Sarath C R Blog

The Antarctic Convergence

2012-01-04T16:39:00.001-08:00

Map showing the Antarctic Convergence

The key to understanding the impressive diversity of wildlife in Antarctica is the Antarctic Convergence, which is basically a line encircling the continent ( between 50° and 60° S), where the warm, more saline waters coming south from the tropics meet the cold, denser and mainly non-saline waters moving north from the Antarctic. These conflicting currents clash, converge and sink. The mixing waters provide a conducive environment for an abundance of plankton, so the Convergence nourishes huge numbers of seabirds and mammals.

Large swarms of krill maybe ten of thousands of metres across, containing densities of as high as 10,000 per square metre! Such super-swarms may involve several million tonnes of krill and they move through the ocean almost like a single organism, making it easy for creatures that prey on them. This super abundance of prey in the Antarctic waters, in turn, supports an amazing density and diversity of wildlife. For example, it is estimated that seabirds alone take about 40 million tonnes of krill per annum! The largest animal on our Planet, the Blue Whale can consume between 4-6 tonnes of Krill in a day!

Floating Gods of the Antarctic !!

2011-12-08T07:28:00.001-08:00

What made the deepest impression in my mind and soul in Antarctica, the very edge of the world, are not the wonderful animals and birds i saw but the starkness and the raw beauty of the landscape...and the breathtaking spectacle of some truly magnificent Ice-Bergs!! These mighty creations of Mother Nature...crafted and sculpted by the raw power of the elements of Antarctica touched me and mesmerised me beyond words...i came back even more humble than before about the immense Beauty, Scale and Power of Mother Nature.

Just gaze at these Gods of Antarctica and simply admire them...of course, you can never get a true idea of the ‘atmosphere’ in which they exist and their real scale..but this is the best i can do to ‘convey’ what i went through and felt...(please double click on the images..)

The first big Ice-Berg we saw..as we we approaching the White Continent itself..off the Weddell Sea.They come in all kinds of sizes and beautiful shapes.

This is one Colossus...a ‘tabular’ Ice-Berg, probably 150 metres across !

This Beauty loomed out of the mist one late evening...she was....GIGANTIC !! Probably 30-40 metres tall!! Typically only 1/8th of the height of the Ice-berg is visible...you can simply imagine how big this one was beneath the surface of the ocean !!

Another view of The Beauty....i was dumb-struck by her sheer presence...and kept watching her from the deck until i almost froze myself..from the cold Antarctic winds !!

As these Giant Ice-Bergs melt in the Antarctic summer...they trigger a whole chain of bio-chemical events in the surrounding waters...the amount of fresh water which is discharged itself creates a mini-ecosystem around them as they keep moving because of the ocean currents. You can see a deep blue colour all around the Ice-Berg, which is nothing but freshwater mixing with the saline waters of the ocean.

Another Goddess....

You can see the intricate ‘sculpting’ on her walls...beautiful patterns as she melts away and gives sustenance to the Oceans creatures...like plankton and Krill..which are the basic elements of the marine food chain..and in turn sustain the bountiful wildlife of the Antarctic..the Penguins, Seals and the Whales...just to name a few!

The Ice-Bergs of Antarctica are ‘calved’ or break off from the huge ice shelves surrounding the Continent. Some well known ice shelves are the Larsen ice shelf, which we almost touched, and the largest of them all, the Ross ice shelf, which covers about 5,00,000 sq kms!

Just to give an idea of their size..a recent Ice-Berg about to calve was measured at 880 sq kms in size! The biggest so far has been B 15, which calved from the Ross ice shelf in 2000 and was 275 kms in length and 37 kms across..which is about 11,000 sq kms in size!! B 15 was estimated to contain so much water that every human on Earth could get about 50 tons of fresh drinking water from it!!

The Ice-Bergs of Antarctica give you an idea of the character of the Continent itself.

Antarctica is an ice-dominated Continent..almost 99% of it’s 14.2 million sq kms (twice the size of Australia or equal to USA and Canada combined!) is covered by ice-sheets. The average thickness of the ice is 2 kms and thickest is 5 kms ! This also makes Antarctica the highest continent..apart from being the coldest, windiest and the driest place on Earth!

Antarctica holds 90% of the World’s ice and 70% of our Earth’s freshwater is locked up in this ice...perhaps now you can place these colossal Ice-Bergs in perspective!!

Ursus maritimus !!

2011-11-17T07:38:00.001-08:00

I never dreamt that one day i would see Polar Bears !! The largest and the most powerful...and indeed one of the most beautiful predators on our Planet !!

The land of these Bears in strikingly surreal...it simply numbs you...how can these animals live and survive in such a harsh environment? We saw this female with her two small Cubs from far away...and she was hurrying to keep some distance between herself and a marauding male Bear!

This female was prowling the shores of an island searching for eggs of breeding Ducks...the closest we got to a Polar Bear...it was one of the most exciting wildlife encounters in my life!!

This is my most favourite and enduring image from my Arctic Journey...a large male Ice Bear...surrounded by pack ice..at the Northern-most point on Earth i have reached..we had crossed 80 N latitude!! Just gaze at the sheer beauty of his habitat..with gentle Snow falling on him...simply mesmerising!!

The Arctic Tundra and...a Polar Bear !!

2011-08-28T07:25:00.001-07:00

The Arctic Tundra is an intriguing landscape...this biome lies between the Taiga forest and the permanent Arctic Sea Ice. The Tundra or the treeless plains lies above 66'33 N latitude or the Arctic Circle. Here the vegetation has to contend with extreme Arctic conditions dictated by the short growing season, low precipitation and temperatures (as low as -35 C in Winter!) and wind. Even in this extreme landscape, life thrives in the short summer months....

Barnacle Geese seen with chicks at Ny Alesund. Many birds like these Geese fly to Svalbard to breed in the summer.

The beautiful 'hanging gardens' of Svalbard...most people will not believe such a riot of colour in the Arctic, which is rendered by moss and lichen in many colours and spectacular flowers!

We saw many beautiful Arctic flowers on our walks on the Tundra...

This lovely pink flower is the Moss Campion ('Silene acaulis'), which is also known as the Compass plant, as the flowers tend to concentrate according to the direction of the summer sunlight!

A herd of Svalbard Reindeer grazing on the lush summer grass...they have to feed as much as they can in the short summer season, to prepare for the long winter, where they get almost nothing to eat for about 6 months!

These Reindeer allow close approach, mainly beacuse they are in such an urgency not to waste any feeding time during the short summer! The few animals which live here have to contend with very harsh conditions..i was thinking about our Chital...they have such an easy life, with food available all the 365 days in the year!

When our Expedition leader announced one evening that we will be sailing into 'prime Polar habitat' by the morning, i could hardly sleep that night! I was out on the freezing cold observation deck very early, the next morning, scanning the distant islands for a long time. A lady next to me, asked me to check a suspicious moving object, with my 'better binoculars'...and there is was..a Polar Bear!!! I just could not believe my eyes!! A Polar Bear in the Wild...in the Arctic!!

Our ship changed direction and we approached the 'Ice Bear' carefully...it turned out to be a female hunting for eggs of nesting ducks on the shoreline...

The Dramatic Arctic Landscape!

2011-08-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Arctic landscape is something which can evoke only one word in anybody's mind: 'Dramatic'! It is a dream-like land with ice, snow, glaciers,mountains and sea...all weaving a magical tapestry which captivated me endlessly...even today i dream of it constantly...

And what also struck me is the silence of the landscape! It is a quiet world...almost eerie at times!

The July 14th Glacier...60% of Svalbard's 62,000 km is covered by glaciers!

Some like Austfonna are as big as 8412 sq kms!

A closer view of the July 14th Glacier...the light blue colour indicates oxygen. As you know, glaciers are nothing but frozen fresh water.

Tinayrebukta fjord...a fjord is deep sea inlet, surrounded by mountains..Spitsbergen's fjords have been sculpted by huge ice-age glaciers.

You can see our ship Plancius anchored in the fjord..we were on a hike.

The fjords are beautiful with calm seas and rugged glacier-laden mountains.

In the Arctic summer one can see this kind of landscape where the snow melt exposes the rocks and earth...one can see grass,moss and even flowers! And this is also the time of 24 hours of Sunshine!

Alkefjell...touted as the most dramatic bird nesting colony in the Northern hemisphere! 350 metres high granite cliffs rise from the sea, where about 2,00,000 pairs of Brunnich's Guillemots nest on these cliffs every summer..

The Arctic is the youngest ecosystem on Earth...just 10,000 years old! It certainly has a sense of freshness!

Single year pack ice or Fast ice...ice which has formed an year back...

Pack ice (multi-year) or Sea ice which we were surrounded with, when we sailed north of 80 degrees North Latitude....the realm of the Polar Bears! This ice is an accumulation of many years and can be very thick..sometimes a few metres! This ice drifts with the ocean currents and winds...the North Pole is surrounded by this kind of ice and therefore so formidable to get to!

Spitsbergen means 'pointed peaks' in Dutch...who discovered these islands accidentally in 1596 (by William Berentsz)

Please double-click on these pictures and enjoy them in a wider canvas.

The Arctic Tern !!

2011-07-24T03:29:00.001-07:00

Although an Arctic journey was very high on my 'bucket list', i was surprisingly under-prepared for this trip. 24 hrs before we were to emplane to Brussels, i was still in Bandhavgarh! So i was quite blank on what to expect on this trip...which was in a way a big blessing !

The navigation map on the aircraft monitor says it all...that we were really flying to the very top of the World! Our destination is the archipelago of Svalbard or Spitsbergen, which is Norwegian territory. It is located 3200 km (4 hours of flying on a Boeing 737!) from Brussels, from where we had boarded our chartered flight. I never imagined that i will be one day travelling so North !

We landed at Longyearbyen, which happens to be the Northernmost permanent settlement in the World (Pop: 2000). This is also the Northernmost civilian airport in the world! Svalbard itself is about 62,000 sq kms in area and one of the largest stretches of unspoiled Arctic wilderness.

The geographical coordinates of Svalbard has a tale to tell !

