We (wife, Daughter, Niece and I) were holidaying at Gorukana, a wonderful Eco resort on the BRT range last September. The innovative cottages and tree houses were a great experience and we decided to take a drive through the main road since the official Safaris through jungle roads were called off – awaiting the Supreme Court judgment. We did a few drives the evening, where the usual dose of barking deer (BRT is famous for its high density of barking deer population), gaur, elephants and a variety of birds were seen. As it was getting dark, we retired for the night, planning an early morning drive. We set off early next morning, with two other cars from the resort joining us. The first was an Indica which had the senior naturalist Jadaswami leading the way, followed by a Wagon R with a couple of guests. I chose to drive my own Honda behind both. Barely had we gone post the first check point, the barking deer made its appearance, followed by the CSE’s, Peacocks and other little ...

It was another of those wonderful misty mornings at Masinagudi. My childhood buddy Kannan and I had driven out from Coimbatore to a friend’s (Nizam’s) sprawling bungalow the previous night, and were rewarded with quite a few sightings during the night drive. Elephants and Gaur were all over the place that night and after spending a long time watching them, got back, planning a morning drive. The next day morning was as eventful as well. As we drove down the Masinagudi – Theppakadu stretch,   Deer, Elephants, Gaur and even an elusive sloth bear made its appearance, as we were getting shutter happy. It was around 8:00 AM, when we were returning for a hot cup of tea. Just past Theppakad, the i10 ahead of our car suddenly veered to the right. The driver initially braked hard and was in a quandary whether to reverse or speed ahead. Fortunately, for him, the Qualis from the other side was far away. Out of the thick undergrowth, emerged this elephant, with a shrill trumpet. As it mis...

GAUR Call   We (a few close friends and their families) were vacationing at the Stanmore bungalow at Valparai last December, which is probably one of the best plantation bungalows I’ve experienced. We decided to hike across the estate one morning and the estate guards agreed to accompany us on the small trek. I knew it was prime elephant country and ensured all of us were dressed in dull colors, trekking shoes and strictly had no perfumes or deo’s on us that morning. Just before we started the trek, the guards warned all of us that large herds of Gaur and Elephants were seen the previous evening and if we were to encounter them, we should stay bunched together not panic and never run different ways. As a seasoned forest goer, it was one of those normal briefings for me, but for many (especially the women and kids) this was a nerve wracking warning and tension began to mount. The first 10 minutes of the trek was fun, with my wife and daughter, quite experienced with wilde...

It’s almost impossible to describe the feeling when you are meters away from a massive 5 ton beast standing well over 2 meters tall, gently feeding on wild bamboo shoots, oblivious of your presence (or so you think). Wildlife experiences are emotional and inspiring, bringing out the subtle majesty of the animal, while reminding you, that a moment is all it takes to transpire thrill into tragedy. Conservationists, Nature Lovers, Trekkers, and Wildlife Photographers are terms today that seem to be the fad of the urban yuppie crowd. The pressures and claustrophobia of the concrete jungle forces them to unwind into vast open, green, fresh air spaces and the fast depleting jungle spaces are the easiest targets. Tagging to one of the terminologies above give them a false sense of identity and reason to venture out into the wilds, little realizing the sensitivity of the wilderness and its dwellers. But there is a dark side. Many things in the wilderness cut, bite, sting, maim and even ...

‘Proud as a Peacock’ is a term that’s commonplace in India, a tribute to the most beautiful bird of the feathered kind. No wonder, it is the pride of our country and rightly earns its place as the National Bird.    Probably the largest and most colorful Pheasant of the bird family, the peacock is synonymous with its iridescent tail feathers, which are almost 65 percent of its body length. When arched out into a gigantic fan by males of the species during the mating ritual dances to attract females, the magnificent spread is indeed a sight to behold an awesome dance show!   Apparently, like all other females of all other species (including humans), the female chooses her mate based on the latter’s size, colour, number of ‘eyes’ on the plumage and quality of feathers!   These birds also fly, albeit for short distances. It takes about three years for a male to grow its complete plumage and the more the number of ‘eyes’ on the tail, the better his chances ...

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...

A ‘Passerine’ by ornithological classification, the Pied Bush Chats are small little birds found in abundance around the Southern sub-continent. A Passerine, in ornithological parlance, is a Song Bird, which is basically a Perching species. These birds have the best control of their syrinx muscles among birds, producing a wide range of songs and other vocalizations. The males are black with white shoulders and vent patches whose extent varies among populations. Females are predominantly brownish while juveniles are speckled. Another unique feature of Passerines is their feet. The foot of a passerine has three toes directed forward and one toe directed backwards. Their leg muscles are specially adapted to hold on to perches in a vice like grip, and tighten around their perches in an involuntary motion, at the slightest sign of imbalance of the perch. This helps the bird to fall asleep in a perched position – a rarity amongst birds.   Passerines also make use of that ba...

The Intercontinental Gliders The Woolly-necked Stork is a widespread resident in India. This is a stocky bird with a ‘woolly’ white neck and a blackish cap-like patch on its head. An uncommon bird, it is usually spotted solitary or in pairs. A Migratory bird, it is known to fly out regularly to the African plains for breeding, before returning to the subcontinent. Although Woolly-necked Storks are associated with water, they rarely wade. Their diet consists of fish, toads, frogs, crabs, snakes, lizards, molluscs, insects and marine invertebrates.   The huge wings of the stork are ideal for soaring and long flights. It is an expert wind surfer, riding hot air thermals that take it high and far during its migration.   The wings generate enormous amounts of power during takeoff and the draft around the wings is possibly one of the highest amongst the feathered kind. The fully stretched flapping of the wings during takeoff is a sight to behold, indeed!   The ...

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...