snake

Nights in a rainforest are far from being a silent affair. The whole forest seems to come alive as the darkness sets in. While the day time performers of a musical symphony are the cicadas, the nights belong to the crickets. And if it is monsoon season, the multitude of frogs chime in with their vocal contributions. The rhythmic music of crickets accompanied by the high pitched tones of the frogs, the spooky calls of a nightjar or an owl, the gurgling sounds of the many streams breaking through their rocky paths, the soft, chill breeze blowing through the leaves and branches of tall trees, among many others, are what characterise a rainforest night....

There is a general expression which says, “Kabini never disappoints". Don’t know how many will agree with that, though :-) May be true to a certain extent, if one goes there with, not just the two biggies, a Tiger or a Leopard, in mind ;-) Kabini, definitely has a lot of surprises in store for a nature lover. Our afternoon safari had begun and we entered the forests of Kabini. A few minutes into it, we started hearing strong alarm calls....

Heat, or the warmth, is an imperative element for any living being’s survival on this planet. It is what drives the motors in an animal’s body, aiding it to go on about its worldly agenda, be it feeding, mating, defending oneself or just plain, moving around. Warm blooded animals are able to maintain a constant body temperature, irrespective of their surroundings. This keeps them going even in relatively colder environments. The ones with cold blood, on the other hand, need to gather heat after being in a colder area for a long time and the opposite is true as well....

Made a visit to Amboli, in the last week of July, when what looked like the monsoon was at its peak. It was literally pouring cats and dogs. I had heard about the heavy rains that Amboli receives during the monsoon, but it was beyond what I had envisioned :) Pouring, pouring and relentless pouring. Even when there was a slight reprieve, the place would very quickly get covered in thick mist....