Smack! I was taken aback at this unexpected aggression when a bird hit me on my head, as i stepped off the road in Longyearbyen to investigate a 'white bird' sitting on the ground! It turned out to be a bird i always dreamt of seeing-an Arctic Tern!!

It's mate was sitting by it's ground nest with a single egg! Arctic Terns breed in the Arctic during the summer (June-Aug). They take about 3 weeks to incubate the eggs..another 3-4 to raise the fledglings and then the family embarks on the longest migration in the world-a 20,000 km one-way journey to the Antarctic, to be there in time for the summer!

The Arctic Tern completely amazes me...just look at it's supremely aero-dynamic shape..and the deeply forked tail. It is a bird of astounding beauty and grace! Can you imagine what an intrepid traveller it is...flying from one end of the world to another and enjoying a life of perpetual summer!

A pair of Arctic Terns attacking Dr.Case, a fellow traveller! They are extremely protective of their nests and defend them fearlessly and with screaming dives aimed at the intruder!

I managed to capture these pictures as they attacked me on the same stretch...by crouching on the ground and using my camera as a shield!

A true master of flight and aerobatics! A bird which epitomises beauty, grace, endurance and the spirit of survival! What a treat and a privilege to watch these stunning birds! My trip was already made on Day one!

Polar Bears !!

2011-06-24T21:39:00.001-07:00

After travelling between Kabini, Kanha and Bandhavgarh for the last two months, now i am off on another dream trip..to the Arctic to see the Polar Bears and other amazing animals and birds! This has been in my 'bucket list' of habitats and animals to see...and i am so lucky that i am actually going on this trip!! It will be a 10 day cruise around an island in the Artctic circle..just 500 miles from the North Pole..called Spitsbergen. So wait for pictures and trip report in about two weeks time!!

Most Exciting sighting of my Dream animal !!

2011-06-24T20:31:00.001-07:00

Imagine this...i have been dreaming about this almost mythical creature..the Ratel..since almost 20 years...and then one totally un-expected moment, it appears in front of us in Pench!! (this picture of an African Ratel, is of course, from the internet!)

The Ratel or the Honey Badger ('Mellivora capensis'), is such a mysterious creature that although it is around in many habitats in India..it is rarely seen! I know of only a few who have seen this amazing creature!

It is so unique that biologists have been long confused even on which family they can place it in..and finally decided to allot it to a separate Genus..'Mellivora' ! Which means a 'honey-eater'... It's diet is varied though...chiefly carnivorous..a study in the Kalahari which analyzed 910 scats, came to a conclusion that they fed on 61 different kinds of prey species! Like larvae of Termites and Wasps, Beetles,Geckos, Scorpions,Rodents,Snakes and Birds. It has a reputation of being very aggressive and takes on much larger adversaries...one of my Ranger friends from South Africa was telling me how he saw a Ratel being attacked by a pride of Lions and it fought on for about 45 mins before being subdued..and in the process, even bite off the tongue of a Lioness!

Honey Badgers are known to roam large areas or 'Home Ranges', as big as 500 sq km for males and 150 sq km for females. They are generally solitary or in pairs and sometimes in 'family groups'. They have an interesting feeding or commensual association with the Honey Guide bird in Africa and even some mammals like Jackals.

Coming to my sighting..we were cruising along in Pench NP..me, Karun, Shree and Rajnish..all my Naturalist mates. We were chatting non-stop and suddenly a running animal caught my attention..it looked like a bounding Langur to me..but in a second realised what it was and shouted, 'Ratel,Ratel, Karun Ratel!!' My shouting was so excited that the Ratel changed course and ran away from us!! The sighting lasted barely a minute..but we could see that it had a jet black body with a bright ashy-grey back, which was so rich in contrast! It was also much larger in size than what i expected! Thankfully, Karun recovered just in time to take a few record shots! He too was also obsessed about the Ratel for 5 years now..i am so glad he was with me!

The Ratel seen in Pench on 1st of June 2011 !!

It took a long time for it to sink in...that i have finally seen this secretive and intriguing creature after so many years of dreaming about it! I remember the number of times i asked Guides and drivers in Central India if they have seen it..and a rare one who has actually seen one used to get intensively 'interrogated' by me!

I rank this sighting in the same league of my sighting of the Snow Leopard! Indeed i am blessed to see this amazing animal! Ratel...i have seen You at last!! Thank you for showing up!! I know that you actually exist now!

The Seasons are changing in Kanha !

2011-03-07T13:01:00.001-08:00

Winter is slowing ebbing out in Kanha..and spring is in the air...Kanha is my most favourite Park in Central India..i just spent a blissful ten days there.

One early morning the air was so crisp, you could actually feel it..it had rained the previous night. The Sal leaves on the forest floor were glistening fresh..and the Red Jungle Fowls were calling excitedly..such a beautiful Kanha morning!!

First buds of the 'Flame of the Forest' or the 'Palash', which will soon cloak Central India in it's bright red flowers...

The glorious and rare Yellow Silk Cotton in bloom..

An impressive Barasingha Stag...their rut is just coming to an end for this season and soon their long coats will be shed..

We saw this 'Bahimara' Tigress stalking some Chital one early morning..just managed one shot of her..she was unsuccessful this time..and she is raising her first litter...two lovely one year old Cubs quite successfully..

She walked away from us into the heart of her territory..where her cubs could be waiting eagerly..female Tigers have such a d tough and a demanding job both to fend for their Cubs and to protect them.

In another territory, which is a domain of this just independent Tigress..a particularly bold female..she ousted her own mother from her prime territory. Minutes after I caught her on my camera one evening, she roared defiantly a few times; the forest reverberated with amazing Tiger calls..there were goose-pimples on me hearing that most awe-inspiring sounds!!

Gaurs of Bandhavgarh !!

2011-03-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the Gaurs of Bandhavgarh...grazing peacefully in their enclosure! They are doing well..19 of them. And they are all set to be released shortly into the Park itself! Two research students from WII are constantly monitoring them.

One of my favourite pictures from the re-location..Gaurs being released from the truck into their enclosure!!

Gaur Relocation in M.P-a milestone in India's Conservation!!

2011-01-31T23:36:00.000-08:00

A Gaur herd tracked by Elephant back by H.S.Negi, FD of Kanha and Les Carlise.

January 20th 2011..the Big Day finally dawns..we have been waiting for this for 5 years! India's first wild-to-wild Gaur relocation becomes a reality!! The M.P Forest Department has taken a bold step to relocate Gaurs to Bandhavgarh NP. Now it has the confidence to undertake such a monumental task, as it is well prepared..years of planning have gone into it. Firstly, they have deployed the best practices and technology in moving wild animals from South Africa, acknowledged as a world leader in this area. Secondly, their Park managers and Vets have been sent to S.Africa on an exposure trip. Thirdly, the Wildlife Institute of India are very much a part of this project and lastly they have involved three of the best experts in the world in the actual operation. Dr.Dave Cooper, a Senior Vet of KZN Wildlife..who has an experience of 35 years and who has handled more then 50,000 wild animals so far! Jeff Cooke, head of Game Capture Unit of KZN Wildlife..15 years of experience and Les Carlisle, Conservation manager for andbeyond with 30 years of experience and who has moved over 40,000 animals in his checkered career! So we are talking about over 80 years of combined experience and a total of over 1,00,000 wild animals moved by these three gentlemen!!

The first Gaur darted by Dr.Akhilesh Mishra from Elephant-back!!

Dr.Dave Cooper in action!

Jeff Cooke with one of the tranquilised Gaurs being shifted to the Boma..

The Man with boundless energy and Vision-Les Carlise!

The Transport truck designed and built to safely transport big animals like Gaurs over long distances...it is seen parked along the capture Boma..or an enclosure in Kanha.

The first Gaurs released at 2.35 am on morning of 22nd Jan 2011 at Bandhavgarh!!

A total of 19 Gaurs were translocated..in four trips.

World over re-locations like this have contributed in reversing local extinctions..Black Rhino, Arabian Oryx are two famous examples. In India, if we have to move ahead to save animals like Asiatic Lions. Cheetah and Barasingha, we have to adopt a similar strategy. In this background, we have to laud the M.P Forest Department's vision to bring back the Gaurs which have disappeared from Bandhavgarh in 1998. This new population will be tracked by two researchers from WII for a period of three years (the adult animals have all been radio-collared)..so that their movement and range behaviour will be well understood.

There is no dearth of critics in this country..especially in the field of Conservation..in my opinion, most of them are either cynical or ill-informed or both. This move will be criticised endlessly..but i am totally convinced that if we have to save our wildlife, we have to adopt a more pragmatic and proactive strategy of managing our wildlife resources...gone are the days of 'passive management'. The philosophy of 'wildlife will take care of itself' is not going to work anymore. In fact,Tigers are already being translocated..so are the Rhinos in Assam. The translocation of Gaurs is one more such bold step in that direction of 'active management'. The difference is that M.P Forest dept decided to get the best expertise and technology in the world!

Personally, this is a highpoint in my life..i feel i have managed to contribute my two-pence to the Conservation movement in India..what started as a dream 5 years back..is now a reality!! My Company,Taj Safaris, fully backed my crazy dream..i am so proud of it!

But this is only a beginning..we have to Dream on....

These are only a few pictures i am sharing with you all..i have hundreds of them! I was fortunate enough to be an active participant in the entire operation! These were the most exciting ten days in my life!!

You all will have to wait for more news and pictures of this path-breaking project!!

The future of the Lions in Africa ?

2010-12-27T02:18:00.000-08:00

My favourite Lion picture....

But what is the future of Lions in Africa? Alas, it is quite bleak and a cause of great concern. According to an IUCN study by Bauer and Van Der Merwe (2004), the Lion population in Africa stands at around 23,000..(must be down further in these 6 years) which is down from about 1,50,000-180,000 in the 1980's...a steep decline of nearly 90% in just about 25 years !

We think only the Tiger is on the decline..and somehow ignore the fate of the Lion..so all the 'amazing sightings' one gets in the Masai Mara are sadly not reflective of the true picture of the status of these magnificent Cats...such a sobering thought..

The Lions of Masai Mara !!

