Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com)
Dates
26th to 31st January 2025
Locations Visited
Valparai (Anamalai Tiger Reserve); Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary; Eravikulam National Park (and surroundings)
Tour Participants
Clients: Elias Filho, Flavio Coutrin, Ana Camargo, Waldir Carvalho, Monica Vale and Milton Filho
Naturalists: Ravi Kailas and Ganesh Ramachandran
A brief, mammal-watching focussed effort in the southern Western Ghats in late January 2025 was largely successful for the larger endemics from the region – the only significant misses being Nilgiri Striped Squirrel and the typically elusive Nilgiri Marten.
Three nights exploring the plantation-mid-elevation rainforest matrix at Valparai was expected to produce the bulk of these species, and we did have excellent views of a pair of Brown Palm Civet (which obliged by visiting the periphery of our accommodation one night), Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur and Jungle-striped Squirrel, from here. An unexpected bonus from this landscape was a sighting of a Sloth Bear (while there is a healthy population of these Ursids here, most sightings are only logged when people unadvisedly totter outside their homes, late at night, and stumble upon not quite as endearing as Baalu, individuals). We also had good sightings of Stripe-necked Mongoose, innumerable Gaur, Indian Giant Flying Squirrel, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Indian Hare and Red Muntjac. While sightings of the rare Nilgiri Marten and uncommon Brown Mongoose were always going to be a matter of chance, we also missed Nilgiri Tahr, despite repeated effort in a slope where they are regularly sighted, as well as Indian Leopard, which are relatively commonly seen in this landscape, after dusk.
Two nights basing ourselves at the Talayar Tea Plantations, gave us access to the dry/riverine forests at Chinnar and the montane habitats around Munnar. An evening effort at Chinnar, after much looking, was successful for the patchily distributed Grizzled Giant Squirrel, including of an individual feeding on a road-side fruiting tree, late in the evening. This dry habitat also produced Tufted Grey Langur, which can only be seen in the lower Eastern slopes on these mountains. Our morning effort at the very touristy Eravikulam did produce Nilgiri Tahr, but we only saw them on distant ridges (bad luck, as herds often walk right upto tourists here). Concerted effort to find Nilgiri Striped Squirrel in the montane patches at Eravikulam (and later in the evening, in a nearby patch) proved futile for this shy, diminutive species. The only other diurnal mammals that showed were Malabar Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Langur, Asian Elephant and Indian Palm Squirrel – the latter two as we were climbing up towards Chinnar, from the plains. Eravikulam also produced a basking Large-scaled Green Pit Viper – the only significant reptile from the trip. A little night effort around our accommodation produced fleeting glimpses of Indian Porcupine, Indian Chevrotain, Wild Pig and Brown Mongoose one evening, and loud sounds, apparently emanating from a stand-off between Leopard and Wild Pig on the other.
While we were not especially looking we also saw a healthy representation of bird specialities from the region, including Great and Malabar Grey Hornbills, Rufous-bellied and Black Eagles, Nilgiri and Black and Orange Flycatchers, Malabar Whistling Thrush and Palani Laughingthrush among several others.
It was a pleasure to host this amiable group of friends from Brazil and learn about their fantastic wildlife and culture, while they discovered a sample from this part of the world.
List of Mammals Seen
Bonnet Macaque Macaca radiata
Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus
Nilgiri Langur Trachypithecus johnii
Tufted Grey Langur Semnopithecus priam
Asian Elephant Elephas maximus
Indian Munjtac Moschiola indica
Sambar Rusa unicolor
Spotted Deer Axis axis
Indian Chevrotain Moschiola indica
Gaur Bos gaurus
Nilgiri Tahr Nilgiritragus hylocrius
Indian Wild Pig Sus scrofa
Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni
Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica
Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis
Brown Mongoose Herpestes fuscus
Sloth Bear Melursus ursinus
Indian Hare Lepus nigricollis
Indian Crested Porcupine Hystrix indica
Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica
Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura
Indian Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista philippensis
Three-striped Palm Squirrel Funambulus palmarum
Jungle Striped Squirrel Funambulus tristriatus
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