This past summer I traveled to India for a few different reasons and one of the most amazing things I saw were the beautiful animals when I went on a safari. This safari included a rescue center and a zoo, both of which were much larger than any previous rehabilitation centers I had ever seen. I was truly mesmerized by all the different animals I saw. Below is a picture of a tiger named Chendru that we saw on the safari!

During this safari, we saw a multitude of animals, including lions, tigers, bears, deer, antelope, pythons, and otters. One of the things that struck me the most fascinating was that this safari mimicked the animals’ natural living habitat much better than any other animal care center I had been to before. 

I have also always been extremely interested in taking care of large animals. I have posted many times about taking care of horses, but I also love the idea of taking care of elephants, cows, and other large animals as well. Being able to be there for them and creating a strong bond is something that is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity which I was so fortunate to find in India. 

In the safari, I specifically saw bears, leopards, tigers, lions, otters, pythons, crocodiles, alligators, meerkats, and specific rescue centers for different animals. One rescue center was for a jaguar, who had killed 3 people in a rural village. She was attacked and was making a recovery in the rescue center. Below is the picture of the recovering jaguar.

I was also fortunate enough to have visited the University of Kamdhenu, a veterinarian university located in Chattisgarh, India. Here I learned all about horses, cows, and chickens. For example, I learned that there are 4 “pillars” for taking care of cows. They are feeding, breeding, heeding, and weeding. Specifically for horses, I learned about an NCC program and how the university partners with the government to allow people from the villages to ride horses. Finally, in regards to the chickens, I saw a new breed of chicken called the “Chattisgarh chicken” growing up and socializing with the other chickens. 

Finally, at a tiger rescue, through technology, I worked with professionals to track the 16 tigers in the nearby Achanakmar forest. Through my week-long experience, I learned so many things about tigers, such as 1 male tiger needs about 3-4 female tigers to sustain a population. Males sometimes kill young cubs and mate with the females again as part of their instinctual behavior. One of the main technologies we used was tracking technology. One tiger had a collar around her neck and through cameras and an app, we were able to identify all distinct tigers, for a total of 16. One tiger (AKT-16) injured 3 villagers and was also injured herself, and needed 46 stitches. If she hadn’t been released in 40 days (which she was), she wouldn’t have been able to reintegrate back into the wild. Below is a picture of one tiger (AKT-2) and its tracking profile.

Going back to the technology, only 1 tiger had the collar. The rest would walk by motion sensing cameras, and their picture would be taken. These pictures would be uploaded to an app, which can recognize specific stripe patterns. Each tiger has a unique stripe pattern, like human fingerprints! Through this app, we determined there were 16 tigers in the Achanakmar forest. 

This experience taught me so much, not only about large animals in general, but how to work with them in order to conserve dangerous species. This trip combined technology and wildlife, 2 areas which I love so much, in order for a cause I’ve become passionate about, conservation of wildlife. This trip was filled with amazing moments, alongside amazing animals and professionals!