2010-12-25T01:48:00.000-08:00

Masai Mara has one of the highest densities of Lions anywhere in World..some experts say it is indeed the highest..there are between 450 to 500 Lions in it's 1510 Sq kms! According to a recent IUCN study, the density of Lion population in Masai Mara is 30 Lions per 100 sq kms!

I had some amazing sightings in the blissful 3 weeks i spent in August 2010. We saw a total of 30 different adult Lions (most likely different)...over 40 adult Lioness...many sub-adults..about 5 actual hunts..9 attempts...these are a sample of my best Lion pictures....

A pair or a 'coalition' of young Lions we saw one early morning..in fact we heard them roaring very close to our tents that night..i was camping in the middle of the Mara with a photographer friend, Michael. You can make out by their sparse manes that they are yet to fully mature..they were quite tentative and tense as it was not their territory...

One of the young Lions looking back at his partner...i love his auburn colour in the golden glow of the morning sun..

One of the several Lions we saw..this one was walking at a steady pace one early morning..not even pausing to glance at us..notice the high grass one can see at this time of the year...

We came across this Lion on a Topi kill..well hidden in a 'nallah'...i barely managed to get a picture through the thick, thorny bushes...

One of the two beautiful males in another coalition of Lions..we came across several of these male-only coalitions...the biggest one was five in number !

He was looking worried at some Vultures swooping down to their Buffalo kill...

One of the three males in another coalition...notice the spray as he is marking a fallen tree..

His two partners..walking close by...they had a determined walk at a good pace..as if they a distant territory in mind...

Another handsome dark-maned Lion.....

One early morning we came across this big male trying to drag a young Buffalo kill...

He was trying to get a good bite at the Buffalo..this is a full-frame shot..we were really close!!

This Lion is nick-named 'Notch' and is made famous by the BBC film 'Big Cat Diary'

'Notch' is indeed a very handsome, Black-maned Lion..notice the scars on his face..and all over his body..he is a veteran of the Mara Plains..and heads a coalition of five strong male Lions!!

A 'cat nap' in progress..Lions are champion sleepers!

More wildlife from the Bale Mountains !

2010-12-07T03:35:00.000-08:00

The other side of the Sanetti plateau is the Harenna forest..look at these moss and lichen laden trees which are dominated by Juniper and Hagenia species.

The birds you see here are all very special..and almost every bird you see are either 'endemic' or 'near endemic' to the area..in this picture is a Thick-billed Raven.

Chestnut-naped Francolin

The handsome Guereza Colobus monkey (Colobus guereza)..the highland form has much thicker and longer fur.

The Endemic Spot-breasted Plover

The shy and rarely seen Giant Hog ( Hylochoerus meinertzhageni)

Another Endemic - the Blue-winged Goose

Bohor Reedbuck (Redunca redunca)

Another special-the Rouget's Rail

Menelik's Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus)

Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni)..not closely related to the Nyala of Southern Africa..but probably to the Greater Kudu..an antelope which is endemic to Ethiopia.

The guard was most reluctant to take a picture with me!

Ethiopian Wolf !!

2010-12-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Sanetti Plateau of the Bale Mountain National Park (2,200 sq km), which is located in the highlands of Ethiopia. This is the secretive habitat of one of most enigmatic predators in the world-the Ethiopian Wolf !! So secretive and unexplored is this habitat...that the Wolf population of Bale Mountains was first known to science as recently as 1959!!

This is one of the most surreal wildlife habitats i have ever set my foot into...it's beauty and desolateness made my mind go numb...it was as if i was no longer a part of this world...it did not matter anymore if i do not see an Ethiopian Wolf...for which i came on a quest from thousands of miles away...and i only have a day to explore and seek it...

Endless miles of such scenery..notice the Augur Buzzard perched high...the Sanetti Plateau is cited as the world's largest expanse of Afro-alpine moorland, a montane habitat confined to altitudes of 3,500 to 4,500 meters on East Africa's tallest mountains...

And suddenly a Wolf !! I just could not believe my eyes !!

It gave me a quick glance...and scampered away!!

I was so fortunate...to have set me eyes on this rare, mysterious and beautiful animal..a stuff of dreams for any wild lifer...

The Ethiopian Wolf ('Canis simensis'), which was formerly known as the 'Simien fox', is an intriguing animal by itself. DNA analysis suggests that Ethiopian wolves share a recent common ancestry with the Eurasian wolf ('Canis lupus'). In spite of the restricted range (mainly Afro-alpine meadows and moorlands in Ethiopia), small habitat and rodent-catching behaviour of the Ethiopian species, it's specialisation appears to be a relative recent adaptation. These highly endangered (IUCN Status) hunters are entirely dependent on rodents, mainly the Giant mole-rats, which comprise of nearly 40% of their diet. Less than 500 animals are believed to be remain in the Bale mountains, which is their last retreat and even less in the Simien mountains in N.Ethiopia.

Back from an amazing trip !!

2010-09-21T03:59:00.000-07:00

Bale Mountain National Park-Ethiopia

I just got back from a most amazing trip to Masai Mara, where i spent 3 weeks and Ethiopia !!

The highlights were:

1. Camping in the middle of Masai Mara..with Lions calling close by at night and avoiding Hippos in the pre-dawn darkness, while walking to the Loo!

2. Fantastic sightings in the Mara-about 25 different Male Lions, many more Lioness with Cubs, several hunts with one photographed entirely! Superb Cheetah sightings, Black Rhino, Martial Eagle with a kill etc!!

3. Discovering a lovely new country, Ethiopia! And visiting the hauntingly beautiful Bale Mountain NP, where i was extremely fortunate to see the Ethiopian Wolf and also the endemic Mountain Nyala...also many endemic birds.

As soon as i landed, i had to travel to Kanha..where the connectivity is really bad..i managed to upload one picture! You will have to wait for some more days for more!

Masai Mara-here i come!!

2010-08-14T21:39:00.001-07:00

The great plains of Masai Mara beckon me!! The site of the Great Migration-touted as the greatest Wildlife spectacle in the World is on right now!!

I am fortunate enough to spend 3 weeks in the Masai this year!! The first two weeks would be sheer bliss..my host is a veteran wildlife photographer Michael, from S.Africa..he has a private land-cruiser and we camp out in the wild (a campsite on the fringe of the Park)..the whole day we are driving around watching and photographing animals and birds!! Then 12 photographers join me and Kalyan on a photo-safari!

Some photos from my last year's trip..which capture the magic of the great plains!

A male Ostrich in breeding plumage..you can see how open the plains are...

One of my favourite birds in Africa- the incredible Secretary Bird!

A Lioness which just made a kill!

Then i have a side trip to Ethiopia-my first one to that lovely country,where i am trying to explore the Highlands--bye!

I am not sure if i will have the chance to post while i am there!

Monsoon Beauties!

2010-08-08T19:58:00.001-07:00

Come Monsoon and i get very excited to snoop around with only my Macro lens on my camera..i found these beauties on two recent trips to Mudumalai and Nagarahole!

With such vibrant colours, i wonder why Cicadas need to sing for mates!!

Just gaze at this beauty !! A big orangish-red frog seen at Nagarahole! I believe it is a Bi-coloured Frog..any comments?

The ultimate stunner..the tiny Stream Ruby!!

Young Bandhavgarh Cub

2010-08-01T03:24:00.000-07:00

I saw this beautiful Sub-adult Tiger in Bandhavgarh on my last trip in June. He is about a year old..just look at his over-sized paws and that amazing innocence in his eyes..which all young creatures have ! I wonder if We can, as a Nation, live up to his hopes of a secure future?

Kanha male-my last sighting of the season!

2010-07-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

Two weeks before the Park closed for the monsoon, we drove to the Kanha meadow..no guests..just me and my Naturalists. I was praying that i will have one last sighting (i was going away to other Parks in M.P) of my favourite Tiger..the majestic Kanha male!! And we got very lucky!! What a sighting we had!!

After hearing some distant Chital alarm calls..we saw the Tiger deep in the forest cover on the edge of the Kanha meadow. Then we watched him walk in the meadow in broad daylight...from almost a km away..and he walked straight to where we were waiting!! It was a perfectly planned position..plotted by Harsha...i was thrilled to watch his every move from my binoculars..which is such a luxury! I am normally clicking through a camera lens..What a sight he was!! I got goose pimples as he came so close to us...

He gave me one hard stare...and walked right past us..we could reach out and touch him if we wanted!! It was truly one of my most memorable Tiger encounters ever!! I was supremely lucky to end my last season in the Central Indian jungles with such a fantastic sighting of this most charismatic animal on the planet!!

Peeping at my beautiful 'new' world!

2010-07-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

A juvenile Monitor Lizard looking out from it's home, a tree hollow, at the world outside-in Kanha NP!

The next morning i found it a bit bolder!

Indian Pitta

2010-07-12T23:04:00.001-07:00

One of my favourite birds, the Indian Pitta! I simply love their colours and calls!! This picture was taken last summer in Bandhavgarh.

Dholes of Kanha !

2010-06-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dholes are among my top favourite predators in the world ! There are so intelligent, good looking and charismatic...almost always up to some action !

I came across this beautiful pack one summer morning in Mukki. We first saw them sitting on the track..there were 15 of them...with 7-8 sub-adults, which were so cute and shy!!

This Alpha male came up very close to us..stretched it's body and muscles...before setting off for a hunt...

Just look at it's beautiful brick-red coloured coat..with a lot of white...in the lovely early morning light...I did not notice so much white in the Dholes of Nagarahole-Bandipur, which is one good habitat for them.

They set off on a hunt ! In fact, we later saw the adults giving a high-speed chase and corner a Chital Stag...the actual kill we could not see as they moved into an area behind some rocks and bush on the edge of a meadow. Sadly, these amazing predators are getting increasingly rare..Kanha used to have a good population...now we do not see them often.

Tragic Death of a Tigress in Bandhavgarh..

2010-05-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

We lost a beautiful Tigress in Bandhavgarh and the double tragedy is that she has three lovely Cubs, which are about 4-5 months old..so we have effectively lost 4 wild Tigers!! So who is to be blamed for this tragedy and will the real culprits be ever found?!

