Johnsingh is a great walker. He must have walked with over 200 forest officers, training them in the fine art of interpreting the language of the forest. "I was in my early 30s then," he recalls in one instance, "and had the confidence that I could run and escape elephants. This confidence...was shattered when a Conservator of Forests... accompanying me was killed by a young tusker. Thereafter...any rustle caused by a heavy-bodied animal in the bush sent a chill up my spine."
Johnsingh describes his early hunting exploits where shooting jungle fowl, or a hare, or mousedeer were part of the jungle experience. He also loves Mahseer fishing. The chapter called The Flight of the Mahseer reveals his joy at hunting the enormous fish. "People need to be convinced that fish is a renewable resource," he says, "but it cannot renew itself when it is being massacred thoughtlessly. Fishing the Mahseer must be controlled for it to return even to a shadow of its old glory." So goes Johnsingh’s journey into the wilderness and mainly on foot. The book is worth a read.
