Subhasis Banerjee

MIDDLE BUTTON Founded in 1979 AD, this National Park is famous as a Dolphin, Dugong and Water Monitor Lizard reserve. Encompassed by the sea on all sides, this Park with a few rocky islands along with its azure surroundings hosts a number of other reptiles and aquatic fauna. The park will be a fascinating experience for those with a fetish for adventure. Accessibility : The sanctuary, which is 65kms away into the sea from Long Island, can be reached by boat. Accommodation : There is no available accommodation inside this sanctuary as well. Forest Rest House at Long Island is the only available accommodation. Season : October to March.

SIROHI NATIONAL PARK On the Indo-Burmese border lies the 200 sq km of mixed deciduous forests of the Sirohi National Park. The Park is a bird watchers’ paradise with over 200 species of birds. Probably, this is the only Park in the world where almost all the varieties of Pheasants are found together. Wildlife of the Park includes Leopard, Wild Boar, Hog Deer and a large variety of Langoor. Accessibility : About a 100kms drive southeast from Imphal transports one to this Park. Accommodation : There is a Government Guest House in Moreh. One can also make a day trip to the Park from Imphal. Season : December to April. N.B.:- FOREIGNERS REQUIRE “RESTRICTED AREA PERMIT” FROM THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS, GOVT. OF INDIA, TO VISIT MANIPUR.

CHINNAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Unlike the other sanctuaries of Kerala, Chinnar gets only 48 days of rain every year due to its location in the rain shadow area of the Western Ghats. Lying in the Idukki district, it is the only habitat of the highly endangered species - Giant Grizzled Squirrel. The sanctuary consists of dry deciduous forests and thorny scrubs along with wet grasslands. An extensive Sandalwood forest nearby is an added attraction along with the massive Thoovanam Falls on the Chinnar River . Strategically erected watchtowers inside the sanctuary facilitate excellent game viewing. Elephant, Bison, Spotted Deer, Sambar, Langur and Peacock are the main fauna of the Park. Accessibility : A 60kms drive from Munnar takes one to the sanctuary. Munnar is 128kms by road from Ernakulam, the nearest railway station and 150kms from the Kochi international airport. Accommodation : Standard and deluxe Hotels in Munnar afford accommodation. Season : November to June.

SIMLIPAL NATIONAL PARK AND TIGER RESERVE One of the premier Tiger Reserves of the country, the Simlipal National Park with an extensive area of over 2,700 sq km spreads over hills, valleys and grasslands in the Keonjhar district of north-east Odisha. The thick deciduous forest is intervened by the Polpola and Buribalam rivers and doted by a number of waterfalls of which the Joranda and the Barehipani Falls require special mention. Meghasini, the highest peak in the Park and the grasslands of Dudhrichampa are awfully spectacular. The venomous King Cobra, Banded Krait, Viper and Indian Python roam freely inside the Park. The teeming birdlife of the Park includes Pea Fowl, Red Jungle Fowl, Rose Finch, Racket Tail Drongo, Hill Myena, Leaf Warbler, Alexandria Parakeet, Sikra, Grey Wagtail and Merlin. Tiger, Leopard, Hyena, Indian Wolf, Sloth Bear, Elephant, Bison, Deer, Fishing Cat and Leopard Cat are the prominent members of the abounding wildlife population of the reserve. Accessibi...

  GYRFALCON The Gyrfalcon, the largest of the Falcon species, is a bird of prey. The abbreviation Gyr is also used. It breeds on Arctic coasts, Tundra and the islands of northern North America and the Euro-Siberian region. The Gyrfalcon is a very polymorphic species and therefore, its plumage varies greatly. The archetypal morphs are called "white", "silver", "brown" and "black", though they can be coloured on a spectrum from all-white to very dark. The brown Gyrfalcon is distinguished from the peregrine by the cream streaking on the nape and crown and by the absence of a well-defined malar stripe and cap. The black morph Gyrfalcon has a strongly black-spotted underside, rather than finely barred as in the peregrine. White Gyrfalcons are the only predominantly white falcons. Silver gyrfalcons resemble a light grey lanner falcon of larger size. The species shows no sex-based colour differences. The juveniles are darker and browner than adults....

  GREY HERON The Grey Heron is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the Heron family, Ardeidae, native of temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. The Grey Heron is a large bird measuring vertically up to 39 inches tall and sizing horizontally up 40 inches with a wingspan of about 77 inches wingspan. The body weight can range from 1.5 kg to 3 kg. The plumage is largely ash-grey above and greyish-white below with some black on the flanks. Adults generally have their head and neck coloured white with a broad black supercilium that terminates in the slender, dangling crest and bluish-black streaks on the front of the neck. The scapular feathers are elongated and the feathers at the base of the neck are also somewhat elongated. Immature birds of this species lack the dark stripe on the head and are generally dull in appearance than adults with a grey head and neck and a small, dark grey crest. The pinkish-yellow beak is long, straight and powerful and is brighter in co...