The Jhurjhura Tigress (also known as Rajbehera Tigress, whose photos and story is in my blog as an earlier entry). These photos were taken by one of our Guests, Dr.Muffi..and could be one of the last of the Cubs in the wild.

Two of her three Cubs..cannot imagine their fate now! As we speak they are being fed by goat meat..but they are certain to end up in a Zoo soon.

I am currently in Bandhavgarh since two weeks and i could gather the following story from various sources; but first the sequence of events on the fateful morning of 19th May, when the Tigress died:

1. A vehicle from a Lodge, driven by one of the most mild-mannered and liked Naturalists in the Park, saw the Tigress at the Jhurjhura waterhole at about 6.10 am..and she charged at them! She looked injured..and the Naturalist promptly reported that to the Park authorities. In fact, i met him and his frightened guests and he told me about the encounter and asked us to avoid that area.

2. The area was promptly closed and the Park authorities went to investigate; they also got charged by the engraged Tigress and driver in his fright or whatever hit the Tigress while reversing the vehicle..the evidence is clear on the ground by a damaged machan and also the vehicle was damaged in several places.

3. When they approached the area again later..they found the Tigress dead.The time was 9.20 am.

What could have happened? Why was the Tigress charging at any vehicle? The post-mortem conducted on her the next morning revealed that the death was caused by injuries sustained 6-7 hours back..that means at around 2-3 am in the wee hours of the morning. No other vehicle can possibly enter the Park but a Forest Department (FD) vehicle. So it is clear that a speeding FD vehicle hit the Tiger and whoever did that hushed up the matter. No wonder the Tigress was aggressive and charging at any vehicle on sight. In fact, this particular Tigress is known for it's extremely non-agressive nature in the whole Park.

As expected, the blame game started..the Park officials caught hold of the last tourists who reported the incident in the first place..they wanted them to implicate the Naturalist-driver..the very man who probably saved their life by showing presence of mind and driving away! The officers intention was clear..they wanted to find a scape-goat! They harrased every other vehicle on that route..summoned them to the Park office in Umaria (30 kms away) repeatedly. But fortunately the Park Director is a upright and a strict officer..he smelt a rat..and on the 25th May ordered the suspension of 3 officers and ordered an independent enquiry. Let's hope the truth will come out.

I cannot believe that when the whole Nation is so worried about the dwindling numbers of this magnificent Big Cat, some officers who are responsible for it's very protection..in one of India's best known Tiger Reserves..can be so callous! We, all the wildlife lovers, have to put immense pressure on the powers-to-be to catch hold of the guilty and give them exemplary punishment. There are rumours that a minister's son was taken inside the Park for a night drive..whatever the truth is and whatever it takes to bring it out..we have to act together and make an example out of this case. The culprits have to charged with the murder of four Tigers...and given the highest possible punishment.

The Forest Department should be forced to pull up it's socks. It is a department, at least at the Park level, with a almost feudal mind-set and works in a way which is not accountable and does fit into to rest of the democratic system. I have observed it closely for nearly 20 years now! For instance, in Kanha, we never see a FD vehicle drive slowly in the Park! They race down at 60-80 kmph and at the same time regularly penalise tourist vehicles which are supposed to be driving at 20 kmph for over-speeding! On several occasions, they 'banned' tourist vehicles without even hearing the other side of any incident..totally against the principles of 'natural justice'. Once, in Pench, i was driving a Range Officer and some researchers..he reprimanded me why i was driving like a 'tourist vehicle'! He meant i was driving too slow!!

I dread to think that we are entrusting them with the protection of our Tigers and Parks!

Another very alarming issue we need to address immediately is about the so called VIP's in the Park. These govt officers make a mockery of the Park rules.Their vehicles do not follow any Park rules of timings, speed and routes. They flout all these rules right in front of the bonafide international and national tourists who have paid full fees and have every right to enjoy the Park. For instance, after the tragic death of the Jhurjhura Tigress, the area where her Cubs were found is prohibited for any regular visitor..in fact, half the Park is closed for them. But the 'VIP' vehicles are merrily going into this area with families in tow, making such a mockery of the great pre-cautions taken by the Park authorities.

These issues only reflect the mind-set of the Forest Department..specially at the ground-level..where all the protection takes place. Can we trust these officers to be committed, self-disciplined and motivated enough to protect our Tigers and wildlife? I doubt it very much...

Let us all get together and mount pressure on the authorities both in Bhopal and Delhi to move swiftly in this case, investigate thoroughly and nail the guilty. They should be given the harshest punishment possible under the Wildlife Protection Act and this should be highlighted as a test case..that the Nation will not tolerate any harm done to it's Tigers. Please write in your comments and i will bring this to the attention of the Chief Wildlife Warden, M.P and other higher officials in Delhi.

Panna birds and a Tigress !

2010-05-20T01:38:00.000-07:00

Panna is an amazing place for watching birds..a well kept secret? For instance, this is one of the few Parks where you get to see 7 species of Vultures!! Four species are resident and are also breeding: Long-billed, White-rumped, Egyptian, Red-headed and both the Griffons-Himalayan and Eurasian plus the Cinereous have been spotted this winter!

The Eurasian Griffon-seen in April.

Young one of a Grey-Headed Fish Eagle in it's nest-on the banks of the pretty Ken River.

Painted Sandgrouse male!

Savanna Nightjar? So well camouflaged!

A beautiful steel-grey Oriental Honey Buzzard.

A Brown Fish Owl-with a fish it just hunted!

And a Tigress in the same pool at Dundhwa Seha-a prominent gorge in Panna ! This photo was taken by my Naturalist-colleague Hada, who managed to see this Tigress (translocated from Bandhavgarh) two weeks before she gave birth to 3 Cubs (May first week) and made National news! Fresh news..she gave birth to 4 Cubs!!

Magic of Bandhavgarh !

2010-05-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

Bandhavgarh is a gem of a Park and despite the heat, the crowds and the unruly behaviour of some people, it still worth a visit! I spent 4 lovely days in this Park recently and was rewarded with some amazing sightings!

View of the surrounding jungle from the Fort, which is sadly ignored by most visitors! We saw very fresh Pug marks of the Dominant male Tiger, B2 on a hot summer afternoon..he had emerged from a deep pool of water, just before our jeep reached there and we could see droplets of water on his tracks...and i could 'feel' his presence!!

I have this strange bond with him..he always makes an appearance for me..and i was so thrilled that in my first drive itself..and that too in the most unlikely place..on top of the Fort, i saw his fresh Tracks!!

The 'new male' seen in Chakradhara meadow..the heart of B2's territory! He is B2's son and is about six years old and in prime condition! He is called, 'Bamera male' and is challenging B2 for his territory!!

He paused to scratch himself..with his tongue sticking out, he made a funny sight!

A young Tigress at Rajbehera..she is about 3 years old..and shares her mother's territory.

As we were watching the young female, her mother walked into the Rajbehera meadow!

She was obviously keen on a hunt and began to stalk some Chital and a few Sambar grazing not very far away !

She is so graceful and lithe in her movements..she has a new litter of 3 four-month old Cubs.

Checking out the position of the potential prey!

Spot the Tigress !!

She was within 20 meters of the unsuspecting Deer! We had to leave unfortunately..as it was time..but i was sure, she made a kill after the light failed and gave her the advantage of darkness..

A beautiful Egyptian Vulture in flight...

The Mirchaini Cubs in action! The female made a dash across the small meadow! Their mother must have gone on a hunt..and they were shy and tentative..about 8-9 months old?

The male Cub was much bolder as he walked in the open...

The third Cub..another female...

A curious new-born infant..peering from the security of her mother's lap...at the strange new world! I am not sure if it knows that it is destined to have a lot of fun as a Langur! I always envy their fun-filled and carefree life in the jungle-there's never a dull moment!

Spring is in the air !

2010-04-23T04:46:00.000-07:00

The Mahua trees add much colour and buzz to Kanha. The flowers attract many animals like these Chital, which find them nutritious and tasty?

Spring or late winter is also when nectar gathering by the Rock Bees is at it's peak..evident by this cluster of honey combs on this beautiful Red Silk Cotton tree, just outside Mukki gate. Why these Bees prefer specific trees nobody knows ?!

One of the most striking raptors, the Changeable Hawk Eagle..this one had such a prominent crest!

I managed to get this shot of him taking to flight..and the one below immediately after! Sometimes one gets lucky with such shots!

The beautiful Short Eared Owl! A winter visitor to Kanha..notice it's typical habitat..open grasslands..i saw it on Bamhni Dadar..the highest point of Kanha..an amazing spot for birding and sheer scenery!

Wild Boar Sows nursing young 'stripers'..a scene rarely witnessed!

An inquisitive Wild Boar staring at me..they are so well endowed in winters!

The striking Black Shouldered Kite hovering over the grasslands looking for prey!

I really like to observe interesting animal behaviour..and sometimes get lucky to capture it on camera! In this shot a Jungle Cat is dashing for cover!

Hotly pursued by a Pea-hen! Tables turned ?!!

Beautiful evening sky viewed from Bamhni Dadar.

Kanha in Winter!!

2010-04-08T07:35:00.001-07:00

Spring is already in Kanha..but i thought i should begin with a few of my select pictures taken in Kanha this winter. You can double click on these pictures to get an enlarged view.

A Handsome Barasingha Stag...my favourite Deer

One beautiful winter morning in Kanha..i love to observe these delicate shafts of light..

Barasingha females..walking into the lovely Sondhar meadow; one of the best places in Kanha to see these elegant Deer

A herd of Sambar, which got chased into the Bishanpura waterhole by a pack of Dhole..

Whistling Teal or Tree Ducks

The rare Brown Wood Owl-so aptly named, as we can only find it in thickly wooded cover.

Roosting Brown Dusk Hawk Dragonflies (Zyxomma petiolatum)

A very special winter beauty-the Black Giant Wood Spider (Nephila kuhlii)

A curious 15 month old juvenile Tiger in Mukki!

A Barasingha Stag

Changeable Hawk Eagle feeding on a Coucal..which it had hunted in front of my eyes!

