I mentioned in my post about A.I. generated artwork that my mindset on the coexistence of people and fauna is partly informed by the images I’ve seen coming out of Indian cities. India is an interesting case study because while it has over 1 billion people, the country and surrounding areas still has a lot of charismatic megafauna. There are large antelope, elephants, rhinos, leopards, tigers, and lions found sometimes shockingly close to urban centers. While it has lead to conflict occasionally, it also points to a tantalizing shared future.
Take lions for example. India is mostly known for its Bengal tigers, but the very last of the formerly widespread Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) lives in a single forested area of Gujarat, India. When it comes to the brink of extinction these lions were right there. The last lions in Iraq were seen in 1918, Iran in the 1940’s, and in India were reduced to a mere dozen animals in the early 1900’s. They made it to the present day by the skin of their teeth. With protection and a buy-in from the surrounding communities, the lion numbers have been bouncing back and an interesting dynamic seems to be forming. Lions are increasingly being encountered in urban and semi-urban areas and the local population seems to be taking it in stride.
Here is one of those encounters of a lion crossing the road amongst a bunch of bikers:
This isn’t a one off encounter either; there are plenty of videos on social media showing lions and the people of Gujarat co-existing.
On the other side of the subcontinent in the Terai Arc ecosystem of India and Nepal a similar dynamic with a different species is forming. In Nepal, Greater One-horn Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) have been receiving intensive conservation efforts and it seems to be quite successful. With the help of the Nepalese military keeping poaching in check, rhino numbers have been increasing steadily in the last 10 years. Again like the lions, the expanding numbers have seen animals leaving the protected forests and interacting with people in urban environments.
The juxtaposition of wild rhinos and dense urban streetlife is mind-boggling to me. It is impressive for me to see how non-plussed this rhino seems amongst the hustle and bustle. But this next video is probably my favorite:
I timestamped it specifically at the 0:55 mark because of the imagery. In the background there is what appears to be a mom with her kids waiting on the sidewalk as cars and motorbikes whiz pass. It is a scene that could play out just about anywhere in the world. The biggest difference is there is a huge rhino in the foreground, calmly eating some plants on the roadside. It is jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring to me. One of my first posts here at Studia Mirabilium mentioned co-existing with Indian Rhinos. I never thought I’d actually see it.
Now before I go on, I don’t want any of this to be an excuse to let protected places go to pot because animals can just adapt to the human condition. I believe we should mitigate our human footprint and protect and expand the wild places of the world.
But I don’t think we should pigeon-hole animals either. Urban places, while destructive, are themselves habitat for creatures that can take advantage of novel environments dominated by humans. While weeds and pests are found in these areas beyond the control of people, other animals are found in these habitats by the good grace and buy-in of the local communities. Here in the west, we are comfortable seeing familiar animals such as cats, robins, deer, pigeons and the like as co-inhabitants of city life. But are those the only animals that can live peacefully with us in the places we call home?
It is an important question, because as peaceful as both the rhino and lion seem, the potential for a dangerous encounter is still there. And I don’t think it will ever fully go away. But if these places can somehow make it work, then a world where we have successfully moved beyond conservation and into a shared future becomes all the more possible. I’m rooting hard for the lions, rhinos, and the good people of these special places to figure out a path forward. Good luck and lead the way!
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