Spirits of the Forest.

The Leopard mother and her three cubs sat in plain view on a huge rock. Less than one hundred meters away stood a goat on a rope, completely untended. Villagers worked in the fields nearby. A dusty herdsmen sporting a teeteringly large red turban wandered past followed by more goats. They were all, it seemed, oblivious to the danger of the mother Leopard on the rocks above. I have seen sixty sheep that had been senselessly killed within a few minutes when a Leopard managed to break into their night enclosure.

This was the best Leopard sighting I have ever witnessed. And what’s more, anywhere else these Leopards would have been killed for the threat they posed. Not here at Jiwai! Not only were the Leopards seemingly thriving, but local businesses in the form of fantastic safari destinations were also thriving as a result. I really wanted to know why?

That evening at the local temple a religious festival celebrating a Hindu goddess riding a Lion held the answer. The goddess Durga Mata after nine days of celestial battle, defeated the evil, shapeshifting and invincible-to-harm-from-men buffalo demon ‘Mahishasura’ whilst riding on the back of a Lion. As there are no longer any Lion in the region, the local populace believe that the Leopard take the Lion’s place as goddess Durga’s battle steed.

Hidden passages created from rock falls amongst the distinct hills around Jiwai are used by the Leopards to appear as if from nowhere as they stalk their prey. People believe that these passages serve as the private highways of the Gods and Spirits. So, whenever a Leopard is seen in the fields, or eats a goat, these are considered a blessing or offering to Durga; aiding her and the spirits she rides in the fight against evil.

Across the Indian Ocean to Africa, Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda have taken an almost spiritual place in peoples minds. But here the connection might be seen as having been manufactured for the sake of nature conservation. New born gorillas are celebrated each year in a grand ceremony ‘Kwita Izina’, organised by the Rwandan Government.

Kwita Izina means first naming and is a ceremony carried out in Rwandan households soon after the birth of a child. Similar to many cultures around the word the naming of a child is marked by a ceremony that recognises a unique identity, character and Spirit. And so the Gorillas are equally recognised in a way that speaks on a primal level.

Guaranteeing the necessities of life should always be the foundation of planning in all conservation and revival of nature, but value is more than just a price-tag. History, culture and tradition show us where we have come from, and help us see where we are going. We got here with nature and we are not going to get much further without it. Find a way to rediscover and reconnect with nature on a basic and daily basis in mind, body and spirit.