Cheetal Walk: Living in the Wilderness

Cheetal Walk is the house built in the jungles at the foot of the Nilgiri hills by the noted conservationist E.R.C. Davidar. This book tells the story of that jungle dwelling. In doing so, it sketches the ecological changes in one of the most wildlife-rich areas of the subcontinent, analyses the impact of modernization on the inhabitants of the Nilgiris, both people and animals, and sheds light on the conservation efforts of one of the oldest Indian voluntary organizations, the Nilgiri Wildlife Association. Drawing on his experience of the hills over the past few decades, Davidar provides rigorous accounts of its flora and fauna. The elephant, the tiger, the leopard, the gaur, the Nilgiri tahr, the wild dog and the hyena are some of the animals in this part of the peninsula treated here; there are accounts of individual elephants that trace their story over several years. This captivating account of living in harmony with the wilderness is interwoven with numerous colourful anecdotes. The shooting of a leopard, the joys of mahseer fishing, the excitement of boar hunting and stalking are vividly recounted. But this is not a book about ‘shikar’: the focus is on observation and conservation. The accounts of individual animals are not merely entertaining; they constitute valuable ecological documentation as well–as in the unique description of the habits of the hyena. This personal account of a man’s interaction with a unique environment poses afresh the question of whether the limited use of the fauna as in regulated hunting is preferable to total protection by governments. More crucially, it throws into sharp relief the extent of changes in hill ecology and tribal society wrought by the new forms of communication and exploitation. For those interested in wildlife, conservation, the ecology, travel and landscapes, this will prove a rich and rewarding work.