The Thrill of the Chase

Many a time, one would ask a wildlife enthusiast, “Why even bother to go again and again into the same parks and try and find the same animals over and over again?”

This is a question, which cannot be answered logically. The reason being that those with a genuine yearning for a wilds have several motivations all combined into one.

Firstly, it’s the exhilaration of being in the outdoors. Most of us are tied to desk jobs, where we spend hours upon hours in front of a computer or in back to back meetings, doing mundane and soul grabbing activities.

Some of us are in hollow relationships and have boring and sterile personal lives.

With all these factors taken into consideration, its no surprise to anyone when you find people retreating to the jungles and forests and national parks in order to obtain some form of solace and escape from their real life. This short and yet glorious pursuit not only refreshes the mind but also the soul.  Seeing the lush green forests, and breathing the fresh air, and the wind in your hair as you drive through the small jungle tracks, this all bring with it a sense of freedom which is very scarce for modern humans in this day and age.

The next factor is the personal interest in seeing the beauty, freedom and behavior of animals. This bring with it a sense of ease and calm to many. Ever questioned why most clinics have fish tanks. The observation of animals in their natural habitat brings with it a sense of deep calm and relaxation as well as immense pleasure.

Then the question would arise, “why not go to a zoo?”  The simple answer to this is the thrill of the chase. Haven’t you ever felt a loss of desire when given an unlimited and easy choice? I sure have. For example I personally sit and watch whatever program airs on television, while end up being confused and dissatisfied seeing the unlimited range of programs on offer on Netflix, another example is how happy and appreciative I am when our home front provides a meal of limited choices, but ends up savoring all its flavors and truly relishing the meal, whist having a sense of confusion on not knowing what to order from the unlimited range of food options on Uber eats. The human mind is a strange thing. We are never satisfied when things come easy, and when the choices are unlimited. Humans always value something hard earned and scarce. Hence this applied even to wildlife, where the thrill of the chase and effort taken to get a particular sighting adds to the thrill and joy of the sighting itself.

If one sees leopards ever 10-15 minutes as soon as you enter the park and is as common as seeing Spotted Deer. Would we be as thrilled as we are now, when we have to work very hard, spend many hours in wait, or spend a long time tracking the pug marks, looking at clues, listening to alarm calls and even then have the chance of coming back home empty handed? The reality is a definite no. Yes we would like to see and appreciate a sighting, even in a zoo, but it’s not the same as “working” for your sighting and the reward paying off.

The thrill of the chase is as or more important than the sighting itself.