A Photo Journey thro the Jungles of India with KALYAN VARMA

The only remaining population of this amazing cat is restricted to Gir National Park in Gujarat. Less then 300 of these survive in the wild today.

Asiatic LionGir, Gujarat, 21 November 2008

Anamalai SaleaEravikulam, Kerala, 8 July 2008

Tiger at NightBR Hills, Karnataka, 6 October 2008

The only nocturnal primate from south India. Locally called kaadupaapa meaning "forest baby", these primates roll themselves up into a ball and sleep in the trees during the day and

come out to feed only after dusk. They are primarily insectivorous but also eat bird eggs, berries, leaves, buds and occasionally invertebrates as well as geckos and lizards

Slender LorisDindigal, Tamil Nadu, 27 June 2008

A Pretty Bush Frog calls for potential mates using its expanding vocal sac to amplify its call. The vocal sacs act as resonators and the louder and more frequent the call, the greater the male's

chances of success in attracting females.

Pretty bush frogAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 21 June 2008

Millipedes are one of the oldest living creatures on earth. They use bright colours to indicate that they are toxic which keeps many birds and animals away from them.

Millipedes matingAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 21 June 2008

The arrival monsoon starts the new wave of life in frogs. All of them come out during this time, find a mate, lay eggs and before the end of the monsoon, find a home for the next few

months.

MonsoonAnamalais, Tamil Nadu, 21 June 2008

The dead foetus of a Lion-tailed Macaque

LTM - foetusAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 20 June 2008

The flagship primate of the rainforests of the Western Ghats, the Lion-tailed Macaque is a critically endangered and endemic species. They are usually seen in small troops in the canopy

of tall rainforest trees, feeding on fruits and foraging for insects.

Lion-tailed MacaqueAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 28 March 2008

An Olive Ridley hatchling reaches the sea from its nest site along the beach. Thought it managed to escape land and aerial predators, it still has to face many of them in the sea. All the female

turtles will come back to the same nesting spot to lay their eggs almost two decades later.

Olive Ridley turtleHonnavar, Karnataka, 5 March 2008

A mating pair of bronze frogs (Sylvirana temporalis) . The male is noticeably smaller than the female. After mating, the female lays eggs within a few hours in a river or a pond where the

tadpoles develop over time.

Bronzed FrogKMTR, Tamil Nadu, 13 March 2008

CanopyKMTR, Tamil Nadu, 13 March 2008

The Sloth Bear carries its young ones on its back. The youngsters have to hitch a ride as they sometimes have to travel more than 10 km a day with their mother in search of food - usually

nests of bees and termites.

Sloth Bear with cubsDaroji, Karnataka, 6 March 2008

Belonging to the antelope family, the black buck is the flagship species of the dry grassland habitats of our state. The males display during the breeding season to other competing males and females with their black coat-colouration and by stotting and defending territories. Like

most antelopes, the blackbucks defecate in the same place day after day as a way to mark their territory.

Black BuckMaidanhalli, Karnataka, 2 March 2008

Wild ass, Kutch, Gujarat

A langur settles down for the day in the safety of high trees

Grey LangurDandeli, Karnataka, 14 February 2008

A Bonnet Macaque walks down the tree near the edge of the forest. Many troops of macaques are attracted to tourist spots and to the main roads where they can get plenty of easy food.

Bonnet MacaqueDandeli, Karnataka, 14 February 2008

A pleasant sight to see the beautifully waving streamers of the tail of the Paradise Flycatcher as it flies about in the forest understory feeding on insects.

Paradise FlycatcherDandeli, Karnataka, 13 February 2008

Malabar Pied HornbillDandeli, Karnataka, 13 February 2008

In a landscape with a lot of predators, it pays to be camouflaged. No other species does it

better than the Draco which is very difficult to spot when it is sitting on the tree trunk

merging without a trace with the bark of the tree. One only sees them when they glide or

display the gular pouch.

Draco camouflageDandeli, Karnataka, 12 February 2008

Spot-billed pelicanKokkrebellur, Karnataka, 6 January 2008

The most colourful and spectacular of all leaf-eating monkeys in India is the endangered Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei). They have a very restricted distributional range.

Golden LangurGuwahati, Assam, 9 December 2007

Black-necked StorkKaziranga, Assam, 6 December 2007

Namdapha is the only place where this snake is found in India.

Medo's Pit ViperNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 30 November 2007

These hornbills fly in large flocks and the sound of these groups flying together are music to one's ears.

Wreathed HornbillsNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 29 November 2007

NamdaphaNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 28 November 2007

Slash and burn consists of cutting and burning of forests to create fields for agriculture or pasture for livestock, or for a variety of other purposes. Traditionally when practiced by small

populations in large forests, where fields had sufficient time to recover before again being slashed, burned, and cultivated, it had very little ecological impact. But with today's higher

human population densities, the forests have very little time to recover.

Slash and BurnNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 28 November 2007

Rufous-necked HornbillNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 25 November 2007

Red Flying SquirrelNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 22 November 2007

A female hoolock with young cling on to their high-canopy home.

Hoolock Gibbon - FemaleNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 22 November 2007

Every summer, few hundred elephants make their home at the Kabini river backwaters. This place offer refuge to these giants during the dry season by having contact source of water and

fresh grass.

Elephant HerdKabini, Karnataka, 19 May 2007

Large-scaled Pit ViperEravikulam, Kerala, 6 April 2007

The person in the above photograph is Kapilan who is one of the main forest guards over there. He's standing at the edge of Kerala and Tamil Nadu starts from down the valley from where he is

standing. Most of the hills you see in front of him is Valparai and Anamalai. The walk till this place was back-breaking but was very good. I asked him to show me how happy he was to be

over there.

