We were driving along when my photographer friend Sandip Das exclaimed, “Wow!” A large butterfly was landing and flying and landing again on the mud by the roadside. We stopped to examine it and were surprised to find that it was a northern jungle queen – high on our wishlist!
We were on our way to the Dzongu Valley in July 2018 to photograph butterflies. Our homestay owner C. D. Lepcha picked us up in his car from Siliguri town early in the morning.
On the way we stopped to watch and photograph butterflies such as the angled red forester and the common earl. We even saw a butterfly we’d never seen before – a blue duke butterfly!
A TIRING TREK TO PASSINDANG
At first, we saw only one blue duke sitting on a rotting banana. Within a few seconds, four blue duke butterflies gathered at the spot. We were so excited, and though a bit nervous, we managed to get some good photographs. We then continued to walk towards Passindang village, where our homestay was located. It was a tiring trek and we reached our destination late in the evening, satisfied with ​our two rare sightings: the northern jungle queen and the blue duke.
Denne historien er fra July 2019-utgaven av Sanctuary Asia.
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Denne historien er fra July 2019-utgaven av Sanctuary Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Why Children Are Needed To Help Save The World
On my very first day in India, I encountered many marvelous new customs not practiced in the United States, my home country. But the most curious by far involved trees. Here and there, alongside the roaring streets of Mumbai were rings of marigold wreathed around twisting banyan trunks like dried rays of afternoon sunlight…
Who's Who?
Fact: all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads! Let’s unpack this...
The Sea Raptor
The White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is one of the most common raptors along the Indian coastline. Nevertheless, the sight of this soaring, broad-winged, white and black bird of prey is nothing less than majestic
Bringing Up Bob Hoots.
While we were visiting a friend’s farm in the village of Yelachetty, near Bandipur Tiger Reserve, we found Spotted Owlets nesting on the tiled roof… and one of the chicks on the kitchen floor!
Yala, Land Of The Leopard
Yala is not only Sri Lanka’s second-largest, but also the most-visited national park in the island nation.
The Wizards Of Oz!
Australia is not only a country, but also a continent. The land down under, cut-off from the rest of the world has an abundance of unique species of native animals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants.
Scales & Tails
I was really excited and looking forward to the workshop on reptiles and amphibians at Nature’s Nest in Mollem, Goa, between June 24 and 26, 2017. It was my opportunity to meet renowned herpetologist Varad Giri.
Big, Brilliant And Endangered
When one thinks of elephants, the first word that probably comes to mind is BIG! But elephants, while they may be the largest creatures on land, are not just big and powerful, they’re wise and sensitive as well. Recent scientific studies have established that they are among the most intelligent animals in the world.
Earth Manners
Everyday habits matter! Let’s be kind to the planet, animals and ourselves!
World Scan
CHINA’S IVORY TOWNAn explosive investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency has revealed how criminal gangs originating from an obscure town in southern China have come to dominate the smuggling of ivory tusks poached from African elephants.