Jungle Lodges "It's been quite an eventful journey. Quite different too, from other journeys one might have read about. In 25 years, the little things that we have done and experienced have been nothing short of extraordinary. We've caught fish, only to send it back to the river. We've made some amazing friends. Tigers. Leopards. Bears. Elephants. We even call them by names. For our guests, we've built houses on treetops. And on riverbeds. And refused to build more of them, as we strongly believed that in a jungle, there should be more animals than people. As simple as that. It is this love-absolute love-for the wild that made us what we are: the caretakers of natue's delightful creations. Jungle Lodges & Resorts. Celebrating two and a half decades of friendship with nature and wildlife."

The story begins ..........

After 25 years of operation, Jungle Lodges has a fascinating story to tell. The story of a man, who has, one way or the other, inspired each and every person associated with Jungle Lodges. The man who started his life by hunting animals, and later transformed himself into a passionate devotee of wildlife conservation.

Meet - Col. John Felix Wakefield. Conservationist. Naturalist. Pioneer in wildlife tourism.
and lovingly known as ‘"PAPA"' to all his friends, his colleagues, his guests, and, probably, to all his friends in the jungle.

Born in Bihar , in the year 1916, Papa's intimate relationship with wildlife began in his early years, under the guidance of his father. He shots his first tiger at the age of nine (He used to regularly accompany his father in his hunts). After spending six years in England-engaged in studies, Papa returned to where his heart was: India . He first worked as Manager of the Tajpur Estate at Bijinor. In 1941, he began his career in the Army; serving in various capacities until 1955. He was involved in the Jungle Training Division and in the Burmese operations ending in Rangoon , holding the rank of Colonel in the Civil Affairs Services in Burma .

But the call of the jungle was irresistible for Papa. In 1967, he took up a career in wildlife tourism when he joined the Kumaon Hunters Safari Company, where he worked till 1972. He then worked with the Lindblad Wildlife Travels Company as a Naturalist escorting wildlife tours to all the newly founded National Parks in India . In 1976 and 1977, he was the Indian representative to Anglia Television's (UK) Survival series, coordinating the ground arrangements for their filming of wildlife in India's protected forests Papa's long relationship with Tiger Tops began in 1978; working as Wildlife consultant and later holding the posts of General Manager in Kashmir and Ladakh, and Alternate Director with Dr. McDougall on the Jungle Lodges & Resorts Board.

As said earlier. 1978 would be an unforgettable year with regard to tourism in Karnataka. This was the year when Tiger Tops arrived in Karnataka, as did the visionary called Col. John Flex Wakefield. His tremendous experience in the field of wildlife tourism came into its own in conceptualizing and executing Jungle Lodges & Resorts, in the jungles of Kabini.

“ Mr. Gundu Rao was highly impressed and asked us to open one like Tiger Tops in his state. Jim Edwards (the flamboyant owner) sent Romesh Mehra and me to Karnataka. We discovered Kabini”, Papa once said in an interview.

Thus began a new phase of life – for both Papa, and Jungle Lodges. Papa slowly but surely began to realize that all his past had gone to make him ideally suited to a future he was to shape on the banks of the Kabini. Actively involved in selection of sites for tourist accommodation and facilities, Papa's expertise as a planner and advisor was evident at every stage. Since he set foot in Kabini, people who knew him well, admired his extraordinary patience with the bureaucracy, unfailing politeness with politicians, a strong, protective love for people he works with – 90% of whom are the local populace, steadily growing links with the people of the villages, and most importantly, the principled adherence to wildlife tourism against tourism of resorts, monuments, picnic spots and pilgrim centers.

The ultimate tribute to his achievements and contributions came from the Government of India. The Citation for the Award of Excellence ( Best Maintained Eco-friendly Tourism Project) states unequivocally that the Kabini Resort is “ synonymous with Col. John F Wakefield”.

In 2002, the Government of Karnataka honored him with the Rajyotsava Award, for his outstanding contribution to wildlife tourism.

The jungles of Kabini have many legends attached to it. One has to simply travel to the place to see a Living Legend . At the age of 91, he continues to be a source of inspiration and integrity, and is living testimony of man's inseparable bond with nature and its delightful creations.