The Safari Food Chain

Food chain, you have studied all about it in class 6 or 7, I am sure. Seen a diagrammatic representation, I am sure. Probably drew a crappy version of it too. 

Even in the corporate world, you would have heard of how the hierarchy works - like a food chain, each level eating the one below to grow bigger. Politics is no exception and probably closer to the jungle raj than anything else.

But, food chain in the safari!?

Yes, sir, I discovered it this time.

There are many categories, but for convenience, I am dividing them into four and describing how it impacts the visitor to the jungle.

1. The Family in Colourful Clothes - If you are treating jungle safari like any other family holiday, then you are at the bottom rung of the safari food chain. You probably are interested only in the main predator, the hero, of that jungle - the tiger or the lion. Even if a leopard, a crested serpent eagle or a brown owl stares you in the eye, you turn away to look out for lions and cry out in anger, "Don't waste time here! Let's look for the lion!" 

You probably are unaware of the rules of the jungle, wear bright, fancy clothes and, worst, tend to chatter.

The worst crime you can commit is not to bring along a camera! Not your phone camera, that doesn't count!

You may find that you really don't get to see the predator, or even if you do, you are not allowed to be there for more than a few seconds! If you are not clicking, your sighting is not counted for much.

2. You Have a Camera But It Is Point and Shoot - It is as good as not having one. You may be allowed a few photographs, but if there is somebody with THE camera, you may sit staring at the tree while the higher-up finishes taking all the classic shots. If you are lucky, you may get a few shaky, hazy, and 'let-me-grab-at-least-this' shots. Don't complain. Just sit back and enjoy! If you complain, you may be diverted with a "See the sunset!" line just so the serious men and women take their fill.

To tell you my own example, we were just a few metres away from a lion but I was not getting a proper shot because I had two heavyweights in my jeep! "See there, that young one..." the guide said and I turned around, hoping to see a cub. Not finding anything, I asked him, "What did you want me to see?" "A young boy was riding a rickshaw."

Seriously! I came to see that in the jungle? Sigh, the vehicle had moved by then.

3.   Have a Camera Can't Shoot - The others may be forgiven, but not someone with a fancy camera and not the skills to shoot the royal animal as it gambols majestically across the path. You have been given the best seat in the van because of your camera. So you better know how to use it well. Know your ISO, shutter speed and other settings. Don't check in between to see if you got the shot, just shoot every second. You will have time to choose the best shot later. If you don't, remember, you would have let down the guides who are so proud of their jungle. I wouldn't be surprised if you get blacklisted from getting the best seats.

 4. The King of the Safari - If you have the right equipment and the right skills, you will have the guide fawning all over you. Ask him to show you the vultures and the mongoose and the bee-eater and the crocodiles, and you will have him eating out of your hand. Spot some of these yourself and you will come close to God in their minds. Take good shots and they will place the vehicle such that when a beast is sighted, they make sure you get more. Success begets success. And nothing succeeds like success.

The good thing, of course, is that you can go up the ladder. All you need is lots of money to buy the equipment - oh, you can't fool them with your dummy cameras. They want to see the shot and you can't fib through 4-5 safaris. Get some training and practice taking pictures of your local flora and fauna before entering the jungle. You may get the best seat yet.