The Malabar whistling thrush is never a moment late. At 5:53, a peculiar, human-like whistle cuts through the still, pre-dawn air, jaunty and cocksure. He sits somewhere hidden in the huge tree in the courtyard at Hulikanu, staking his territory and doubling up as my morning alarm. But I am already awake and pad outside,…
"It is always the same with mountains. Once you have lived with them for any length of time, you belong to them. There is no escape." - Ruskin Bond Much like the enigmatic Ruskin Bond, I find myself returning to the mountains time and time again. This month, my quest for higher ground (and a…
Roads link human settlements...and fragment wildlife habitat. One of the driving forces behind the movement to designate and build wildlife corridors was to avoid the hazards that roads pose towards wildlife. Roads travel through rare and limited habitats and niches, divide territories of large wildlife, and impede the free dispersal of migratory terrestrial species, such as elephants...
With the advent of technology and a rising upper middle class, India is making its mark known in a rapidly developing world. The IT boom and the increase in consumerism have made India a force to be reckoned with. However, with great progress comes the need to progress responsibly, and here is where India has…
Let's face it - wildlife conservation sounds sexy. I love seeing the awe and excitement on peoples' faces when they ask me what my field is and I reply "wildlife conservation" or "landscape ecology." People ask questions. Their minds immediately jump to images of gazelles racing across the African savanna, of elephants trampling through paddy…
When we hear about the illegal wildlife trade, we think of elephants slaughtered for their ivory tusks, rhinos sedated and their horns brutally removed, or tigers skinned for their pelts and organs. These are sexy animals, animals that appeal to the public eye, animals that can further the cause of anti-trafficking organizations working to preserve…
The elephant-headed god, Ganesha, is revered and celebrated by Hindus across the world. He is the remover of obstacles, the lord of beginnings and journeys. Yet in the birthplace of Hinduism, the Asian elephant faces rampant, and often disguised, cruelty at the hands of those who profess to value all forms of life as equal…
In the dense, knotted swamps of the Sundarbans mangrove forest in West Bengal and Bangladesh, nature's rules are topsy-turvy. This is a land where fish climb trees and animals drink salt water. This is a land where tigers attack humans by day and trees reach their roots up to the star-speckled night skies. This mangrove…
The state of Rajasthan in western India boasts of a colourful heritage and an equally diverse geography. From the rolling Aravalli Hills in the east to the endless dunes of the Thar Desert in the west, Rajasthan is a myriad of colours and sensations. One can creep silently through the thorn forests in the high…
Most people know me as the tiger girl, but if I had to choose an animal that I most identify with, it would be the leopard (Panthera pardus). The lithe beauty and silent grace of this smaller yet deadly big cat is rivaled by few other animals in the Indian subcontinent. Less endangered and beloved…
On Life and Wildlife 