Every night the sky would fill up with stars, something we, living in the city, cannot observe.
During my first year of BA Mass Communication at the Symbiosis Centre for Media & Communication, we had just received word that there was going to be an announcement about a wildlife trip. We were not informed where to, but later when it was told that it was a wildlife trip to Satpura in Madhya Pradesh, it was hard to contain my excitement. I had heard that SCMC was the best mass communication college and encouraged many extra-curricular activities, but I still did not imagine something like this.
Whoever wished to go, paid the required fee and set off for Satpura. I was so thrilled to experience this opportunity. Once we reached there, we had an induction by our tour guide and guardian. I had so many fantastic experiences there from eating meals in a hut in the middle of a forest to dipping my feet in crystal clear stream water and observing all the beautiful animals in their natural habitat.
The most striking part of the experience for me was the stargazing. Every night the sky would fill up with stars something we, living in the city, cannot observe. I even stared a tigress right down her eyes; it was terrifying yet an exceptional experience. The most memorable experience however, I would say, was when our guardian took us trekking up a steep hill to view paintings and carvings in the caves from Stone Age.
All was well, until the bees attacked. Yes, we were attached by a whole swarm of bees out of nowhere. All I could hear was the buzzing of bees all around me, and all I could feel were their stings. Our guardian was the first one to run to safety and I was the last; by the time I reached our jeep, I was covered in around eighty bee stings.
Although it was a very scary experience, and as painful as it was, in hindsight, it was a truly amazing and learning experience for me because I learnt what to do in a situation like that and more importantly, I have an exciting, adrenaline filled story to tell. All in all, the wildlife trip was a truly amazing and full of memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
Article by: Karan Salunkhe (Batch of 2018)
Photograph by: Karan Salunkhe (Batch of 2018)