Common Stone Chat..a winter visitor to Kanha

Common Giant Wood Spider..preying on a Asiatic Blood-tail Dragonfly

Juvenile Peacock trying out it's skills!

Impressive Sambar Stag in it's best breeding condition

Am Back in cyber-space!

2010-04-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hi..i was out of circulation for long now! A conspiracy of factors like a new personal computer (i fell for Kalyan's seduction to buy an Apple and took ages to get used to it!), ennui and not knowing where to begin again, kept me away! But there's one little chap who kept asking me to get back to my blog..Sujay! He missed it the most! I am back Sujay!!

He's got his own blog and it's amazing! Check it out: www.sujaychampati.blogspot.com

Graceful movement in the tall trees !

2009-10-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

Orangutans are the largest living arboreal animals and weigh between 45 kg to 110 kg! But their movement in the tall trees of the rain-forest is so unique and graceful! Because of their weight and size, they do not leap like Langurs or swing like Gibbons. Instead they move slowly by grasping the next branch with their long forearms and sometimes bending the branch to reach out. But at times they can move surprisingly fast ! In these series of pictures i could capture the movement of a wild mother.. and how she helps her young one to move..specially when the gap between trees is too much for the latter.

In this picture, the mother is lending a helping hand to it's 5 year old young one.

You can see how she is actually forming a bridge between the gap..so that her young one can use her back to cross over!

The young Orangutan is on her mother's back!

The baby has crossed to the other side!

What an amazing behaiviour! You can imagine, the fate of these graceful creatures as their habitat is constantly being destroyed by logging...even a gap in the canopy is so detrimental to them.

Notice how the young one is hanging by it's long forearms and using it's hind legs to grip the branch tightly!

The incredible Orangutans of Borneo !!

2009-09-25T21:02:00.000-07:00

Imagine this...i was walking on the very narrow path in the rainforest of Tanjing Puting National Park in Borneo..just getting a feel of the jungle..on my first day..and i suddenly come across this incredible creature in front of me!! A beautiful Orangutan..standing up-right and gazing at me curiously !! This is my first sighting of an Orangutan ( 'Pongo pygmaeus') in it's own habitat!!

He then started to walk directly towards me !! Notice how he is walking using his fists! I started to take pictures non-stop..and my guide tapped me on the shoulder and gently asked to get off the path !!

As i went into a side path..he simply came and sat down in front of me..only about 25-30 feet away!! My guide just told me to keep crouching down. He whispered in my ears, 'Uranus'!

Uranus is one of the big males of the area..and he was a dominant male not long ago..

He was so relaxed and gave me so many poses...notice his cheek-pads...i was too thrilled and excited to even breathe!!

He groomed himself non-nonchalantly...just observe his amazingly long feet which are so human-like!!
They are actually like our hands with long fingers...which enable Orangutans to grasp branches of trees as they move along gracefully among them.

I was mesmerised by his expressions and his mere presence..so up-close and intimate!

After a good ten minutes he decided to walk away..and he seems to wave me good-bye!!
He has such beautiful and luxuriant hair..and the ochre colour is so striking!

Uranus gave me one final look..as he sat on the same path i had walked just a few minutes back! Just look at his rain-forest habitat!!
I was so moved by such a sudden and close encounter with one of the great apes of our world that i just sat there breathless!!

The Great Serengeti Wilderness !!

2009-08-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

We spent an amazing ten days in the vast wilderness of the great Serengeti, staying in 3 beautiful andbeyond camps. Some of the wildlife highlights:

A stunning African sunset!

A Lioness with 2 lovely Cubs..she just spotted a possible prey..

She began to stalk !!

She went like a bullet..and had this Zebra in her jaws in a flash! The young male of her pride joined her to bring it down..the Zebra was killed only after 5-7 minutes, after i took this picture!

A Leopard on a tree with her young cub! A rare sighting in Serengeti!!

Cheetah cubs!!

Following their mother to safety!

The rarely sighted Verraux's Eagle Owl !! Largest of the African Owls!

Mountain Gorillas of the Virungas !!

2009-08-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Rwanda and Tanzania!! The encounter with the Mountain Gorillas of the Virungas, in Rwanda, will rank as one of my most exhilarating and memorable wildlife experiences of my Life !!

This is just a short peep into my experience..with a few pictures...as i have such little time for embarking on my next adventure..this time to another dream Nature destination: Sumatra and Borneo!! Yeah..i am blessed this year..as far as travel is concerned!!

The Park HQ of the Valcanoes National Park, near Ruhengeri,Rwanda.

Our trek to track down the Gorillas started from here..on 1st August..7am.

Francoise..the Silverback of all Guides in the Valcanoes Park!! He made all the difference to our trip..a fantastic Guide and an amazingly charismatic personality!! He has worked with Dian Fossey in the past and has 28 years of experience!! I am a firm believer that it is ultimatley the people (read Guides) who make the difference to your wildlife experience..wherever in the world..and i have been always lucky with getting great Guides!! Inshallah!!

A close-up of one of the young males or a Blackback!! We were tracking the Sabinyo group of nine Gorillas..which has among them the largest Silverback in the Virungas!!

One of the young females..in the bamboo thicket..the light was a big challenge for photography!!

Sacola..the nine-month old baby!! It was amazing to see her and also learn about the the many young ones born every year in the Virungas!! Gives us some hope of the future of these amazing animals!

Sacola's mother! Fortunately the whole group moved to an open area to feed! But by then we ran out of our alloted one hour time!

Guhonda himself!! He weighs about 230 kgs and is over 38 years old..the biggest Silverback in the world!! It was a truly humbling experience to watch him..he was an epitome of Dignity mixed with subtle and quiet arrogance!! We had a very close and an intimate encounter with these gentle beasts..at one time they passed within five feet of us!!

Bye Kanha--Rwanda,here i come!!

2009-07-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

Bye, Kanha male!!
Kanha is now closed for the monsoon..and after spending three weeks in the Refresher Training, i am now on my way to Rwanda to see the Mountain Gorillas..a life-long dream!! After Rwanda, i have a trip to Tanzania..Serengeti etc!

The Tigers of Bandhavgarh !

2009-06-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

The Chakradhara Female

I spent a few amazing days in Bandhavgarh in the last week of May. There were Tigers visible everywhere and the Park was really beautiful..awaiting the monsoon rains. I was very lucky to see many of my favourite Tigers..the Chakradhara female, which is the 'first lady' of the Park, was lying in the Chakradhara meadow, one hot afternoon. She took a passing interest in a Wild Boar nearby and looked up at us for a moment, before going back to her nap. I was so happy to catch a glimpse of this amazing Tigress whose progeny has made Bandhavgarh what it is today..famous world-over for it's Tigers. She had five litters so far and is about 13 years old. She has 3 nine month old Cubs now.

The Chorbehera Tigress

This is a daughter of the Chakradhara Tigress from her third litter and her territory is the first one you will encounter when you get into the Park. It is a small but a beautiful space stacked with prey and the perennial Charanganga flowing through it. The low hills with their rocky outcrops on both sides in the Jamunia area is one of the most dramatic entrances to any Park in India and my favourite! Each time i drive through this patch of dense forest, i get goose-bumps!

The Jhurjhura Tigress with her family.

This Tigress is the sister of Chorbehera and has three beautiful juveniles..one male and two females, which are extremely play full and are frequently seen in summer, playing and cooling off in the Rajbehera pond. The two females are quite relaxed in front of vehicles packed with excited tourists, but the their brother is a bit nervous and likes to stay away from people..

The nervous Jhurjhura male !

He is a very shy Tiger and tends to keep away from the crowds..and usually growls like this to make his dis-pleasure clear..before bounding away in relief!

The female juvenile trying to stalk Chital...

The Panpatha Cubs !
I was also very lucky to view the three 4-5 month old Cubs in the Panpatha area of Bandhavgarh, which is a new area open for tourism..away from the main tourism zone of Tala. The mother of these Cubs is one of the females from Chakradhara's earlier litter. We also caught a glimpse of her resting in a nallah. This area is one of the dispersal options for the Tigers in Bandhavgarh but is fraught with dangers..as it is adjoining many villages and the Tigers frequently run into confrontation with humans..in fact, this Tigress is accused of killing a cowherd, who strayed too close to her Cubs recently...

The Dominant Male-B2 !
Every time i go to Bandhavgarh, i yearn to see him! The charismatic B2 ! I really feel i have some strange bond with him...since the very first time i came to this Park, almost four years back, he has been bestowing me with some very special 'darshan' of himself..the true King of these jungles! He is over 12 years old now..and he has been the Dominant Tiger of Bandhavgarh for more than nine years now! Yes, he is slowly losing ground to a new male from the South, nick-named Bokha, as one of his canines is missing..but he still has the swagger of a King in his step!
One beautiful morning, i came across B2 lying in the grass near Chakradhara meadow..after 5 odd minutes, almost as if he sensed my presence, he looked up..straight into my eyes!!

B2 eating some grass !
He then eat some grass..actually quite a bit..before going back to his slumber!

The Dominant male in South-Bokha!
I even caught a glimpse of this beautiful male Tiger, who is trying to take over B2's territory. He was seen in the company of the Jhurjhura Tigress and her juvenile Cubs..probably trying to court her again..these are his Cubs from a previous litter.

The New male in Bamera (Panpatha) !

This is a big male Tiger, who is the father of the Panpatha Cubs (in a previous picture), who is the Dominant Tiger in waiting..i feel that he and Bokha will fight over B2's territory, once B2 loses his dominance..who will be the new King of Bandhavgarh?!

Rhesus Macaques in a play full mood!

One of the reasons why Bandhavgrah is so productive in terms of it's meadows and the high Prey densities it supports is the many perennial springs which flow as streams in the Park..these Macaques were at play in Charanganga, the main stream and the life-line of Bandhavgarh. They were actually jumping into the stream from a low tree and playing like a bunch of urchins!

The Vanvai Tigress with Cubs...

