Despite Challenging Journeys, These Women Serve Call Of Wilderness

It sounds strange when I say, I feel more at home and safer in wildlife than in any city right? But this is how most women I personally know and are working in this field feel. I had spent nearly 7 hours on a boat following and filming a Jaguar in Brazil. It was extremely hot, and I wanted to use the toilet. There was no place nearby I could go to and the only option was to stop the boat and go behind the tall grass on the bank of Cuiaba River. My boat captain repeatedly asked me to wait as there were a couple of Jaguars we had spotted and they could be anywhere. Unable to control anymore I became stubborn and asked him to stop at this small patch of sandy area. He surveyed around and I jumped out.

As I was about to go ahead with my business, suddenly my team spotted a Jaguar just a few metres away from me, staring right at me. I felt the gaze right through my heart. The heartbeat got faster, my team yelled out for me and in a split second I jumped and made my way back to the boat. The cat continued to stare and when he was sure I was not a threat, he turned and walked away. These are some of the many close encounters I have had in wildlife, and as you spend more time with them you know an animal is not going to attack until provoked. It is the way of the jungle. Of course, there could be some exceptions to this rule. 

There have been nights in the jungle without electricity in our small cottages where I have stayed with my team members and those undoubtedly have been the most peaceful nights for me. I have slept listening to the sounds of the Crickets knowing that there is no threat from the animals and my team members who have always been very kind and supportive of having a woman in their team. I find solace in these silent nights. 

Wildlife is physically and sometimes mentally challenging for women, you are in the wilderness and lots of areas don’t even have basic facilities. When I started in this profession, it was tough to get used to the idea that I may not find a toilet for the next few hours. Most women in this profession go through this. There may be certain places where bathing every day is not possible. It can get super tough! But turning an impatient soul like me into a patient and silent observer is no mean task and that is what forest has done to me.

I am fortunate enough to meet many wonder women who are doing some great work in wildlife. Do they feel the same? 

A woman as daring as Sita Jamra is what I would aim to be. “I love the forest and Mother Nature has kept all of us safe in her lap and we are all equal in her eyes,” expressed Sita when I first met her. 

Forest has been her home for years. She has been carrying out wildlife protection at Samnapur range, buffer zone (Kanha National Park) in Madhya Pradesh since 7 years and has been working in this field for 13 years. Sita has spearheaded some of the deadliest rescue missions of animals such as Sloth Bears, Pythons, Vultures etc. She has been a part of the team that has continuously helped catch poachers and so far they have arrested over 80 poachers around the park and helped solve over 25 cases. 

In her profession, there is always a risk. Sita says, “Sometimes we are unable to understand the behaviour of an animal and they could charge at you. One day you can find Scorpions in your shoes…another day an Elephant could charge at you. Tiger has charged at me a couple of times as well even when not provoked. Just recently, we were carrying out population census in the forest and one bear attacked one of our team members. We cannot explain such situations maybe they are just having a bad day. But one thing is certain animals will never make the first move, they will warn you. Tiger attacks only when he is hungry. Some day when we do foot patrolling, we have faced a tiger and if you move away from his path, he usually goes away.” 

She is also deeply involved in conservation work along with her colleagues from the forest department where they encourage community participation and help young villagers around parks find alternative sources of income. Sita also encourages women's participation in many such programmes. 

But it is a very challenging job. The balancing role as a mother and protector of the forest gets very tough. In many situations, she is torn between her two young children and her passion for protecting the wildlife. There is immense pressure at times and when she is in the forest, she doesn’t have any way of communicating with her family. She says some people discourage her and make her feel guilty about ignoring her family over wildlife and how as a woman she can spend so much time in the forest but it’s her passion and support from her husband and forest officials that she continues to do this. Sita believes that women are more loving and caring and that we should use it to the advantage of taking care of nature. 

“Wildlife is meditative and it is therapy for me. I have felt safest in rural areas around the forests (buffer zones),” says Bhavna Menon, a conservationist and freelance writer. 

Most of her days are spent in and around villages, near the national parks successfully running her conflict mitigation projects. She spends time trying to understand the villagers, their landscapes, and the challenges they face to help them find solutions. Over the years they have become her friends and family. The villagers on their part, be it a cook, elderly, children or women, all make sure to look after her and her team. “Whether it is 11 pm or early morning hours, whenever we return to our rented homes, I have never felt unsafe. In fact people come and offer us food.”

“Honestly, I have personally never faced any challenges inside the forests or with animals. Initially, I was seen as a person coming from a city and the villagers were a bit apprehensive about how I could help them. But when I clearly stated what our intentions were and that we intend to involve community members in all our decision-making and find collective solutions, then that challenge evaporated.”

One advice she wants to give to women who may be looking to enter this field is, “You can’t go with pre-conceived notions, then you will always be seen as an outsider. You need to go in as an empty slate.” She practically re-learned from the forest and the people, shared her experiences and slowly began to get accepted. She wants to encourage young women who have a passion for wildlife to get into this adventure of a lifetime without any hesitation. 

“Forest is the safest place for a woman to be. In fact, we are more in danger from humans than from animals. The forest is my holy grail.” Says Aishwarya Sridhar who is a wildlife photographer, filmmaker and National Geographic explorer. Her relationship with wildlife began at the young age of 8 as a hobby and today it’s a flourishing profession. 

Aishwarya has faced harassment from a few men in this field but she says most have been very supportive of her. The biggest challenge that a woman faces according to her is, “You have to bear very harsh and extreme conditions like extreme hot and cold weather or the monsoons. The toughest days are when we have our monthly period cycle. I have faced extreme period pain and toilets are an issue in the forest. So if you have a shoot and it coincides with your monthly cycle that gets extremely tough. Overall if you have a passion for wildlife I think you can overcome all these challenges.”

She feels at zen in the forest and has learnt so much from the wilderness. “Nature teaches you so much about life lessons and I have learnt courage, grit, patience, perseverance. It is like a temple of wisdom for me. Every day I feel there is a purpose in life, I don’t have Monday blues like other jobs. Even on a Sunday if you call me for a shoot at 4 am I am ready. Each day has something new to offer when it comes to the wildlife. I am on a permanent adventure.”

All these women are playing different roles in wildlife and it’s the passion that is driving them. They have learnt to become one with nature. But yes, wildlife is definitely not for the faint-hearted or if you enjoy the bustling and comforts of city life. 

Simran Gill is a journalist turned independent Wildlife and Non-Fiction filmmaker. Views expressed by the author are their own. All images are provided by the author.