What Would You Say if Your Wildlife Guide Broke the Law “For You”?
It happened to me. I live in India and I am writing this after much deliberation because I don’t want anyone losing their livelihood because of me so please respect the fact that I do not wish to mention the state, the location or time this incident occurred. Happen it did, when I went on a solo expedition. I like going solo but solo trips are expensive. I travelled from the mountains through landslides by dusk to catch a plane the next afternoon in a town 5 hours away, stayed overnight in a big city and hired a taxi to reach my destination several hours away.
The tour operator was warm and friendly and send me out with a driver and guide early the next morning. I was lucky and blessed to see what I travelled to see. The same evening, we went on another safari. I was told where we were going to another area and since everything was new to me, I didn’t bother asking where. We had hardly passed town when we were stopped by forest officials in plain clothing. They asked me what I was doing in a forest without permission to which I had no answer. I was in shock; were we in a forest already? I saw no barricade and entry post to buy tickets which I obviously would have done. They asked for my ID and said they could even confiscate my camera. They also wanted to know what the agency was charging me. I was dumbstruck. This really couldn’t be happening. Then they asked the driver and guide to step out and had a one-hour conversation with them going back on forth on but all out of earshot.
It was obvious to me by now that both the guide and driver were well aware they had taken me to a restricted area-I’m guessing it was out of bounds — though there was no physical sign that said so. They looked like they were sheepishly apologizing with folded palms and grovelingly from where I sat. The officials threatened to confiscate the vehicle and asked them to drive it to their post/office. The officials were just doing their job. I was appalled and angry and disappointed not so much at these two but their boss, the tour operator. I had had endless conversations ahead of the trip discussing covid restrictions, the weather, transportation, accommodation etc. It took me so long and cost me so much; all of it came to a stop with one wrong turn.
Eventually, they let us leave with the driver making eyes at me telling me to, I don’t know exactly what. I wasn’t sure how to react. Did they expect me to protect them when they had broken the law? If they had broken the law?
We returned to base and the guide and driver quietly disappeared into the night. As they were other guests around who had already heard the news, I decided to cool my heels and asked the tour operator to speak with me after they had all left. He said he regretted the decision but since I had come from so far away, he thought he went go to great lengths to accommodate my needs. Somehow this was all my fault and I made him do this. Hearing his excuse made me livid. I told him I wouldn’t have broken the law and I didn’t ask him to break the law for me either to which he had no answer. I decided there and then I would cut my trip short. I told him I did not want to encourage this type of tourism and we should settle up asap.
This incident is no different from guides cornering wildlife so we get a better shot. There is no law against that as yet. But forest boundaries have to be marked clearly I think and tour operators trained and scrutinized now and then so gullible wildlife lovers don’t get into trouble. And more importantly, the wildlife stays protected.
What would you have done? Perhaps you’ve been in a similar situation.
