I expected something totally different when I reached the Gir National Park in Gujarat. I had always sported a rather grim view of the Asiatic Lion as a species, and all lions in general.

Put in one word, they were lazy — plain lazy. Seeing the lions was probably very easy, as after all, they just sat around, I assumed. They didn’t roam much, I thought, and so all one had to do was drive up to them, shoot off a few rolls of film, and head out.

I was very wrong. I learned that the lion can be as stealthy and secretive as a tiger, as healthy, muscular and swift as a leopard, and as difficult to sight as either a leopard or a tiger. And contrary to popular belief, lions don’t just sit around and shoot the breeze — they love to frequent dense ravines and undergrowth, they roam extensively, they wallow in pools, and can also be independent and individualistic.

All this came as a surprise to me, as did Gir National Park itself. I had presumed Gir as extended parkland, of the kind one finds either in African open savannah country or else in a well-kept city zoo! On the contrary, Gir proved to be truly wild countryside, consisting largely of stretches of fairly thick deciduous forests and thorn scrub jungles, spread across a landscape of undulating hills and occasional water bodies.

The Asiatic Lion used to be so common and widespread through north India that a Colonel George Ackland Smith of the British Indian Army actually shot over 300 of them, more than 50 in the immediate neighborhood of Delhi. This was at the time of the Mutiny of 1857. Soon after, the lion population started slipping and by the end of the nineteenth century, the only known population remained within the Gir forest in the royal state of Junagadh in Gujarat.

Gir can get very warm during the summer months, so plan your visit between early spring and late autumn. Dress comfortably, going by the season. A sun hat and loose airy clothes are a good idea during the warmer months, while a warm sweater or even a jacket may be necessary on a cold winter morning. Carry your wildlife guide books; a copy of Salim Ali’s Book of Indian Birds or, for the more serious birder, the Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent.

Keep your eyes and ears open, for this is Indian big sky country at its best. There are fabulous vistas to be absorbed. Miles and miles of scrub country stretching to the horizon, blue skies above, flaming blossoms during the spring and monsoon months (you can’t miss the Flame-of-the-Forest if you visit in February) and plenty of colorful and even rare birds.

NOTEBOOK: To get there, fly to Ahmedabad and then drive down to Sasan Gir (almost a full day’s drive) or else you can fly to the small airport of Keshod which is accessible by flights from Mumbai. You can also take the metre gauge line of the western railway. You can stay at the well-appointed forest rest house, but book it in advance from the office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests and Wildlife at Sasan Gir. One may also opt for the Taj Resort and several other private lodges. Winter is the best time to visit, between the months of October and February. Jeeps are available for hire near the main entrance to the park, from where one must obtain a permit on payment of modest park fees. A guide must accompany all vehicles entering the park, and private vehicles are not allowed inside.