Profit takes a backseat for birds at this adventure park

Vadodara: It all started with a flutter of feathers on a 50-foot bungee platform.

A few summers ago, Bandish Shah, a Vadodara-based businessman and nature enthusiast, spotted an Indian pitta — a small, vibrantly colored bird — nesting atop a popular ride in the adventure zone of his resort in Dabhoi. Most people would've ignored it. But Shah did something unexpected: he shut the ride down.

"The adventure zone was bustling during the summer holidays, but I couldn't let thrill rides endanger nesting birds," recalls Shah.

That one incident changed everything.

Soon, he discovered that this wasn't a one-time occurrence. The dense green canopy surrounding the adventure zone had become a seasonal refuge for several birds — from Indian pittas and Asian paradise flycatchers to fork-tailed drongos and orange-headed thrushes. Many of these species, including migratory ones, return year after year to nest during summer — coinciding with the peak tourist season.

Faced with a choice between ecology and economy, Shah chose the birds.

Since then, he has made it a rule: if a bird nests too close to any ride, that activity is shut down — regardless of footfall or profits. "If hundreds of visitors use the rides daily, it disturbs the birds. And they may never return," Shah told TOI. "So I decided their safety comes first."

The decision comes at a cost. Shah estimates that he loses lakhs of rupees annually by keeping the adventure zone partially or fully closed during nesting periods. Yet, he remains unfazed.

"I am a nature enthusiast. Disturbing other living beings for entertainment is the last thing I'd want. Revenue can be recovered. Lost wildlife, once gone, doesn't return," he says.

It isn't just the rides that have been adjusted. Once echoing with loud DJ music, the zone now embraces silence. All artificial lights are turned off at night. The goal: create a space where birds feel safe — not threatened — by human presence.

Shah's resort, spread across 120 acres, is a green sanctuary by design. Only 10% of the land has construction — mostly using natural materials. The rest is a vibrant forest of native trees, nurtured over the past 15 years as part of his eco-tourism vision. Today, the area hosts over 155 species of birds, some of which return annually to breed.

"We also plant thousands of indigenous saplings every year in and around the property," Shah adds. "It's about long-term conservation, not short-term gain."