Author: Ravi Kailas Dates 20th January to 4th Feb 2024 Participants John Wright, Karen Baker, Philip Telfer and Mark Bibby Guides Ravi Kailas and Ganesh Ramachandran Itinerary Outline Day 1: Galibore (Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary). Transfer from Bangalore AirportDays 2 to 5: Kabini (Nagarhole National Park). Days 5 to 7: Bandipur Tiger ReserveDays 7 to 10:Continue reading “Endemics and Megafauna, Western Ghats Winter 2023: Trip summary”
Tag Archives: Western Ghats
A walk and bit at Pampadum Shola NP
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This tiny patch of montane forest, where the High Ranges meet the Palani Hills in the Western Ghats of South India, is packed with (the often unique) biodiversity. I have had the privilege to visit numerous times, and this is a brief account from a recent visit in September 2022. AsContinue reading “A walk and bit at Pampadum Shola NP”
Great Pied Hornbill and montane endemics, Nilgiris November 2021
Author: Ravi Kailas Dates: 3rd to 6th November 2021 A somewhat unplanned visit to the southeast corner of the Nilgiris, in what turned out to be one of the rainiest Novembers in the region, turned out interesting from a natural history perspective. The initial plan was to spend three nights close to Ooty and exploreContinue reading “Great Pied Hornbill and montane endemics, Nilgiris November 2021”
Indian Brown Mongoose and more, Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Valparai Area), Aug 2021: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates: 17th to 20th Aug 2021 Upto 7m of annual rainfall, much of it descending during the summer monsoon, is known to soak the Valparai region of Anamalai hills. As such, my recent visit to these hills in August, a month well within the summer Monsoon period, was accompanied by aContinue reading “Indian Brown Mongoose and more, Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Valparai Area), Aug 2021: Trip Report”
Some memories from the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR)
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This southern most of India’s Tiger Reserves, is much about fresh water, and the deep, dark tropical forests that nurture it. Waterfalls abound, rainforest streams converge into boulder strewn rivers, flowing downhill into man-made reservoirs, finally reaching the hot, dusty plains of southern Tamil Nadu as the life sustaining Tamarabarani River.Continue reading “Some memories from the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR)”
Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Valparai area), October 2019: Trip Report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates: 15th to 18th October 2019 The Anamalai Hills is a repository of the immense biodiversity of the Western Ghats of south India. Somewhat surprisingly, the disturbed, plantation-rainforest landscape in the Valparai area of these hills, located as it is, surrounded on all sides by protected areas, is one of the best placesContinue reading “Anamalai Tiger Reserve (Valparai area), October 2019: Trip Report”
Western Ghats: Lion-tailed Macaque, Brown Palm Civet and other endemic mammals, a trip report
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A brief, mammal watching oriented guided tour, with a focus on endemic primates, to the Anamalai mountains of the southern Western Ghats, produced all primates of the region (including Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur and Slender Loris), Brown Palm Civet and Nilgiri Tahr among 21 species of mammals. While birding was decidedlyContinue reading “Western Ghats: Lion-tailed Macaque, Brown Palm Civet and other endemic mammals, a trip report”
Nilgiri Marten – two personal sighting records of the elusive mammal
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Why are there Martens in south India Six of the world’s seven species of Martens – reputedly pugnacious mammals, in the same family as weasels and otters (among other mid-sized carnivores) – have a largely Eurasian distribution, with one of their kind in the Americas. All species either occur in temperateContinue reading “Nilgiri Marten – two personal sighting records of the elusive mammal”
Report: Mammals of the Anamalais (South India), Jan-Feb 2019
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This report is based on a guided mammal watching oriented trip to the Anamalai mountains in the Western Ghats of south India Dates: 31st Jan to 3rd Feb 2019 Tour Locations: In and around the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, including Sethumadai, Top Slip and Valparai. Map of tour locations Tour Participants: Stuart Chapman andContinue reading “Report: Mammals of the Anamalais (South India), Jan-Feb 2019”
Report: Western Ghats endemic mammals, birds (and more), Spring 2018
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This is a report based on a guided mammal/birdwatching oriented trip to various locations in the Western Ghats of south India this spring Dates: 25th March to 7th April 2018 (guided portion from 29th March onwards) Tour Locations: Kabini, Bandipur, Sethumadai/Top Slip, Parambikulam, Valparai, Chinnar, Munnar, Thattekad. Map of tour locations The trip wasContinue reading “Report: Western Ghats endemic mammals, birds (and more), Spring 2018”
Ficus Wildlife and Natural History Tours 