When interviewing locals to learn about their knowledge of swamps, Rohan and I stumbled across the legend of the krishnasarpa. But what is the krishnasarpa?
In Search of the ‘Krishnasarpa’
Torme: A Swamp Under Threat
Deep in the heart of lion-tailed macaque country lie multiple hidden Myristica swamps. Rohan and I spent hours driving the (surprisingly) well-maintained roads, past faded signposts and countless towering arecanut plantations, past colourful houses and dry brown paddy fields, past patches of dry deciduous forest interspersed by cool, wet evergreen forests, until we finally reached…
SCCS Cambridge: What happens next?
Don't forget to check out my first post on SCCS Cambridge HERE before delving into this one! The second day of the conference dawned much like the previous one. After another scrumptious breakfast (see my earlier post for the delicious details), we headed back to the Zoology Department for another round of student talks. The…
SCCS Cambridge: The conference begins!
The David Attenborough Building towers over the Department of Zoology, the many hues of grey stone blending neatly into the grey sky. Cambridge, like most of the United Kingdom, is shrouded in rainclouds for most of the year. But the atmosphere inside the building is filled with excitement and enthusiasm as students from around the…
A Monkey Amidst the Monsoon Mountains
The landscape of the Sharavathi river valley is unparallelled in its beauty. Lush forests line the tarred roads, descending deep into the valley to where the mighty Sharavathi roars. From the winding road, the wind whipping through my hair, I can smell the river and its rich soil from kilometres away. I close my eyes,…
A lot of things Myristica
A tryst with freshwater swamps....and unfolding projects surrounding these rare systems...keeps me on my toes!
Trailing Tigers
Cloaked in sleek night and windy stripes, Slinking, barely rustling, an arrow taut in the string of a bow, A heady scent on the breeze, old blood and rotting flesh, Cheetal bark, tails flashing, legs leaping, Fangs flash silver, hunting knives, Rounded pugmarks pressed into the moist earth, a promise. Whiplash! A snake-like tail flashes…
A Life (minus) Wildlife (thank you COVID-19…) – Updates
Hello folks! Thanks for following me and being such a wonderful support system over the past 4 years since I got this blog - now my personal/professional website - up and running! It really means a lot to me. Life has been overwhelmingly busy these past few months. I was lucky enough to be surrounded…
Happy Earth Day 2021!
"And I knew that as long as I responded, in both a physical and mystical way, to the natural world-sea, sun, earth, moon and stars – I would never feel lonely upon this planet."Ruskin Bond As an ecologist, I adore the natural world. Fieldwork – true back-breaking, exhausting fieldwork – fuels me and pushes me…
A Love Affair with Kites
Meet the black kites of Mumbai in this short piece highlighting my love for these adaptable raptors!
On Life and Wildlife 