Bandhavgarh's success story as a stupendous Tiger habitat rests mainly on these breeding Tigresses, who have managed to raise their Cubs against all odds..like this one in a picture taken by me in January 2009. She is the Vanvai Tigress, who has successfully raised three Cubs. Alas, she is no more now...she was found dead under mysterious circumstances on May 5th 2009. Her territory is on the Eastern boundary of the Park and has the most chances of running into trouble with human populations in the area, who are not known to be very friendly to wildlife. Her Cubs are about 18 months old now and the good news is that they have somehow learnt to hunt and are managing to survive on their own so far...one morning we saw their fresh pug marks..and somebody else actually saw two of them...looking healthy...

Bandhavgarh..like most Parks in our crowded landscape teeming with people, is merely an island habitat for Tigers. Unless, we do something drastic both in the short-term and in the long-term, we will lose such productive Tiger populations (also known as 'source populations') forever..

In the short-term, we need to deal with the human populations living on the periphery of the Park..win them over by addressing their existential, every day needs like alternative economic opportunities and grazing areas. One such economic opportunity is tourism..the farms along the Park boundary can have home-stays with machans, which visitors can use at night! The locals should be proud of their Tigers..and should realise that they have a stake in protecting them for the long term..simply put, a live Tiger earning tourism money should be seen as more worthy than a dead one. Something like in Rumbak valley, where i went to see the Snow Leopard..the locals now look at the Snow Leopards as assets..and protect them, as they are bringing them badly needed revenues through Tourism.

What we also desperately need, for these things to happen are highly committed Park managers backed up with visionary leaders. The mangers, among other things, need fixed terms for about five years.. and not get shifted out within a year..like it happened in some Parks of M.P recently. How can they even think of winning over local communities and do so many other things to protect the Tigers, if they are not sure of their jobs? And one of the depressing things is that the officer who comes in, has his own ideas and dis-continues the initiatives taken by his predecessor, even if they are good!

The long-term measures which will secure the future of Tigers in Bandhavgarh include restoring it's connectivity with Parks like Sanjay and adjoining forests to it's North-west and maybe even with the Kanha-Pench landscape in the South, which is much more challenging, as one has to link up degraded, patchy forests.

Do we, as a Nation, have the desire, vision, commitment and the guts to save our Tigers?? Or are we mere by-standers..watching these amazing animals slowly disappear into the oblivion...while as a species, we keep chomping up their habitat and of all other wildlife. We humans are such an arrogant and a selfish species...i really feel depressed that i am one of them..

Handsome Chital Stags in display!

2009-06-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Chital Stags in Kanha are in their best breeding condition and you can hear their bizarre rutting calls resonating throughout the forest. The herds are now large congregations of up to 300 Chitals! The Stags look really handsome in their dark coats, peak body condition and hard antlers. They are busy challenging each other before chasing the receptive Females to get a chance to mate with them. This Stag in the first picture decided to intimidate his rival by raking up the Sal leaf litter with his antlers! In the second picture he is giving a 'strutting display' by making his body stiff and walking by his rival in slow motion ! It's amazing to watch interesting behaviour of these beautiful Deer, which are often neglected as there are so common!

Shikra and the Serpent Eagle!

2009-06-02T03:20:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Bandhavgarh after a few beautiful days in this amazing Park. One evening, my Naturalist team decided to show me a new area of Panpatha Wildlife Sanctauary. As soon as we arrived there was action! This Shikra had impaled a White Throated Kingfisher in a nullah and the Kingfisher was calling in distress. The calls attracted a Crested Serpent Eagle, which came to perch about 2o feet away on a low tree. Maybe the Shikra got nervous and it let go it's possible prey, which flew away and perched on a fallen log about 20 metres away to recover. But the Eagle immediately pursued it and struck it with such impact that it was killed instantly!!

In the picture below, you can see the Kingfisher impaled on the talons of this amazing Eagle, as it flew away to a secluded spot to feed. I could not manage these grainy pictures..as the action happened too quickly!

Kanha Tigress with her Cub!

2009-05-30T03:04:00.001-07:00

This shy Tigress in Kanha, known as the Saath number female (named after road no.7, which are basically forest sections), is rarely seen with her young Cub. The Cub is about 4 months old and you can see how tentative and shy it is in this picture..rubbing against it's mother and constantly seeking her security. This Tigress originally had two Cubs but lost one due to some unknown cause.
I have great admiration for Tigresses, who have to bring up their Cubs single-handedly, against all odds including marauding males...which is the biggest threat to their young Cubs.

Two Shy Sloth Bears!

2009-05-30T02:51:00.000-07:00

We were exploring the Kanha meadow area one morning and for avoiding the crowd we went the opposite way and i thought i spotted some Wild Boar..with a cookie in my mouth i shouted Sloth Bear, when i discovered my folly! The Bear turned out to be two! It was a Mother and a Sub-adult! Fortunately, there were only 2 other vehicles on the sighting and we allowed them enough space to cross the road just ahead of us! In these series of photos, just notice how shy the Bears are and how the mother checked the road before she led her Cub cautiously away from human presence!

Orchids in Bloom!

2009-05-28T02:49:00.001-07:00

The Chequered Vanda

Every summer the Vanda Orchid makes it's appearance in Kanha. This beautiful Orchid prefers the Sal trees to cling on to and we have seen the first Vandas in bloom, last week.

Kanha Male and the Gaur kill.

2009-05-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

As i was travelling, i had asked Payal, my team-mate to keep a tab on the Gaur kill and the male's presence. It was observed that the Tiger kept feeding steadily on the kill and hung around for six days, close to it and defended it even from Crows! Only on Day 7, he abandoned the kill and was seen 3 kms away from it. On Day 10 he decided to pay another visit and by this time the kill was fed upon by scavengers and only the head was still at the spot.

These are two pictures i took of the same Tiger a few weeks back. I just cannot stop admiring his sheer symmetry and raw beauty!

TIGER, tiger, burning bright In the forests of the night, What immortal hand or eye Could frame thy fearful symmetry? (William Blake)

High Drama in the Kanha meadow!

2009-05-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Dominant male on his Gaur kill!

The Dominant male Tiger of the Kanha meadows made an amazing kill of a big bull Gaur, in the open grassland near Schaller-hide, on the morning of 5th May 2009. This Tiger is an impressive male and not yet in his prime as he is only about 3.5 years old! The drama of the kill is an incredible story, which i could re-construct after speaking to the the elephant mahouts and a senior Park Guide, who was a witness to the event. The Tiger noticed the solitary bull Gaur grazing in some tall grasses next to a nullah and stalked it for less than 2 minutes before leaping on to it's back! He started to bite the Gaur on it's back (the bite marks are clearly visible in the picture above), while simultaneously using his hind-claws to hamstring the hind legs! The Gaur collapsed in no time, throwing the Tiger to the ground. The Tiger immediately attacked it from the rear and started to feed on the hind-quarters, even as the Gaur was alive! The Gaur bellowed it's death-cry but did not die completely for about 2 hours, as the Tiger kept feeding!

When i got to the scene the next morning, by elephant-back, the Tiger had eaten a large portion of the thighs and the rump (the Gaur would have weighed about 600-700 kgs!) and was lying in the grasses nearby. He was not even allowing a Crow on the kill, expending much energy by charging at the Crows each time they were trying to sneak in! What an amazing sight, this supreme predator presented! Just imagine the strength and the skill required to bring down such a big prey like this Gaur bull! Some of my S.African Ranger friends argue with me about the comparative strength and skill of the Tiger and the Lion..this should settle that argument guys! There is no doubt that the Tiger is indeed the most supreme predator on this planet!

This Tiger would now gain so much confidence that he would go after the numerous Gaur bulls one can see feeding in the Kanha meadows. Their solitary nature would be big advantage for him! Just look at those canines! He is indeed one of the most impressive and handsome Tigers i have seen in a long time!

Lapwings in action !

2009-05-04T23:39:00.000-07:00

Lapwings are such good indicators of presence of predators, since they are ground-nesting birds and also because they are bold and noisy in the defence of their eggs or chicks. In this incident, we came across a couple of Red-wattled Lapwings making a lot of noise at Nakti Ghati, which is a waterhole and a hotspot for wildlife in the summer heat. On closer observation, i saw a Crested Serpent Eagle behind a rock and feeding on something..which looked like a chick. The Lapwings were launching repeated attacks on the Eagle ( was it their chick?) and sometimes actually making contact! Finally, the Eagle gave up (am not sure if it finished with the chick) and flew away! I always admired the attitude of Lapwings and learnt to never ignore their distress calls.

'Gaur' Egrets!

2009-05-02T04:18:00.000-07:00

Cattle Egrets move into Kanha in summer season in big numbers. They are in their breeding plumage and look so beautiful! They take advantage of the wild animals like Gaur, Chital and Sambar, which are now browsing in the forest and as they walk in the rich leaf litter (mostly Sal leaves), they disturb thousands of insects, which the Egrets gobble up eagerly! Rest of the season, these Egrets are happy to be in the fields and countryside ,where the domestic cattle and other animals do this job for them. Amazing, how these birds are smart enough to make such seasonal movements to take advantage of the availability of food.

A Bold Peacock !

2009-05-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

My luck with Cats continued after my Snow Leopard encounter! Back in Kanha, i saw this amazing sight of a bold Peacock walking right upto 20 feet of a big male Leopard drinking water! This happened at Umar Jhola waterhole, one hot afternoon. We first heard alarm calls of Langurs and Rhesus Macaque..after 2 minutes a big male Leopard walked out into the open and started to drink water. Then a Sambar called from a distance..the Leopard looked up very nervously and suddenly scrambled on to the nearby bund to hide in the tall grass! We expected a Tiger to walk up any moment! The Leopard waited for 15 long minutes before approaching the water again..this time he drank for a long time. Then this Peacock walked up..and came quite close to the Leopard, which went on drinking water and ignoring the intruder! This is an interesting behaviour as Peacocks are potential prey to Leopards..this one surely had some attitude!

After Schan Euphoria!

