After a lifetime ambition to travel to the land of the tiger, my chance came in February 2004. My husband Vic and I joined the first Tiger Study group run by Julian Matthews of Discovery Initiatives to go to Panna Tiger Reserve for ten days serious study of prey species and habitat. We arranged to stay in Bandhavgarh tiger reserve for 5 days before Panna as tourists, under the expert guidance of Vivek Sharma. There we had our first perfect experience of watching a young tigress traverse a hillside past our open jeep to cross the track behind us. During the next few days we followed her three siblings through the jungle to a water hole and again crossing a road in front of us. All encounters were deeply moving and as a portrait painter I knew I would be attempting to paint them on our return to the UK.

Panna was a different experience as already the poachers were having an effect and their tigers were disappearing. We concentrated on deer and antelope and enjoyed the elephants and were lucky enough to meet up with an 8 year old tigress that we saw from an elephant several days running. After we left she vanished and was never seen again.

We passed through Madla village to and from Ken River lodge each day and saw a busy place but with many signs of poverty. Shyamendra Singh (Vinni) and his wife, Bhavna Kumari employed young men and women from the village to work in the lodge and were training young men to work as guides to visitors in the Park. I resolved to try to sell prints of my paintings and to return to Panna to give something back to those who had given me a great experience.

In February 2005, we returned, this time to Panna first and I brought £300 from the sale of prints and from giving talks to local groups in the evenings. I talked to Vinni and we discussed where the money would be most useful. The local primary school had very poor classrooms but land was available so we decided to start to build a new school. I left some prints at Panna and in Bandhavgarh and when I returned alone in November 2005 with more funds, the walls of the school were up and work was started on the roof. The work was ably supervised by Bhavna Kumari and we discussed what to do next.

Finishing three classrooms enabled the children to move in the following spring and plans were made for a pump and a toilet block which were built in 2006. The classrooms have high ceilings with circulating fans, good size windows and covered floors. Other visitors to the Lodge were inspired to contribute to the costs or to help with the work. A group of American students painted the walls.

In November 2006, we arranged and paid for the top class to go into the park for a dawn drive. The villagers cannot afford the park entrance fees and we took four teachers with us, none of whom had been inside the park gates before. After three and a half hours enjoying the forest we were fortunate enough to encounter the first tiger to enter the park for three weeks, so all the children saw their first wild tiger from the backs of elephants. Bhavna and I hope to give the older children the chance to see the fauna and flora for themselves every year.

In 2007 I sponsored two teachers (Marett and Simon) from England to spend most of October in the School and the children learned some English and did excellent mural projects. Bhavna gave them free board and lodging in Ken River Lodge. We hope to repeat that in 2008 and also to extend our ventures into some of the villages around the edge of the park with educational videos to promote better understanding of the conservation issues of the park environment.

There are very few tigers visiting Panna now but the leopards are increasing and the visitors are finding that the sightings and sounds of these beautiful cats add drama and excitement to the calm enjoyment of the teak forests of the park. Another lodge is opening by the Hanouti Gate and it is hoped more benefits will accrue to the local people and inspire them to protect the park rather than exploit it.

Jennifer Buxton, Windy Ash Barn,
Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 7PB,
England. Tel: 01229 582371
Email: jen@windyashbarn.com
Web: www.tigertigerburningbright.com

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