted hurriedly inside the dry green bushes.

We were gazing, as if in a trance, at the spot where the leopard had vanished. A sudden stroke of luck had hit us. Assuming that it had bounded away, we moved on towards the exit gate. The driver drove cautiously now, as he did not want to end up in another confused wild encounter.

We could not have asked for more. It was the dessert after a sumptuous meal 🙂 The Almighty and the Royalty both had been exceptionally generous on us. We had just witnessed two superlative species that roamed the Indian wilderness. Another lesson learnt was to never go inside a jungle with a preconceived notion or an expectation. Just enjoy what the lovely wild has to offer! And you will cherish it forever!

Little did we know that the leopard was still there hidden in the bushes waiting for us to depart and reclaim its resting place! And little did the leopard know that as it laid down at the same spot again, another jeep carting our mates would be coming on the very track and to scare it away once more. And this time, it would for sure leap away to the other side finding a peaceful and secure interior ideal for a nap.

What a wonderful evening it has turned out to be! With overwhelming contentment in our hearts we went back to our hotels and rested, recollecting both wild encounters of the day – an intimidating one and a frightened one! In both cases, we had caused the aggression and the scare respectively, intruding on their privacy. They had a right to detest us! But we were certainly harmless, only today our timing had been wrong as far as they were concerned. And their choice of place was sort of elbowing into the safari track as far as we were concerned. Though we will never and cannot rightfully complaint, as it was their household. It was truly an Animal Kingdom. And the Lion King and his people had all the privilege in the world to sleep wherever they desired. It is always the humans who care less for others possessions and privacies to fulfil their pleasures.

All in all, this trip to Sasan Gir, the realm of the Asiatic Lions, was enormously satisfactory. But, we had not yet met the Emperor of Gir. So, we vowed to be back to this land in Junagadh district of Gujarat, where the Lions felt safe and we honoured to get a glimpse of the majestic mammals.

Hail the King of the Jungles and the wild paradise of Gujarat!