2009-04-25T01:56:00.000-07:00

I was literally bouncing as i walked back to Rumbak. Still unable to believe that i actually saw a

Snow Leopard in the wild!! That too out in the open, on the snow for such a long time! I know

about many people who have come back without even a glimpse of one..after trying very hard.. and a few who, after many trips or after weeks of hard walking, having caught a fleeting glimpse of one, disappearing into rocky terrain. And i saw my Snow Leopard

on my third day in Hemis !! This cannot get any better! I felt so blessed!! All the overwhelming

wishes by well-meaning friends and family brought me such luck!!

Rumbak Village

Such a pretty village of only nine households and such simple and wonderful human beings !! I stayed in one of the houses with the 'Goba' family and will always remember their simplicity and warm hospitality!

Praying at the Rumbak Gompa!

I had prayed at every available Latho (small Buddhist shrine) or Gompa ( a Tibetan temple) to see the Snow Leopard! (like as kids we used to pray only during exams!). This Gompa at Rumbak was special and i went there straight after the sighting to offer my thanksgiving prayer!

Tsering Dorje with his sheep at his house!

Just watch how his Sheep love him!! They mobbed him for something in his hands and afterwards he took us inside his house for a drink of Chang to celebrate the Schan sighting!

Latho at Rumbak displaying Bharal heads.

Dolma, my hostess with her cute son Stanzin Namgyal!

My Homestay
I had a small room for myself and Namgyal. It was basic but comfortable. It can get quite cold at nights (-10 to -15 C!), though there was a 'Thap', a firewood heater, which keeps going for an hour or so after you settle down in your sleeping bag! We had all our meals in the family kitchen. The atmosphere was warm and the meals were hot and delicious. These homestays are organised by an NGO, Himalayan Homestays, who have managed to convince the locals of Hemis N.P to protect the Snow Leopard, so that visitors from all over the world will come to see it and they in turn will get income from homestays and other services offered to these eco-tourists. This has been a successful programme, demonstrating a clear and a positive link between wildlife conservation,communities and eco-tourism. I was so happy to experience this first-hand. Do visit their website: http://www.himalayan-homestays.com/ for more of this inspiring conservation story.

Another view of the beautiful Indus, on my way back.

A lady from Zanskar selling apricots etc in Leh.
I got back to Leh after spending one more day in Hemis. I considered going to the Sham area, where Himalayan Homestays have another circuit, but the 5000m+ altitude and continued snowfall discouraged me and i decided to return home to Bangalore. I spend a whole day exploring Leh town and meeting friends at the Snow Leopard Conservancy, who had organised my entire trip. They were thrilled that i saw my Snow Leopard. I committed to contribute to their Training programme of Local Guides, as a token of my support for the good work they have been doing for the conservation of the Himalayan wildlife involving the local commuinities.
This lady from Zanskar was seling apricots and walnuts from her area and i bought some from her..notice her classic Aryan build and looks!

School-girls spinning prayer wheels in Leh.

Flight back over the mighty Himalayas!
I returned from Ladakh enchanted by the magic of the land and it's people. And of course, Blessed and mesmerised by the Snow Leopard!! I am already planning a trip back to Ladakh in 2010 (July-August). It will be a three-week expedetion, with the first week exploring the Snow Leopard habitat in the Sham Valley area with Himalayan Homestays. The second week will be exploring the Tso Moriri area, an high altitude lake on the Tibetan border, for wildlife like Kiangs, Tibetan Wild Dogs etc. The third week will be to climb the peak of Lungser Kangri,which is a magical 6666 metres high!! Our Guide will, of course, be Tsering Namgyal!! He is from this area and is basically a mountain guide. Like-minded friends are welcome to join! I will be announcing the actual dates and some more details a year in advance..watch this space..there are limited spaces !!
I love this 8th century Tibetan poem:

This center of Heaven
This core of the Earth
This heart of the World
Fenced around with Snow
The headland of all Rivers
Where mountains are High and
The land is Pure.

Sighting of the Snow Leopard!!!

2009-04-24T02:38:00.000-07:00

Trailing the Rumbak shepherds

It was the morning of 9th March 2009. It was such a beautiful Hemis day. Overnight, there was a lot of snowfall. Namgyal and i had decided that the strategy for the day would be to follow the shepherds of Rumbak village... as at times the Snow Leopards are known to be attracted by the presence of domestic Sheep and Goats. The Ladhaki people have a strong sense of community and follow a simple system of sharing work by which all the Sheep of the village are taken for

grazing everday only by two persons of the village by rotation..instead of individuals taking out their own Sheep. This automatically gives people free time to take up other work and gives the every individual a sense of responsibility for the whole community. It really saddens me that we in the urban landscapes have forgotten such simple ideas which re-inforces the fact that man is after all a 'social being'.

Walking in the Snow-covered terrain

It was an amazing experience for me to walk in the snow..i slipped and fell many times on 'hard ice' and it was tough going but great fun! We walked along talking to the two shepherds amidst bleating Ladhaki Sheep and Goats..the talkative of the two was Dorje, who retired from the Indo-Tibetan Border Force and is a Black-belt in Karate etc. We soon left the shepherds and got into a narrow valley called 'Tsatlung' to explore the habitat furthur on our own.

Scanning the rugged montains
Namgyal and i settled down with the scope after a while to scan the vast and desolate terrain. As i braced against the chilly winds and gazed at the towering mountains surrounding us, it struck me how impossible it is to look for a small animal like the Snow Leopard in such a vast landscape!
Namgyal spotted a herd of 5-6 Bharal on a distant slope..struggling to find food by digging up the snow! Even through my Binocs, the Bharal looked like Ants!! Without them, they are like tiny specs on the mountain and a non-naturalist can never find them! I spotted my own Bharal with my naked eyes and Namgyal was very impressed!

Bharal or Blue Sheep!
Bharal are hardy mountain ungulates and biologists are confused whether they are true Goats or Sheep. They are the most abundant prey species found on the rugged Himalayan ranges and the primary prey for the Snow Leopards. These females are the only ones i could see close enough to photograph with my 400mm lens! (photographed on another day!).

Golden Eagles !!
Apart from the Snow Leopard i was really hoping to see these amazing raptors of the high Himalayas, the Golden Eagles! I caught my first glimpse of these two sub-adults soaring grace-
fully in the air in circles!! These magnificent birds are the largest resident Eagles we have in the
Indian sub-continent and are such a treat to watch them in flight!

After an hour or so of scanning, we decided to re-trace our steps through the Tsatlung valley and resume our search in the main valley. As we walked back, we ran into Dorje and his companion. Dorje asked for Namgyal's binoculars to scan a slope for what he thought were fresh Snow
Leopard tracks..meanwhile, i put my back-pack down and started to take some pictures.
Dorje returned the binocs to Namgyal and after 5 minutes asked Namgyal to check a suspicious
'stone' on the ridge, which was looking like a 'Schan'...in seconds both shouted in unison,
'Schan,Schan'!!

The Grey Ghost of the Snows, the Snow Leopard!!!
I dived to get my binoculars and i just could not believe what i saw through them!! Here is a
Snow Leopard looking down at me..with it's deep, reddish eyes!! It was sitting like a Sphinx!!
I was actually seeing a Snow Leopard in the Wild!! I rubbed my eyes and pinched myself several times..and the tears in my eyes did not help one bit!! A Snow Leopard for heaven's sake!! I did not know what to do..should i get my big lens out? If i waste valuable time in doing that..this mythical creature may vanish! Meanwhile, Namgyal set up the scope quickly.And when i saw the beast through the scope, i almost fainted at it's sheer beauty and presence!
I somehow summoned courage to ferret out my lens;fix it to my camera and take these pictures.
The Schan actually sat there in the same position (the distance would have been at least 300-400 metres!) and kept looking down at us..sometimes in the direction of the distant herd of Bharal..it twitched it's forelegs..swung it's impossibly long,furry tail twice...shook it's head a few times and even yawned once!! It's the real animal, you clown!!
I clicked only a few pictures and mostly saw it through the spotting scope. It sat and sat..for a
good twenty minutes !! And finally, it vanished quickly over the ridge..after holding it's tail up-
wards, tantalizingly for a few seconds!! Gone!! Did i actually see a Snow Leopard or was it an
illusion?!

Searching in vain for a second glimpse!
After getting back my normal breathing and a quick thank you+high fives, Namgyal and me walked as fast as we could to the main valley to try and catch another glimpse of the world's most elusive Wild Cat..as we were hoping it would walk up along the ridge to the far side. We panted and struggled our way there in about half-an-hour(in normal elevation it would have taken 5 minutes of running!). We scanned through our scope intently..a couple of Red-billed choughs flying over the rocks gave us hope..but it was'nt to be...the Cat decided to be elusive...!!

Celebrating with Ladhaki chai!
We again ran into Dorje and his companion..and we joined them at their modest fire..and drank
some Ladhaki chai to celebrate the amazing sighting of the Schan!! Dorje is the man who made
this dream come true for me!! I hugged him..but had to politely decline his offer of drinking
some 'Chang' (local liquor) with him! I had to walk back to Rumbak! But i promised him that i will join him for a drink at his home later in the evening!

Snow Leopard Habitat !!

2009-04-06T23:59:00.000-07:00

Snow Leopard Country

What struck me, as i started to walk in Hemis, was the vastness and the bleakness of the Habitat! The animals which survive here have to be so tough and hardy..with hardly any vegetation or foddor to feed on..especially in winter! And then you have the Schan (pronounced 'Shaan'), the Ladhaki name for Snow Leopard, which survives in such high, steep and challenging habitat! How does this beautiful and most elusive Cat in the world manage to survive here?!

Some more pictures of the bleak but stunning habitat!

Signs of a recent kill!
Namgyal, my Guide and friend for the expedetion, showed me this remains of a male Bharal, which was killed by a Schan about three weeks back (another guide saw the Schan on this kill!). The horns were heavy and must have weighed close to 10 kilos! I wondered, how the Bharal manages to carry such heavy horns on it's head in such steep terrain..especially when a Schan is pursuing it and it's fleeing for it's life?!

Signs of scent-marks on a rock!
I was so excited at every sign Namgyal showed me! This signs of spray must have been quite old..but the marks were still so clear on the rock!

Namgyal pointing out an old Scrap mark of a Schan!

