I was sitting at the dining deck of the Ken River Lodge (on invitation by Pugdundee Safaris) after the evening safari at the beautiful jungle of the Panna National Park in MP India. My eyes felt good as they had seen a river, so much greenery and wild animals, birds and butterflies in the jungle.
Grey Francolin, Panna National Park, MP, India
By the time I reached back to the lodge it was getting dark. All the guests were slowly converging on the deck for their dinner. None of us had seen a tiger and yet all the groups were involved in their own animated conversations, till someone decided to pay loud music on their cell phone, right in the middle of the jungle. And that loud music prompted this post. So why do we go to the jungle? Here are the types that I could identify. If you think I have missed out on someone do add them in the comments.
The City Brats: These days experiential holidays are a rage. Pardon me but I don’t know what they exactly mean, for me every holiday is an experience. But apparently trekking is an experience, jungle is an experience and so is rafting. So these city brats decide to go to the jungle. Only they are very mystified why the lodge doesn’t have high speed wifi and where is the air-conditioning? It would not dawn on them that they are miles away from civilization and procuring everything is an effort. They miss their own brand of marmalade, or whatever else they eat. By now they might be left wondering what is about this experience that others rave about? I try to maintain my distance from them and it is not difficult as they never manage to get up early. But I get pretty annoyed when they try to play loud music on their cell phones. Usually one of the serious natives (see below) come to our rescue to hush them up!
The Tiger Shooters: You will find them in every jeep. They are the ones who go to the Indian jungle to see just one thing- the tiger. They may find the most beautiful beautiful bird literally staring in their face but they will look the other way. The butterflies can be seen in the garden and that giant spider? Why should they even bother? Now there are two varieties within the tiger shooters. And when I say shooters I mean shooting with a camera. There is a nicer breed which is simply interested in tigers or other big cats. They really do not care watching other things but they respect the jungle, big cats are their personal preference. They also know tigers can’t be sighted on a whim on their very first safari. One gentleman once told me he doesn’t like bird watching because he has a poor eyesight. Tigers are easy to spot for him!
Then there is the second variety that wants to see the tiger, only the tiger, on their very first safari. If it does not happen the naturalist is an idiot who is out there to fleece them. They can get angry about the money they wasted while coming to the jungle when they can’t spot a tiger. I have a suspicion that they can safely be merged with the city brats. I suspect the tiger or nothing is also the group that thinks playing loud music in a forest is a done thing because it is so quiet and boring out there!
A Sambar Deer at Panna National Park, MP, India
The Jungle Dabblers: This is a group that lives in a city, tolerates the city somehow till they can run away to the jungle next. They go bird watching in their measly cities. They can name the common city birds easily. They like all things jungle. They want to see the tiger but they accept that it cannot be produced on anyone’s whim and fancy. It goes without saying that they also enjoy the jungle a lot. But they are not the natives. Whatever commitments they have in the city, it keeps calling them back. They say bye to the jungle with a heavy heart, with a promise to come back again at the first opportunity.
The Serious Natives: You can spot one from a mile. The male of the species usually sport a beard. They would wear the proper jungle attire all the time. Their conversations are animated, they love their forest and they try to live by it. Some of them are pretty young and become naturalists with the lodges. These young boys (for usually they are boys only) are not scary. The jungle dabblers can get along well with them. But the more serious natives (usually the bearded ones) have such a fervor in their eyes and such a forbidding look about them that they scare away the dabblers. They seem to be frowning at everyone and everything who is not following the proper jungle etiquette. And they define what is proper in a jungle! But they have their use. More often than not they are the ones to tell the city brats to keep that cell phone on silent mode, let alone playing loud music on it. They are the ones who would hush that screaming girl when 14 jeeps full of people are waiting with baited breath for that elusive tiger.
So why do you go to the jungle? Which type of jungle dweller are you?
Well, I have nothing to add to the list, but I enjoyed reading it. 🙂
Thank you Renuka 😀
Have never been to any wildlife safari 🙁 but need to experience this someday….dreaming about South African wildlife adventure ….
