We Came Back More Humanized: March 10th, 2005
04/20/2005 02:00 a.m.


Not many years ago, I encountered a leopard in the open hilly forest of Bandhavgarh. This is the region where the first white tiger MOHAN was found and captured. Mohan is the father, grandfather and great grandfather of all the surviving white tigers in the world today. A MAHOUT (an elephant rider,) drew my attention to a hillock while turning round the bend on this hilly track. I got down from my car and walked towards the indicated spot on the other side of this hillock, unaware, though full of expectations regarding what this man on elephant was indicating. To my surprise, I found a leopard sitting twenty feel away from me on the edge of a twenty feet high rock! Time stopped, and this world of mine confined just of two of us, the leopard and I facing each other. There was a complete lull in time until an approaching car honked though they are not supposed to honk horn in these wild life sanctuaries. The leopard, who was relaxing, suddenly became aware of this biped, who from his point of view, was more dangerous than he was, looked in my direction, got up, and jumped. Yes, it did occur to me that he might jump on me at that very moment when he leapt up, but instead, he jumped on the other side of the rock and vanished. Following this experience I had the realization that I wasn’t scared at all. On the contrary, I was thrilled by the experience. Suddenly, I found anger generating within me towards this poor driver who accidentally honked his car horn and unintentionally killed this premature lifetime experience of mine.

On the 10th of March, 2005, JOLLY, a sixteen year old she-leopard took away the thrill I had previously experienced and replaced it with affection and trust. This time, however, I am not alone. Rula shin is with me in this Nandan Kanan zoological park in Bhubaneswar. I do not feel a thrill this time nor does Rula seem to feel any. As a matter of fact, I am not, at this point, interested in seeing leopards, but when our host Mr. Kamal Purohit, Assistant Conservator of this park, takes us along, we simply follow. When we approach Jolly’s enclosure, this lovely and kind creature comes running from the other side of her huge wire mesh cage to greet Mr. Kamal who has been her trainer for the last eight years of her life. He simply offers her his hand and she expresses her pleasure and love by licking and nibbling his hand.


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Jolly lovingly licks and sucks on Mr. Purohit’s fingers and hand


These strong vibrations of love touch us so intensely, so deeply that when Mr. Kamal asks us to offer our hands to her as well (if we dare), cautioning us of the leopard’s prickly, though harmless, tongue. Without any hesitation (surprisingly we are not surprised even now of our action,) willingly, we (Rula and I) offer our hands of trust and friendship to this so-called wild animal, a she-leopard, JOLLY. JOLLY does respond, keeping up the trust, by accepting our hands of friendship, licking and nibbling, asking for more. There is no thunder. There is no thrill. Most importantly, there is no fear. There exists only a feeling of affection and mutual trust. No man, no animal, nothing else exists other than the inter relationship between two levels of beings based on mutual trust.


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Ashok and Rula reciprocate the love and affection shown to them by beautiful Jolly


I wonder if this mutual trust can ever be established between man and animal when it is this very trust that is lacking between man and man. Somehow, forming such lasting and binding relationships between man and man seems a lost cause. The fear and mutual mistrust is what permeates man’s way of life and his approach to any other living being. This is what makes man and animal react so violently against each other. This is what makes man and man react so violently against each other. This is what is building up a fear psychosis.

Suddenly, I realize that JOLLY is in a cage, captured and captive. Charged by my own repressed emotions, I imagine locking up all of the so-called humans inside Jolly’s cage, liberating her and forcing them to experience the feeling of forced confinement. We come back with a great lesson on mutual trust and friendship. We come back more humanized, JOLLY, being our teacher.



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A baby leopard occupies the cage next to Jolly. This little one is feisty and full of life, and can climb faster than a squirrel can run up a tree


But that isn’t the end of our experience with endearing and loving animals. Next we greet two baby elephants (five years old each) and findd them to be extremely loving and receptive as well. One of the elephants does take a liking to Rula and begins to caress her with his trunk. Rula is taken with the elephants named ? and ? and we both regret ever having to leave this park which has given us the most beautiful experiences of our lives with animals.


This baby elephant is so endearing, his face so cute and loveable and we cannot help but feel sad for his being chained, despite the humane and kind treatment he receives at this wonderful zoo park

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This elephant is very sweet and is presently getting ready for his bath. He is chained just a few feet away from his little friend who is also going to be having his bath.




We move a few feet across in order to meet the elephant’s little friend, both are five years old




This little guy is so friendly and loving he actually gently caresses Rula with his trunk