A weekend with Tipeshwar sanctuary's women guides

At a Maharashtra wildlife sanctuary, a writer considers what tourism would look like if women took the lead

- Shoba Narayan

I hadn't heard of Maharashtra's Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary till it made news a few months ago because a tigress had given birth to six cubs and-best of allthey had all survived.

I made my way to the tiny sanctuary, less than 150sq. km, one weekend, expecting to see not just one tiger but seven. I didn't see any tigers, though I saw a sloth bear and plenty of birds, and learnt valuable lessons about women in conservation.

Yavatmal district, where the wildlife sanctuary is located, is usually in the news for farmer suicides, and I expected harsh terrain. Instead, there was greenery all around-the monsoon had worked its magic. During a morning safari, I encountered two forest guards, walking the trail without guns. They would cover entire transects of the forest over the course of a few days, said the guide in the jeep. What if a tiger or bear appeared, I asked. Well, they are locals, replied the guide, they have lived in harmony with the forest for generations.