I found South Africa amazing. I hope you go on a safari soon 😀
I enjoyed reading this Mridula but I think I don’t fit in ether one of these you have listed. Yes I do have a beard and I drive a Jeep to get me there. I have a few more characteristics of The Serious Natives. But I go one more step, I live nature. I’m one that is just waiting to see or hear what Nature wants to treat me to next. Nature plays its music for me”Birds singing” and show me what ever it has to offer me. I will take a phone but it is there just in case, For Safety. I guess I fall into “The Nature Lover” .I’m a country boy, not a city boy. I live with nature.
I enjoy reading you blog….Keep it coming Barry
Thank you Barry for the constant support on FB and elsewhere. And thank you so much for adding a category. I think it should be called the Kind Native!
Like other 2 above bloggers, never been to jungle or wild life safari. It’s in my wish list hope to catch up.
Rajesh I hope soon …
Along with Madhya pradesh, Chattisgarh too offers good wild life experience but less known unfortunately..!Have a nice day!
Thanks for letting me know. Will try to find my way there!
You are spot on with your ‘categorization’ Mridula! In fact, just the other day I was thinking of putting up a post on these types and you did a “aapne meri muh ki baat chin li”. I think I belong to the jungle dabbler type. Dabbler is just the way to describe me! Rather, a weekend jungle dabbler 🙂
Sangeeta 😀 thanks for sharing your type. I know many of us think about these categories 😀
A fun post …I think I am somewhere between the jungle dabbler and the native but am more inclined to be a dabbler than a native..am curious, what about you ?
Lakshmi less than a dabbler I guess but certainly not the first two! 😀
did I tell u of a couple who were coochi cooing in the safari n after a few glares from the driver this flla actually dozes off in the safari.. people!!
Thank Meena I guess it takes all kinds …
This is a Great Post..Coming from a family where most of my Relatives and my Father are into Forest Dept..I just love to go to forest when time permits with my father just to feel the calmness,to feel the nature,to watch the nature more closely and not to mention when I am with my Father on such trips I get to learn loads of things.. 😀
Thank you Harsha for sharing your thoughts.
Good list. Enjoyed reading. Could I add one more. I would call this person – ‘the companion’. They reach the jungle just because their loved one or colleague is one of the types you mentioned in your post. You see them snoozing off in the jeep when the rest of the occupants are busy trying to spot an animal.
Jeevan thank you that is a valuable addition!
Firstly, I feel I missed a lot missing out on the Pugdundee offer 🙁
back to the article, lol, I had a good laugh… I’ve been there and seen all of these mentioned above and many more to say, but never thought of penning it down! I dabble between the babbler and the serious native and crib at people who come in to a jungle thinking it as a picnic and also those who only want to see a ‘tiger’ when there is so much more to see and enjoy…!
btw…Its a Francolin and not Franklin 😉
You can have a look at my travel and wildlife blog too…
Santosh I am sure there will be a next time for you. And thanks for the correction, I have changed the name accordingly. And thank you for stopping by and sharing your type. 😀
Nice list…I visit the the jungle to experience the serenity and the feeling of unexpected…
Pulkit
Thank you Pulkit for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Which type are you Mridula?There is one more type like me – Dad been in transferable job,been to every jungle,and now jungle feels like my own home 😛 with or without animals.So many of my friends call me jungli,I just like the feel of it 😛
Shall I call you non serious native 😀 Me I think I am not even City Dabbler because trekking is my first choice but I do enjoy the jungle whenever I get there. 😀
A very interesting post, Mridula. I would call myself a Jungle dabbler but would love to to be the serious native.
There was this british couple at Bandhavgarh who had been on 4 safaris (2 with me) and all they wanted to spot was that elusive tiger. When I was leaving the place they were on their way back from the 5th safari. From their facial expressions I could make that the tiger was still elusive.
Niranjan I think I heard of that story. I also feel being serious native is not that easy though many of us would like to get there eventually!
Feels so nice to be close to nature . Serene & tranquil . Lovely post
Thank you Garima.
Nice one . Tell me did you get to see a tiger after all 🙂
No Rama if I would have seen a tiger that would have been the headline of the post!
So these magnificent striped creatures continue to elude you 🙁
Superb clicks and nicely articulated post. Enjoyed reading.
Thank you.