Snow Leopard Tracks!!

I was so thrilled to see the Pug marks of the Snow Leopard in snow!! This was my dream for many years!! They were about a week to ten days old..according to Namgyal..in fact, this itself is a big bonus to see in Hemis!

Touching the Tracks!!

Leh and getting to Hemis N.P

2009-04-01T02:04:00.000-07:00

View of the stunning Himalayas from the window of the Airbus to Leh

When i looked out from the window on the flight from Delhi to Leh, i was mesmerised by the stunning views of the Himalayan peaks ! These peaks are completely covered in snow and are towering at some 25,000 feet and the aircraft seems to be just skimming over them! It was a sea of the great mountains..as far as your eyes can see. I was told that it will be a great view and to insist on a window seat..but i was just not prepared to look at something so awe-inspiring!!

The Indus Valley

Soon we were flying over the broad Indus Valley, where the capital of Ladakh, Leh is located. The huge Airbus had to bank sharply to align itself with the runway and it landed without much fuss..Leh is one of the highest airports in the world at 3,500 mts and also a very challenging one for pilots to land and take-off, as it is surrounded by high peaks all around.

The Beautiful Indus River
After two days of acclimatisation in Leh, i took a taxi which drove me across the Indus river...to drop me at the entrance to the Hemis National Park, from wherei was on foot for the next few days..exploring the truly unique habitat.

The road disappearing into a un-known Kingdom!
My favourite picture which shows the the last stretch of the road which took me to Hemis..i felt as if i am going to a mystical land..a land of mythical animals and creatures...which turned out to be so true!

At a modest board announcing the Hemis N.P
One of my dreams is to visit all the National Parks and WL Sanctuaries in India..with Hemis under my belt, i have a good feeling of being to all the prominent ones in India..right from Namdapha in the extreme East to Desert N.P in the extreme West..and many other amazing Parks in the rest of our amazing country. Hemis High Altitude N.P is spread over 3,350 sq.kms and is India's only N.P located north of the main Himalayan Mountain Range.

Hemis National Park-Ladakh

2009-03-18T10:46:00.001-07:00

Hemis National Park-such stunning landscape!
I just got back from an amazing once-in-a-lifetime-experience from Ladakh !! Wait to hear more shortly!!

Bishanpura Tigress!

2009-02-23T23:32:00.001-08:00

At the heart of a healthy Tiger population are breeding Tigresses. This beautiful Tigress from the Bishanpura area of Mukki is a mother of three 10-month old Cubs now. She is quite big in size and this is her fourth known litter. We saw her from elephant-back this morning and she sat in the bush staring and occasionally growling at us. Notice her missing lower canine. She is indeed a very impressive looking animal and i was happy i went on elephant-back to have her 'darshan', which i usually avoid. There was a dead Langur not very far from her, totally intact. Maybe she hunted it for her Cubs?

Sloth Bear at last !!

2009-02-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

After almost three years and countless safari drives in the jungles of Central India..i see my Sloth Bear ('Melursus ursinus') today morning in Kanha!! And what an un-expected sighting it was!! I just showed my Guests, Jill and Pearse..a great couple from California very interested in everything the Jungle has to offer, some fresh Sloth Bear droppings and as i drove off..there was this Sloth Bear about 25 meters ahead of us and sniffing at a Sal Tree..i just froze..could'nt believe my eyes..i could'nt even utter a word for 10 secs or so..and then shouted, 'Look, Sloth Bear!'. The Bear did not even notice us before venturing back into the Sal forest casually! The time was 9.35 am..such an un-likely time to see a Bear!! What an exhilarating encounter with one of my top favourite animals in the Indian Jungles!! And i managed to get this quick shot of it!

King with Crows

2009-02-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

I saw this handsome Red Headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) or the Asian King Vulture..an un-common sighting these days elsewhere..in Kanha the other day, being mobbed by 5 to 6 Jungle or Large-billed Crows. The Vulture was agressively defending itself and refused to give up it's shady perch,which it must have sought after a good meal. The time was about 10.30 am and it was already quite warm..this sighting was at Bishanpura meadow.

Rare Raptors in Kanha !

2009-02-16T08:45:00.001-08:00

The truly magnificent Mountain Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus nipalensis) was sighted by us on the 24rth of Jan..soaring overhead at a small meadow called Belkundri. This Eagle was never a confirmed sighting till now and i think nobody ever photographed it in Kanha. It was a treat to watch this big and beautiful Eagle with such broad wings, soar over us and i was so fortunate to have photographed it! In fact, we could not exactly identify the bird..raptors are such a challenge! But an expert, Praveen, who came two days later could identify and confirm it from my photograph!

Another favourite Eagle of mine, the Rufous-belllied Eagle(Hieraaetus kienerii), is rarely seen in Kanha.We saw it only a couple of times in the past year and it was such a brief or a distant sighting that i never got a chance to photograph it. On 3rd Feb 2009, i got lucky..we came across two Rufous-bellied Eagles soaring overhead and even calling!! A courting pair?! What a superb sighting!!

This is another un-commonly seen winter visitor, the Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus)! We also saw other un-common Raptors like Besra, Crested Goshawk and Eurasian SparrowHawk, this winter. Last year we also saw an un-believable raptor...the Jerdon's Baza! Kanha is indeed a great place for rare Raptors! We always keep our eyes peeled at the sky for raptors, especially after 9 am, as they prefer to soar with the thermals. 'Raptor!', goes the excited call..as one of the several keen pair of eyes spots one!!

Tetracerus quadricornis

2009-02-14T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is an unique antelope whose scientific name fascinates me..it means 'four horned four horn'!
(Tetra=four,keras=horn in Greek and quadri=four,cornu=horn in Latin!) Known as Chousingha in Hindi,it is a very shy animal and i was waiting to see it in Kanha for years! My chance came at last..last week..on the plateau of Bamhni Dadar,where the Park management had burnt grass as a preventive fire-fighting maesure..and the fresh flush of green shoots attracted these shy animals out. Some of my colleagues had seen a few and alerted me..two trips up to the plateau and i saw one male..and got this picture from a distance! The animal is about the size of a Muntjac and the males grow four small horns. They inhabit semi-open srub forest and prefer hilly areas, seldom away from a source of water. I was so lucky to see one..after a long wait!

Beautiful Jungle Cat !

2009-02-13T01:51:00.001-08:00

Look at this Beautiful Jungle Cat ('Felis chaus'), sitting so calmly and gazing at us..one recent evening on a little used road of Kanha. We had seen it from some distance and stopped immediately and killed the engine..waited for the Cat to get comfortable before creeping up to get this picture! In the lovely evening light it's coat was glowing and it kept gazing at us for a long time. Look at it's ringed tail, markings on the upper-legs and it's pointed, black-tipped ears..the hall-mark features of a Jungle Cat! I simply love to observe these shy, lesser Cats and rarely get a chance to photograph them from such a close distance! Kanha's meadows offer good chances to sight these amazing Cats.

Peacock in courtship mood

2009-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Some early bird Peacocks have already developed their full courtship plumage and i caught this enthusiatic male probably rehearsing for the coming season..because i could not see any Peahens around!!

Sambar Stags in their winter best!

2009-02-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Winter is also the season for the handsome Sambar Stags to search, court and mate with the elusive females! Since they are Deer of the deep forest and essentially loners, they have to advertise their breeding condition and generally make theie presence felt to the receptive females. One of the ways the Stags do this is to wallow in mud and 'adorn' themselves in order to 'attract' and impress the females. Just look at this 'tall, dark and handsome' Kanha Stag!!

This young Stag actually does not have much of a chance among the big fellas..but why give up without trying at all, seems to be his policy!

Sal metamorphosis

2009-02-05T09:08:00.000-08:00

The magnificent Sal trees, which defne the whole character of Kanha, are in the throes of change..they are shedding their old leaves...you can see in this image how the old leaves turn into delicate shades of ochre and yellow before they are shed. The whole forest is thus changing colours..it's so beautiful to watch and hear the gently sound of falling Sal leaves, which form a lovely carpet of yellow-brown leaves on the forest floor....

And new Sal leaves are alreday emerging from their buds..it's amazing to see the Sal forest in transformation and renewal..i am mesmerised by it's beauty..and am so fortunate to be here in Kanha...

Winter in Kanha National Park

2009-02-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

The landscape in Kanha in winter is glorious, as evident in this image of a Chital herd resting under shade..with the different hues of the meadow merging into the Sal forest..and the Bahmni Dadar plateau in the background. I love the scenery of this amazing Park, which keeps changing almost every week.

Barasingha or Swamp Deer is the flagship species of Kanha and in winter one can see them in their best condition.This magnificent Barasingha stag seen one December morning is in it's prime rutting condition and the misty background is almost surreal...

The Barasingha Stags gather dry grasses in their antlers in their attempt to assume a larger profile, which allows them to gain dominance over other stags and therefore increase thier chances to mate with receptive females.

The Stags give out their amazing bugling calls to advertise their readiness to mate. For me, this is one of the most beautiful wild sounds in India and it resonates through the meadows of Kanha in winter.

Leopards are such beautiful Cats..with such long tails!! This lovely male Leopard was sighted one November evening in the Gorrela camp area of Mukki zone..and i was so lucky to get this hurried shot of this very shy animal!

Dholes are another favourite predators of mine and i never miss an opportunity to observe their behaviour. One November morning, we saw a pack on a hunt in Aurai maidan and got this lovely shot of one dog leaping amidst tall grass to get a better view of the hunt in progress!

Tigers are always such a treat to watch! We chanced upon this beautiful Tigress on a cold December morning..she gave us an indredible demonstration of how she marks her territory by spraying, scrap marking etc. What a heart-stopping, close encounter it was!!

It's also rutting time for the lovely Sambar and i photographed this handsome Stag, in beautiful, gentle, early morning November light!

Landscapes always fascinate me..this image is from a beauitful October Sunset!

Dragonflies!

2008-10-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

This is my latest passion-Dragonflies!

Sometime recently i started to notice them more and slowly got deeper into their world..during the last monsoon in Kanha, i started to photograph them and now wherever i go, i look for these beautiful creatures!