In Loving Memory of Basil Lloyd Johannes

A striking characteristic of Basil that differentiated him from most people was his sense of wonder of the natural world. Having spent more than three decades in the forests of Karnataka, this child of the Dandeli forests was ever eager to learn and always keen to improvise, as we saw even with his last trek when he attempted to videograph a leopard using his field binoculars.

His passing brings the curtains down on an exhilarating and often tumultuous life that Basil Lloyd Johannes led and leaves the rest of us with memories of his exploits. There he would be, many a times with his favourite driver Hussein, driving with a calculated ease through the Barballe dam and waiting for a sighting when no one else would visit that corner of the Kabini forest. And again, there he would be, immediately after breakfast, with his omnipresent binoculars, cap and a bird book, walking step by step with fledgling birders as he went around the nature walk in the Kabini campus of JLR.

And yet again, Basil the professional would be dressed in his best camouflage uniform, ironed smartly and ever smiling, and ensure that he would be at the front office and welcome guests as they checked in. Basil was all these and much more.

As a friend poignantly mentioned, Basil was an intellectual who knew the forest like his own and as a true learned soul, he never gave up upon his inquisitive self. Infact, the few times, that any visitor or staff did get an opportunity to travel with him remains etched in memory for the effort that he took to ensure that a guest did not return disappointed was supreme.

His calm demeanour would ensure that he could cater to the interests of those who sought to see a big cat as well as those who would prefer to appreciate undervalued elements of the vast forest. I remember a guest writing this for him on August 13th, 2010 'Basil was the naturalist assigned to us during our trip to Kabini Jungle Lodges and Resorts. His enthusiasm towards wildlife made us look forward to a wonderful ride into the jungle. During our safari, Basil’s skilled eyes helped us spot many animals and some of the very rare bird species. We were astonished to listen to the in-depth description given by Basil about a certain type of eagle, a winter visitor. He was very patient to answer our numerous questions and also suggested few books that will give more information. His deep knowledge in wildlife conservation, bird watching and animal behavior was immensely helpful to us. We look forward for more informative trips to jungle with Basil'.

Basil had another abiding quality in him and perhaps, that quality marked him out as one of the most promising staff in the organisation. It was his cool management of crisis scenarios that made him an administrative favourite. He would be available to his manager at all times of the day and would dive into a fermenting trouble and ensure that the crisis was averted. Managers from Dubare to Hampi to Dandeli and Kabini have relied on his administrative acumen.

It was on account of these qualities that he left Jungle Lodges and Resorts for a few years and worked as the manager in the Machaan group of resorts at Nagarhole. When he returned back to his parent organisation, he was tasked with the difficult operation of starting safari at the Veeranhosahalli gate of Nagarhole National Park. In a matter of less than year, his enthusiasm and fortitude ensured that the ‘Nagarhole’ safari had become a rage amongst wildlife enthusiasts.

Basil moved to the dry regions of Hampi to support the management and proved to be of immense value there. But the pain in his passing is not entirely a result of Basil’s professional skill. It is Basil, the warm, ever smiling friend that the world has lost is the thorn in the hearts of those who knew him. As a manager recalls, ‘I remember his smile and for every problem that I could not handle and threw on him, he would smile and say yes’.

His dedication and warmth towards his organisation and colleagues alike stood out like a beacon throughout his years with Jungle Lodges and Resorts, but what remains alive perhaps, is the striking visage of a well dressed, smartly turned out naturalist in a classical sense carrying a guest’s child in his shoulders and smilingly teaching him the names of the trees on the nature trail at Kabini. Always with a smile, Basil.