Sanctuary | In The Field
Not a single soul was out in the
heat while we drove back to our
temporary base about 45 km. away.
Even the herders were taking a nap
lying close to their prized cattle and
buff aloes. Back at our camp, perplexed,
empty handed and out of options, I
dropped the idea of a cooling shower
as water from the over-head tank was
steaming hot. Instead, I had a brief
lunch with my assistants, who tried to
lift my spirits with their lion-stories and
how they had lost collared individuals
for days. The stories had little eff ect
on me; afterall it was my maiden brush
with futile attempts of radio-tracking!
July would soon be upon us with her
fair share of drenching rains, making
fi eldwork all the more diffi cult in the
slush and profuse vegetation. It was
important that we locate the lioness
soon, as an individual with a collar in
a human-dominated landscape begets
more responsibility on the research
team. As I sat contemplating on our
future course of action, our leadABOVE The vehicle is used by the author as a vantage point to maximise elevation in an
attempt to capture VHF signals.
BELOW A collared lioness drags her kill out of the thickets after the team gained her confi dence
by following and observing her quietly for several weeks.GIR RESEARCH TEAM
STOTRA CHAKRABARTI