The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
On the trail of Asiatic lions in India’s wild west
In a land best known for its Bengal tigers, Chris Caldicott seeks out a more surprising big cat and finds that the safari experience is every bit as gripping – and luxurious – as its African counterpart
As the jeep negotiated the sandy forest tracks of India’s Sasan Gir National Park, the morning sunlight splintered the canopy of broadleaved teak above us. Emerging from the forest into a grassland clearing bathed in the golden light of dawn, we heard the shrill alarm calls of chital deer and the barks of langur monkeys. This alerted Ankit, my naturalist guide, to the possible presence of one of the park’s big cat apex predators.
Unusually, it was not a sighting of the iconic Bengal tiger that we were hoping for, but of the rare Asiatic lion. The vast teak forests and grasslands of Gujarat’s wild west are the last places on earth beyond the borders of Africa where prides of wild lions roam in a natural habitat.
We heard leaves crunch underfoot as the as yet unidentified beast strolled towards the edge of the forest. As it moved closer, the dappled camouflage protection of the trees faded to reveal a magnificent fully maned adult male lion walking with nonchalant muscular ease straight towards us.
He gave us a cursory glance and we heard a faint guttural purr as he passed the jeep, then headed down the track, leading us onwards. We followed at a discreet distance and were rewarded for our patience – he led us straight to his pride. Cubs played like kittens among the sand dunes while the older females reclined in a circle around them. By the time we returned to our lodge, I had had close encounters with 20 Asiatic lions – all before breakfast.
The species evolved separately from its African relatives for thousands of years, and Ankit pointed out the subtle differences between the two. Asiatic lions are smaller than their African cousins. They also have a prominent fold of skin running the length of their abdomen, and their manes are rather less luxuriant – not quite covering the tops of their heads or ears.
Two thousand years ago, their habitat stretched from the Levant and Persia to central India, but none have been seen outside India for centuries. By 1900, they had been hunted almost to extinction, with just one pride remaining in Sasan Gir. An effort to save the species began when the
Nawab of Junagadh turned his hunting grounds into India’s first wildlife sanctuary. The state government took it over in 1972 when it became necessary to relocate the hamlets (or nesses) of semi-nomadic Maldhari cattle herders away from the ever-increasing number of lions. Since then, the project has been a roaring conservation success and the lions have regained most of their lost territory. The latest census, in 2020, confirmed a population of 674.
I had tried to see Asiatic lions on two previous visits to Sasan Gir, but – despite their increasing numbers – had failed. The chaotic system of issuing permits for safaris had defeated me, and the accommodation options had been shabby and limited. So I was pleased to find that the park management had vastly improved. I was equally delighted by the newly opened Aramness Lodge, right on the edge of the park, which proved to be not just a breath of fresh air in this wild corner of the world, but also a game-changer in the development of India’s luxury safari offering.
Ankit accompanied me on all of my game drives in a comfortable open-top Bandolier safari jeep. To my delight, I discovered that there were three slots to choose from for the daily game drives: a pre-dawn morning departure, a post-breakfast 9.30am option, or the late afternoon sundowner safari. On the drives, it wasn’t just potential sightings of hot-ticket Asiatic lions that we were seeking; leopards are prolific in Sasan Gir, and likely to be seen returning from their nocturnal hunt on the dawn drive.
There are also substantial populations of herbivores, such as chital and sambar deer, nilgai antelope and wild boar, all of which are prey for the big cats. Indian safaris offer a very different experience to the conventional African equivalent. Sightings of tigers, leopards, or in this case lions, are never guaranteed on a single game drive, so a different mindset is required.
Where Africa is full of sweeping plains and protected land, in crowded India game parks offer a rare experience of the country’s natural wilderness, rich with indigenous flora and fauna. This alone can be a valid reason to visit, yet however hard you try not to be “big cat-centric”, there is a sense of disappointment if they remain elusive. In most parks, a single sighting of a tiger or leopard makes for a very good day, so my multiple lion sightings on just two game drives left me feeling rather smug.
In between these drives, it was no hardship to indulge in the pleasures of Aramness, which provides an Indian safari lodge experience in a league of its own – more on a par with one you might find in Botswana or South Africa rather than on the sub-continent.
The lodge’s 18 two-storey suites, referred to as kothis, are spread along a winding lane and were inspired by the architecture and layout of a Maldhari ness (settlement), each with a clean-lined contemporary design. They have an indoor-outdoor feel, with upstairs verandas, courtyards and plunge pools (very welcome after a dusty dawn safari). Shared areas include elegant lounges, a library, a spa, an infinity pool and plenty of hand-carved sandstone jali screens that cast a pleasing dappled light.
Such luxury comes at a price, however, so after a couple of days I moved on to nearby Postcard Gir lodge. At around half the cost, it proved to be a worthy alternative to Aramness. The 15 villa rooms are airy, set among the mango trees and organic vegetable and spice gardens which provide the kitchen with zero-mile ingredients.
On my final morning, as I sat tucking into a breakfast of hot rotla rotis served with warm ghee, roasted chilis and jaggery, I felt a great sense of privilege. Few foreign tourists make it this far off the well-beaten tracks of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh – but they really should. Susan Gir offers a whole new way to experience majestic big cats in the wild but, beyond that, it offers a whole new way to safari, too. Attracting large family groups of local people – who club together to share a jeep, complete with babes in arms and toddlers, for a fun day out – there is a far greater feeling of inclusivity here, a sense that these beautiful creatures really are for everyone. And in my book, that can only be a good thing.