A Great Rosefinch fluttered right by my nose and perched on a shrub. The red side of my reversible jacket had piqued his curiosity.
All of yesterday, up at Nara Thach, camera in hand, I had stalked one of his cousins with zero success. Now, noting the absence of any optical weaponry in my hands, he plonked himself within cuddling distance of me, in all of his ‘Angry Birds’ grade redness. Inspecting me thoroughly and fully convinced that I wasn’t competition, the most photo worthy expression of my life flew away.
Oh, well. That was that then. Evening was closing in on Shankha Thach and I had come as far as I would on this trip to the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). If I hadn’t been crowned Mr. Landslide 2017, destroying softened trail edges and fresh rain-fed vegetation with methodical precision in my often shaky understanding with gravity, I would have continued. It was only early June but the incessant unseasonal rains had put paid to my plans to hike to Tirath Glacier... and to my toughest pair of khaki cargos. Tomorrow morning, I would start my three-day journey back towards Rolla Camp.
The cave we had captured for our night halt at Shankha Thach was nice and toasty by now. The cooking fire was being tended to by Dileep with Maggi noodles on the boil; Ishwar had run out to fetch some water from the Tirthan raging alongside, doing his goral-moves on co-operative rocks; Basant Singh sat joking in Pahadi – after 33+ years of guiding in this wild country, there was nothing he couldn’t laugh about.
June, he said, was a good time to stay in this cave. If it were the winter months, the resident landlord, a sheim (Himalayan brown bear), might have objected.
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av Sanctuary Asia.
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Denne historien er fra August 2017-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.
