After two fruitless days last week criss-crossing the Gir National Park’s dusty hinterland for the elusive Asian lion – smaller than their African cousins and lacking their natural sense of rhythm – we were on the verge of asking Alex to volunteer as tethered bait when our guide Desraj got a radio call from rangers who’d spotted three cubs resting up in the 95 degrees after a morning kill. Reversing our Jeep through the teak forest for better close-ups, (and a faster getaway should the kill have merely whetted their appetite), Desraj would have qualified for a hefty tip till we spotted his diamond-studded ear lobes.
By the time we reached the dirt track again, (and this being red-tape India), a Camera Permit Inspector with waxed moustache had monitored the call and was waiting to check our paperwork, (500 rupees for each camera over seven megapixels), while the guide and driver surreptitiously slid theirs under our seat. It’s a jungle out there.