Shola forests harbour disproportionately more endemic species of birds, plants, fishes and invertebrates from what little we know at present. This habitat is known for its water retention ability and most south Indian rivers originate from this habitat, supporting millions of people

and their farmlands downstream.

Shola and GrasslandsEravikulam, Kerala, 6 March 2007

Stream though EravikulamEravikulam, Kerala, 3 March 2007

The Nilgiri Langur is a leaf-eating monkey. They have a distinct booming call that is signature sounds in the sholas and lower forests of the Western Ghats.

Nilgiri LangurAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 4 November 2007

The Nilgiri Langur (Trachypithecus johnii), is one of the two endemic primates of the Western Ghats

One of the most amazing sounds you will ever hear in the Western Ghats is the flight of the Great hornbill. The whoosh whoosh sounds of its flapping wings is loud enough to be heard

even a kilometre away though the forest canopy.

Great HornbillAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 3 November 2007

The Brown Palm Civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni) is a civet species endemic to the wet evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. Found it feeding on this fig tree (Ficus microcarpa).

Brown Palm CivetAnamalais, Tamil Nadu, 31 October 2007

Orchids are amongst the oldest flowering plants in the world. Out of 1200 found in

India, more than 300 are found in the Western Ghats and more than 150 of them are found

nowhere else on the planet. Orchids are known for complex shapes of their flowers and

for their specialised relationships with pollinating insects and bird.

Disperris neelgherenseEravikulam, Kerala, 23 August 2007

Most rainforest soil is very poor with all the nutrients available largely remaining at surface

level. Because of this, rainforest trees have very shallow roots. Some very tall trees have developed ways of obtaining much needed additional support by forming buttressed

roots, which grow out from the base of the trunk. These extended roots also increase the

area over which nutrients can be absorbed from the soil.

ButtressAnamalais, Tamil Nadu, 19 August 2007

An Indian Giant Squirrel looks out of its arboreal home. These squirrels feed on the resin of the

tree as well as use the bark as nesting material. They are common all across the state and is the

largest tree squirrel in Asia.

Indian Giant SquirrelAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 16 August 2007

A leopard comes down a tree after feeding on its prey. In the forests, they have to compete with both the tigers and the wild dogs and hence they use the safety of the trees to both rest and feed. Leopards are the most adaptable predators and can make themselves at home in varied

kinds of habitats. Being smaller than the tiger, they are also a lot more agile.

Leopard climbing downBR Hills, Karnataka, 12 August 2007

Although the leopard is known to be the most adaptable and the most widespread of the large felids, its shy and elusive nature keeps it nearly invisible. Its striking coat of yellow with black

rosettes varies from tawny, golden hue in common forms to nearly jet black in the rarer melanistic form. Pound by pound, it is one of the strongest big cats, able to kill and haul prey

many times its size, up trees.

Indian Scimitar BabblerAnamalais, Tamil Nadu, 3 August 2007

To impress the females, not only do these male saddlebacks need to fight it out, they also need to decorate themselves to look attractive. The most common trick is to pluck lot of plants with

your horns and showcase them on your head.

Nilgiri Tahr - DecorationEravikulam, Kerala, 28 July 2007

Calotes grandisquamisAnamalais, Tamil Nadu, 5 June 2007

Being native, the Lion-tailed Macaques feast on these Jackfruits. Only the males have the strong canines to rip open the thick outer shell of the jackfruits.

Lion-tailed Macaque Anamalai, Tamil Nadu, 31 May 2007

Though it looks as if it is ready to strike , it is really not. The snake was just re-adjusting its fangs

Hump-nosed pit viperAnamalais, Tamil Nadu, 30 May 2007

One of the lovely snakes of the rain forest. We found it sitting on a rock next to a steam

Purple FrogAnamalai, Tamil Nadu, 28 May 2007

Kaziranga is one of the best protected National Parks in India with the highest number of forest guards

PatrollingKaziranga, Assam, 7 December 2007

Evening LightNamdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, 1 December 2007

Praying MantisKabini, Karnataka, 20 April 2006

The Black Eagle is one of the most elegant and powerful raptors found in India. It flies gracefully over the canopy of the forests, sending all birds and squirrels, its potential prey, into a frenzy of

fear. They are known to pick up the whole nests of birds and giant squirrels.

Black EagleBR Hills, Karnataka, 10 December 2006

Common KingfisherBR Hills, Karnataka, 9 December 2006

This is the Indian sub-species of the famous Peregrine Falcon. The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest creature on the planet in its hunting dive, the swoop, in which it soars to a great height, then

dives steeply at speeds in excess of 300 km/h

Shaheen FalconBR Hills, Karnataka, 20 November 2006

A Barred Jungle Owlet sits on its roosting perch, waiting for the night shift to begin. They mainly feed on insects, rodents, beetles, and small lizards

Jungle OwletBR Hills, Karnataka, 12 August 2007

Purple MoorhenMysore, Karnataka, 22 October 2006

A rare glimpse of a Tiger in the Western Ghats. Although the tiger is considered the national animal of India, they have been persecuted and hunted extensively and are on the brink of

extinction. Fewer than 1400 tigers remain in India.

A young Monitor Lizard basks in the sun from its safe ant-hill home. These lizards are excellent climbers and swimmers.

Monitor lizardBR Hills, Karnataka, 2 October 2006

Swamp deer - femalesKaziranga, Assam, 7 December 2007

Trinity