Lucky encounter with the king of Gir

IN October 1987, we — a group of five IPS probationers who had been allotted the Gujarat cadre — were undergoing six-week training at the Police Training College, Junagadh. We decided to go for an outing on a Sunday. The options were Gir National Park and the Diu beach. We were told that the chances of sighting lions in Gir were slim because successive droughts from 1985 to 1987 had left the forest ravaged and the lion count dwindled. So, we opted for Diu. In a police jeep provided by the SP of Junagadh district, we drove down to the former Portuguese outpost on the Arabian Sea.

We spent the whole day at the beach. After dinner, we decided to return to Junagadh in the night itself as it was a four-hour drive and we had to be on the parade ground early next morning.

While returning, we stopped for a cup of tea at a roadside eatery. The sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Veraval, who was passing by, saw our police jeep and stopped to enquire if all was well. He told us that he was coming back from the scene of a crime in a nearby village.

We were about to leave when he asked if we wanted to see lions. The Gir National Park was in his jurisdiction, but it was already late in the night. We said, “Yes, but how is that possible?” He replied that if we left the state highway and took a detour through the narrow road passing through the forest, we might find a lion crossing the road.

The idea was tempting but risky. What if we actually encountered the beast and it charged at us? We were unarmed and not prepared for such an eventuality. The SDPO sensed our hesitation and offered to take us through the forest stretch.

So, we piled into his old, door-less Mahindra jeep. He took the wheel and asked his driver to follow in the other jeep. Apparently, he loved driving. He drove too fast and the jeep went like an arrow thorough the darkness. Surely, it was not the best way to sight a lion.

But it was our lucky night. After driving for about half an hour, he suddenly slowed down the jeep. Some distance ahead in the arc of the jeep’s headlights, we saw a lion on the road. The SDPO brought the jeep a bit closer and halted. Soon, more beasts came into view. A pride of 6-8 lions stood in front of us, not more than 40 yards away.

It was an unbelievable sight. The spectacle lasted for several minutes, for the pride took its own time in reassuring itself. Then, sensing no harm, the lions slowly crossed to the other side of the road and vanished into the darkness.

None of us had any camera. The sight was for our eyes only. Perhaps that is why the pristine thrill of that unexpected encounter has stayed so fresh in my memory.