Now before you read on, I’d like you to look at the pictures. Pictures of a stunning natural landscape that geologists have dated at over 850 million years old. A landscape that is known for its leopard population and is also home to hyena, sloth bear, blue bull, blackbuck, wild boar, jackal, fox and approx. 115 bird species of birds.
Now this area also more recently became famous for a unique (and important) story of coexistence.
Yes, the Rabari (an indigenous caste of pastoralists and herders also known as Raika) have coexisted peacefully with these leopards for hundreds of years. They know the land, they know the leopards and they know how to live alongside them, peacefully and without any loss of human life. They know a certain number of their flock (mainly camels and goats) will be lost to leopard each year and they factor this in. Invariably it is the ill and old and weak that are be taken, it actually could be considered beneficial to the health and strength of the overall herd.
Take a good look at these pictures, the land, the leopards and the Rabaris. Stunning aren’t they?
Now, let me tell you a story, the story of how all this was almost lost, and how one man, inadvertently a German lady and a priest helped to save this spectacular region and this unique story of coexistence for future generations.
In 2014, a winemaker by the name of Shatrunjay Pratap visited this area and was quite simply blown away by its beauty. Then, whilst on safari he heard a blast, and then another, which sparked an investigation from which he discovered that the area had been leased for mining, not just one or two mines, but 141 mines had been approved. He was devastated and became determined to do something about it. But what could one man do?
Coincidentally he was reading a book, Camel Karma Ilse Kohler-Rollefson a German scientist who has dedicated the past 40 years of her life to camels, notably the camels of Rajasthan and their herders, the Raika.
Those of you who follow me will know I’ve written about this quite extensively before.
There was some information in that book that caught Shauntay’s attention. The Raika/ Rabari live a semi nomadic existence and look after cattle, because it is their duty to Lord Shiva.
(Shiva blew life into a clay camel made for him by Parvati and then created the first Raika out of his sweat and skin to look after them.)
Now on one of the main boulders called Leilora which has the largest density of leopard, there lives a priest in a Shiva Temple. Shatrunjay went to see this priest to explain the predicament to him and how, if nothing was done, not only would the lifestyle and livelihoods of the Rabari be lost, but the leopards would also lose their habitat. He spent 3 months living with this priest and the result was that all the Rabari came together to support Shatrunjay. The result? Only 11 out of the 141 mines were allowed to continue. Now that’s what you call a big win, big, huge, massive. Smiles all round. The Raika could go on grazing their sheep and goats, the leopard could go on basking on the rocks, having perhaps stolen a sheep or a goat, and all could continue to live happily ever after.
Shatrunjay went on to create a lodge, to showcase this unique region and its unique inhabitants to the travelatti and that lodge is Bera Safari Lodge. He is a believer, as has been proven many times over, in national parks all over India, that a fundamental aspect of wildlife conservation is well run tourism which supports this.
Bera Safari Lodge is often frequented by film crew and those who are passionate about wildlife but also those come to witness and appreciate the unique beauty of this region. His lodge is built 17 kms from this region, because, although it isn’t officially a national park, or even a protected area, the people and the wildlife need their space and respect in order to continue their existence as uninterrupted as possible. After all, this is what people are coming to see, why ruin it by building on it?
Bera Safari Lodge is a small but quite wonderful place which has just seven rooms. Booking in advance is highly recommended and worth waiting for and adjusting your dates if it’s not possible. There are now many hotels coming up in this region, but, as you know, I believe in supporting a worthy cause and people who are passionate about conserving the land and the wildlife of the region the operate in, and Shatrunjay at Bera Safari Lodge does exactly that. And that’s why it is a RARE Hotel.
To explore how we can work together:
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Email: experiences@indianexperiences.com
*All images courtesy of Sanjay Pratap