India's desert, which stretches from the nation's northwest corner west into Pakistan, may look dry and desolate. But it is in fact alive with wildlife and people, who have forged unusual alliances in the quest for survival. Outside the tiny village of Kheechan, for instance, thousands of Demoiselle cranes gather on the dunes each winter. They come to feed on the bushels of grain that the village's people, who believe the birds to be symbols of good luck, spread for the birds.
LAND OF THE TIGER also takes viewers to Pushkar, to the age-old camel fair. Here, teams of camel hairdressers make sure each camel looks its best before being put up for sale. In the town of Bishnoi, viewers meet the amazing Bishnoi people, a tribe of strict vegetarians who have become stewards of desert wildlife. Deer and other animals flock to Bishnoi villages, knowing that they will be secure. The Bishnoi have even been known to give up their own lives to poachers to protect the desert's animals. At the desert city of Jodhpur, sentinels of another kind keep watch: flocks of bearded vultures, natural garbage disposals that can strip a cow carcass clean of meat in less than half an hour. The giant birds help keep the crowded city clean. To survive, other desert animals have also learned interesting tricks. Some fish, for instance, have evolved to the point where they are able to walk across the sands when their pools of water begin to dry up, while huge flocks of flamingos have learned to rush in when spring rains temporarily flood the sands to turn desolate dunes into flowery refuges.
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