The phone rings at a base station in Agumbe, the heart of king cobra country.
Caller: We have a huge black snake with white lines under a boulder.
Receiver: Black snake? Don't go close. We are on our way.
Three vehicles, with 16 people, seven snake hooks, four snake bags, nine cameras and a lot of adrenaline, rush out. Two hours and several hairpin bends later, we are at the location in a Karnataka village. Some of us have sent prayers in advance to our respective family deities. We are led to a small rock. Under it is a tiny and harmless wolf snake. Black and white, as described, but not a king cobra. We head back, laughing all the way.
I am a snake man. My life centres on demystifying these jewels of the animal world. If and when we meet, chances are that I will speak more about snakes with you than the local fish for lunch, as a Goan should!
The Beginning
Son: Baba, I was part of a team that has discovered a new Caecilian species…
Father: Umm, what's that? It looks like a worm. Son: It eats worms, baba. It's an amphibian.
Father: Really? Couldn't you find something bigger and better looking? How can I tell my friends that my son discovered a new worm that's not even a worm?
Denne historien er fra June - July 2023-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
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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Denne historien er fra June - July 2023-utgaven av Outlook Traveller.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Can The Himalayas Outlast Tourism?
Love The Himalayas, But Worried About Its Future? Hear From Three Experts On The Future Of The Region And How It Can Be Protected
EATING MINDFULLY
SUNITA NARAIN FROM THE CENTRE FOR SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT DISCUSSES HER NEW BOOK WHICH COMBINES THE JOYS OF EATING WITH CARE FOR THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE WHO TILL THEM
The Jewels Of Costa Rica
A Long-time Birdwatcher Describes His Travels To The Lush Rainforests Of Costa Rica
WINGED WONDERS
The story of migrating birds is the story of a promise to return, flying thousands of miles beset with dangers.
THE LOOMINARIES
THE ROLE OF THE GREAT REVIVALISTS WHO GAVE INDIA'S TEXTILES A NEW LEASE ON LIFE CANNOT BE STATED ENOUGH. WE TRACE THEIR CELEBRATED LEGACY
KEEPERS OF THE CRAFT
FROM REVIVING TRADITIONAL WEAVES TO CONTEMPORISING THEM WITH MODERN SILHOUETTES, THESE DESIGNERS ARE COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE LOOM TURNING WITH A FRESH TAKE ON HERITAGE TEXTILES
SONGS OF THE SOIL
WITH INDIGENOUS TEXTILES FACING THE WRATH OF FAST FASHION AND CLIMATE CHANGE, INDIAN DESIGNERS ARE RALLYING TO REVIVE AND PRESERVE THESE PRECIOUS WEAVES
CRAFT CRUSADER
THROUGH HER TEXTILE EXPLORATIONS ACROSS INDIA, DR PRITHA DASMAHAPATRA HAS BEEN PRESERVING ANCIENT CRAFTS, EMPOWERING ARTISANS, AND INSPIRING TRAVELLERS TO DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF HYPERLOCAL EXPERIENCES
ON THE GRID
THE VIBRANT MADRAS CHECKS, NATIVE TO SOUTHEASTERN INDIA, HAS NOT JUST TRANSCENDED BORDERS BUT ALSO TRADITIONS AND STYLES
GOLDEN SILK
THE PROPERTIES THAT MAKE MUGA SILK UNIQUE COULD SEE IT BEING USED IN THE BIOFUELS AND MEDICINES OF THE FUTURE
