AHMEDABAD: For several decades now, lion conservation in Gir has been an integral part of everyday existence for Baloch and Shaikh families.
They have been playing a pivotal role in conserving the species, a tradition upheld to this day. Hanif Shaikh and Irfan and Rahim Baloch, the third generation of the families deeply rooted in lion conservation, are actively collaborating on the mission with the state forest department.
They inherited the legacy from their fathers, who, in turn, received the responsibility from their predecessors.
Five decades ago, lion tracking used to be a gruelling job involving arduous treks and footprint tracing, recounts retired ranger Murad Baloch. Today, state-of-the-art equipment like bikes, binoculars, and wireless communication systems have streamlined the process. Murad has now passed the baton to his son, Rahim.
Murad recounts how, as a young tracker, he earned Rs 3.50 a day, which was later raised to Rs 7.50 and finally towards his retirement, he was earning Rs 25,500 per month. His father, Vajir Mohammed, was also associated with forest department, and it was he who ignited his passion for lion conservation and tracking.
Murad recalls how his father, alongside trackers Dhanji Bhikha and Laxman, had mastered the silent pursuit and were spoken of with reverence. As a child, he would accompany his father and other trackers. He learned from them how to identify the animal from its pug marks.
As part of his job, Murad specialized in descending into wells to rescue wild animals that had fallen in. "I was often lowered into the well to set the rescue trap, which had to be carefully placed beneath the animal such that it suffered no injury. There was no room for an error. Often, one would feel the anxiety, but I never succumbed to it. The only thought in my mind was to save the savaj (lion). The animal would also be in distress and therefore it would never retaliate."
Murad recounts an incident where, while attempting to capture a leopard, he was attacked and had to climb atop a boiler to seek refuge.
"I remained silent as the leopard was right near the boiler, searching for me. Had I made the slightest noise, it would have climbed on top of the boiler, and I would not have been here in front of you.
However, my team members who had hidden themselves in the vicinity caused a commotion to distract the leopard, and it darted towards them, giving me an opportunity to escape." Murad claims to have been involved in nearly 3,000 such operations involving big cats. Now, his son Rahim is being mentored by him.
Another expert tracker, Mohamad Baloch, is Murad's maternal cousin. As a child, Mohamad too would tag along with his uncle Vajir Baloch (Murad's father) as they explored the jungle, developing a deep affection for the big cats. "I learned tracking from my uncle," he says. Currently, Mohamad is stationed at Barda Dungar, which now serves as a permanent home for the lions.
His son, Irfan Baloch, has also followed in his footsteps. Explaining some common characteristics of lions, he says, "By observing the depth and shape of a pug mark, we trackers can determine whether it belongs to a male lion, female lion, or a leopard. A cub is never alone, so adult pug marks always accompany smaller footprints."
It is senior officer Sandeep Kumar who got the third generation of the Baloch family - Hanif, Irfan, and Rahim Baloch - to join the forest department as trackers.
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