Often mistaken for a bison, the Indian Gaur is part of the cow family. The bison is a species found in two places – Europe and the USA. The gaur is amongst the largest and most powerful wild cattle found across the world. Found in abundance across the country, they are very adaptive to the environments and surroundings. An average gaur stands over 180 cm tall and weighs a little under a ton (1000 kg). This gives you a picture of its massive structure. It’s normally found in herds of at least eight to ten and is extremely aggressive – especially when it comes to protecting its young.   The massive size normally makes one believe that no predator gets close to these mammoth bovines, yet these gaurs are easy meat for the tiger, which is known to regularly hunt full-grown adults. As you may have guessed, these huge animals provide a tiger with enough meat for a few days, if not weeks!   The gaur plays a very crucial part in maintaining the ecological balance of the fore...

The Barking Deer The ‘Muntjac’, commonly known as the Barking Deer, is possibly among the most ancient deer species that roamed the earth, 15-25 million years ago. Fossil deposits of this amazing animal were found spread across France, Germany and Poland, an indication that it had adapted to extreme cold conditions too. It is also called the Kakad Deer in India. The reason for this name is its alarm call, which seems quite similar to the barking of a dog. The deer is a subject of Evolution studies because of its chromosome variations – a unique feature of this shy and rare creature.   This often solitary animal is rarely spotted in groups.   It’s active at twilight, and although it mostly lives alone, it still keeps in touch with other individuals, leaving a scent on branches, and produced using a special gland on its head.   Muntjacs are shy and cautious by nature and live in heavily wooded areas. They are very difficult to find, let alone photograph. A s...

The Stripe-necked Mongoose The Stripe-necked Mongoose is the biggest mongoose found in Asia. Confined to India and Sri Lanka, it can be sighted in well-wooded habitats, particularly in dry and moist deciduous forests where it prefers streams and rivers. Stripe-necked Mongooses have short limbs, with long fore-claws and the colour of their fur can be dark brown, gray-yellow, or orange-yellow. The male weighs around 3 kg and the females weigh much less. This large mongoose is identified in the field by its tail which is three fourths of its body length and has a black tip which is pointed upwards. The prominent brownish black stripe running from its ear to shoulder gives it its name.   A litter of the Stripe-necked Mongoose ranges from 2 to 3, and the newborns hunt with their parent until they are independent. This mongoose is frequently sighted during the day at the open sea, and more often than not, is a solitary species. Its diet consists mainly of crabs, birds, sma...

The wild ancestors of domestic pigs, Wild Boars are normally shy and docile creatures of the wild. However, when cornered or provoked (especially with their young ones around), these tough animals can indeed turn out to be deadly. Sounder is the collective noun for Wild Boars, and a sounder usually comprises over 10 animals – mostly young ones. Interestingly, during a morning Boat Safari, we sighted this wonderful boar beginning its day on one of the receding patches of grass. The low angle gave me a chance to get a full frame and the green patch behind the boar served as a decent backdrop to enhance the size of this majestic animal. A thoroughbred and growing up male (marked by the tusks, though being of smaller than average size), it can astoundingly reach heights of up to four feet and weigh over 300 kilograms! During an evening Jeep Safari later the same day, we were fortunate enough to spot this huge male resting right on the jeep tracks! As the safari vehicle nea...

The Dhole, Commonly known as the Wild Dog, is a unique one of its kind. Living in packs, fearsome gangs of Dholes can bring down stags larger than themselves, and are known for their torturous killing techniques! One late evening last year, while returning from a safari, near the Tiger Bund at Kabini, we encountered a pack of Dholes feeding on a Cheetal. Their killing tactics are gruesome. Not built with large jaws to kill with a single bite on the neck or throat like tigers or leopards, these dogs surround their hapless prey and bite chunks of their flesh from the rear, strangely while the animal is still alive!!!. The family of 12 that we sighted had literally bled the Cheetal to death. Some of them were lazing around, getting ready for the night. The lighting was dim and these were the only decent pictures we could manage, given extremely poor lighting conditions. The bulging belly of this Dhole indicates it has had a full meal and is content!   Some Interesting ‘Dhole’ sn...