Lessons on human nature at Corbett NP

My observations on glimpses of human nature and life while roaming around on the wildlife safaris and hanging out during mealtimes at the canteens.

Corbett National Park is most famed for its tigers. Seeing a tiger is the ultimate trophy. It is the cause of a myriad of emotions - envy, disappointment, sadness, happiness, excitement...

#If you have it, flaunt it

While there are those who quietly enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing a tiger and sharing their joy, most were busy flaunting it like a badge of honor - taking great pride in it. The funny part is, as a tourist you have little role to play in viewing the tiger finally. It is mostly luck and some skill of the driver/guide. However that does not stop people from gloating as if they personally went and caught the tiger with their bare hands. 

And if you missed seeing it, there will be the pitying looks, the customary "oh that's really sad". Though you can literally see the happiness glowing inside - the happiness of "I saw it, you didn't".

#Breeding competition

The tourists in their enthusiasm to spot the tiger pressurize, irritate and hound the guides as if the tigers are their personal pets and they have them at their beck and call. The pressure faced by the guides (and also the anticipated rewards) causes many of them to forget what their job is or what is in their control and instead become focused in how to compete and outdo the others.

#To compete or cooperate ? That is the question.

There is constantly a conflict between wanting to cooperate and compete - different drivers (or mahouts) contend to be the ones who show "only" their clients tigers while others want to go in an organized way to maximize chances of viewing and getting more people to see. Tourists too are divided in this sentiment of wanting to be the "only" ones to see or wanting more people to see as long as they get to see it themselves.

#Fear of missing out - Getting off the gravy train?

At times/places there are pile ups of cars waiting to see the tiger. There is always a conflict then of whether to go with the crowd or go on a different path alone. In the first case you know that chances are slim with so many people and noise but you don't want to take the risk of missing out seeing the tiger which so many people would then see. On the other path you know chances are higher but is it worth the risk? The fear of missing out is high and as time goes by and you have waited more, this fear becomes more powerful and holds you back. Going in another direction becomes that much more difficult then.

#Sadness is relative

No matter how sad you are that you did not see a tiger, it will always be less than the sadness you feel if someone else did. 

As long as no one saw it, it's okay. Sad but okay. 

But if someone else saw and you didn't ? Well, that is just tragic.

#Focus on the goal and miss the journey

And lastly the focus is so much on the "prize" that everything else gets missed by most. Tourists line up and wait for the elusive tiger for hours, missing out on the beautiful landscapes - the blue skies, spectacular sunsets over golden grasslands, innumerable colors and sounds of birds, other wildlife sidelined by the hero of the jungle, encounters with the shy barking deer and the curious sambar deer on the river side. For so many, all these moments are lost in the single minded pursuit of viewing the tiger. Just as in life.