Shaji

OT: Where is home and family for you?

Shaji: I come from the village of Periya in Wayanad. My father owns about ten acres of land and has always been close to nature — he even wears dark clothes all the time so that birds and animals are not disturbed. It’s because of him that I love wildlife and nature so much. He grows rice, fruits, vegetables, bananas, pepper and coffee. The farm is so self-sufficient that only oil and sugar are bought by my family. Three years ago, the government gave him a gold medal for growing everything organically. I am the youngest of four brothers and three sisters. Everybody else still lives and works in Periya.

OT: How did you end up here?

Shaji: Mammooty, the manager of the Fringe Ford estate, is a family friend. His son and I grew up together. We’ve even stayed in each other’s homes, although we are Hindus and they are Muslims. I came here six years ago and now I don’t want to leave. I can drive down to Periya on my bike any time I want to. But this really is home for me now. I like the quiet and I like being so close to nature. Ever since I’ve been here, I haven’t fallen ill once. When I go home, I want to come back quickly. My mother gets very annoyed. She wants to know if I am hiding a girlfriend here!

OT: You meet a lot of people on the job… What is it really like?

Shaji: I do get to meet people from across the world. I enjoy their company a lot and I think they enjoy mine. Some time ago, there was a German guest who asked “where’s the famous Shaji?” the moment he came to the estate (laughs). Talking to the (English-speaking) guests also improves my English. I tell them about the wildlife here and help them identify medicinal plants. When I first came here, I used to cook and take care of the rooms. But now we have a cook, so I’ve become an all-rounder.

Often, I take tourists on treks to the waterfall nearby or to the watch tower through a path where animal sightings are common. Many of them also like to walk up to the Namburi Peak, about 15km away. They have a lot of fun climbing over the giant fallen trees on the way, before the sun is up. Early mornings are ekdum best because there are more birds and animals around.

OT: Do you remember any special sighting?

Shaji: Three years ago, I had taken two tourists on a trek. I could smell a tiger nearby. I told them to keep their cameras ready and stay close. I clambered down a slope and reached a clearing and there it was — less than two-and-a-half metres away from me. I saw the tiger and the tiger saw me. My voice deserted me and my limbs were frozen. Eventually the tiger turned around, swished its tail and walked away. Just like that. When I turned back to ask my guests if they had seen the tiger too, I realised that they had dropped their cameras and fled. Their legs were shaking even after we had walked for a kilometre. But the tiger didn’t do anything to me. This is my experience with wild animals. They don’t do anything to us. I have also followed wild elephants around. One of them even let me feed him a jackfruit.

OT: What do you love most about your job?

Shaji: I like walking. There is a lot of peace here. Tourists don’t like to come in the rainy season but I love it best. There are insects, snakes and leeches, of course, but everything is green, all the streams are gushing with water and even the animals look happy.

I could never work in a city now. I am used to waking up to birdsong, you see.

Shaji, Guide and Naturalist, Fringe Ford, Wayanad, Kerala 080-26722750, www.fringeford.com