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When I was caged
When we visit a zoo we remain in the open to watch the animals that are in their cages or enclosures. Now imagine how would you feel if you were put inside a cage and animals like tigers and leopards, roaming about freely in the open, watch you from outside?
- By Lalith Raizada, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 23:31 February 4, 2008
When we visit a zoo we remain in the open to watch the animals that are in their cages or enclosures. Now imagine how would you feel if you were put inside a cage and animals like tigers and leopards, roaming about freely in the open, watch you from outside?
Don't dismiss this as a fanciful idea. It has happened to me. I had a near chilling first-hand experience of a tryst with these carnivorous beasts.
Several years ago, I was in a group of newsmen who were taken to a wild life sanctuary in India, known as Dudhwa National Park located near central Uttar Pradesh's border with Nepal.
Apart from its natural beauty and wild life, the park was noteworthy for a human inmate - "Billy" Arjan Singh, a great conservationist and animal lover. He lived in a huge mansion located right in the midst of the dense forest. His neighbours included rhinos, tigers, leopards, panthers, pythons, all kinds of snakes as well as harmless creatures such as deer, exotic birds etc.
"Billy" immensely loved all his neighbours who reciprocated by giving him greater love. Both co-existed in the peaceful environment, away from the din and noise of the outside world where even humans were sometimes unable to co-exist with their own species.
Forest department
After motoring through the forest, we stepped out near what looked like a moat. It had a sort of makeshift wooden bridge, which our forest department guide said we had to cross with great care.
"Why is this bridge so weak and looks like having been built in haste?" The guard told us that it was deliberately done to prevent any heavily built animal like some rogue rhino from entering the building. The bridge would collapse for any unwelcome animal, throwing it into the moat.
After being informed about our arrival, Arjan Singh came to receive us. A tall, lean and thin figure with a balding pate was before us. Attired in a milky white half shirt over a pair of white half-pants, the well-known conservationist looked very smart defying his advancing age.
While welcoming us with open arms, Billy guided us towards a huge cage that stood on one side of his residential compound. Even before we could understand why we were being herded inside it, the cage had been bolted. He told us that it was for our safety.
Shortly, his big cats would come out of his house. With the presence of so many persons they may feel threatened and could attack us. We faithfully obeyed because there was no option. And then some three or four felines appeared.
Interestingly, they looked at their caged visitors just as we look at them in the zoo! Most of us stepped back from the cage bars to keep distance from the cats should they choose to lunge at us. For once, roles had reversed.
After these big cats were made to retreat, we were led out of the cage to a big hall in Billy's residence. Here, another set of the big cats was waiting for us. But there was no threat from them because they were too young and had been completely domesticated.
This became quite evident when we found a few of them enjoying the comfort of expensive bedspreads in Arjan Singh's hall. The young tigers and panthers did not seem to be bothered by our presence.
We came out of the hall and enjoyed a chat with Billy Arjan Singh out in the open at the same place where the bigger cats had watched us. Billy briefed us on the need to educate the people at large on the need to love animals and conserve the precious wild life.
On this note we parted company with Billy Arjan Singh.
While crossing the makeshift wooden bridge, we noticed a black panther perched on the branch of a tree, only a few meters away. Once again, a chill ran through our spine. The panther was looking at us but certainly not menacingly - as if silently telling us, "Men, you love me, I will love you."
Lalith Raizada is a journalist based in India.
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