BINTURONG The Binturong is generally found in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Sumatra, Indonesia and Philippines. It is usually confined to tall, dense forest. In Assam, it is common in the foothills with good tree cover but less so in the forested plains. It has been witnessed in Manas National Park, in Dulung and Kakoi Reserved Forests of the Lakhimpur district, in the hill forests of Karbi Anglong, North Cachar Hills and Hailakandi Districts. In Myanmar, Binturongs were found on the ground in Tanintharyi Nature Reserve at an elevation of 60 m, in the Hukaung Valley at elevations from 220–280 m, in the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Reserve at 580 m and at three other sites up to 1,190 m altitudes. In Thailand's Khao Yai National Park, several individuals were observed feeding in a fig tree and on a vine. In Laos, they have been observed in extensive evergreen forests. In Malaysia, Binturongs were recorded in secon...

NAVEGAON NATIONAL PARK Situated amidst the surrounding ‘Seven Sister’ peaks and the huge Navegaon Lake in the Gondia district of the state on the Western Ghats, this National Park of southern mixed dry deciduous forests comprises mainly of Teak, Haldi , Berry , Kawat, Mahua, Ain and Wood Apple trees. The splendour of the crystal clear waters of the artificial lake created by the Itiadoh Dam amidst the forested surroundings stupefies the visitors. The habitant wildlife of the Park includes Tiger, Leopard, Dhole, Sloth Bear, Bison, Sambar, Chital, Chinkara, Wild Boar and Nilgai. The avifauna of the Park includes Warbler, Tit, Parakeet and Flycatcher. Accessibility : A 145kms drive from Nagpur transports one to the Park. Nagpur is very well connected by air, rail and road. Accommodation : Forest Rest Houses and Log Huts are available inside the Park. Season : November to June.

KANHA NATIONAL PARK This is the original Kipling country, so vividly described in his Jungle Book. The same abundance of natural splendour remains largely unaffected even today. The Sal and Bamboo forests, the rolling grassland and the meandering streams of 968 sq km construct this brilliant Tiger Reserve of the country. Home to the endangered Hard Ground Barsingha, the Park also houses a large variety of mammals collaged with a rich variety of avian species. The game includes Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Dhole (Wild Dog), Striped Hyena, Sloth Bear, Jackal, Three Striped Palm Squirrel, Wild Boar, Black Buck, Swamp Deer and Mouse Deer. The avian population includes Bulbul, Magpie Robin, Wagtail, Drongo, Tree Pie, Rose Finch, Thrush, Minivet and Teal. The highest point of the Park, Bamni Dadar, also called the Sunset Point, offers a spectacular view of the Park. Accessibility : 165kms from Jabalpur on the Kolkata-Mumbai railway line via Allahabad and 163kms from Bilaspur on the Kolkata-...

GREEN MAMBA The Green Mamba is a highly venomous snake species of the mamba genus Dendroaspis native to the coastal regions of southern East Africa. First described by Scottish surgeon and zoologist Andrew Smith in 1849, it has a slender build with bright green upper-parts and yellow-green under-parts. Like other mamba species, Green Mamba venom is among the most rapid-acting venom of snakes. Human fatalities as a result of bites from this species are rare due to the fact that this species does not often cross paths with humans but bites have occurred and the majority of the recorded bites have been fatal . The Green Mamba is native to regions near the coastlines of southern Africa and East Africa. The Green Mamba's range extends from Kenya south through Tanzania, Malawi and eastern Zimbabwe. It can also be found in Zanzibar and northern Mozambique. Courtship and mating generally takes place in the trees, after which the female lays 10 to 15 eggs which usually oc...

PEACOCK The Indian Peacock has iridescent blue and green plumage, mostly metallic blue and green, but the green Peacock has green and bronze body feathers. In both species, females are as big as males, but lack the train and the head ornament. The peacock "tail", known as a "train", consists not of tail quill feathers, but highly elongated upper tail coverts. These feathers are marked with “eyespots”, best seen when a Peacock fans his tail. Both sexes of all species have a crest atop the head. The Indian Peahen has a mixture of dull grey, brown and green in her plumage. The female also displays her plumage to ward off female competitors or to signal danger to her young. Green Peafowl differ from Indian Peafowl in a way that the male has green and gold plumage and black wings with sheen of blue. Unlike Indian Peafowl, the green Peahen is similar to the male but has shorter upper tail coverts, a more coppery neck and overall less iridescence. The Congo Peacock mal...

NAMDHAPA NATIONAL PARK Deriving its name from the meandering Nao Dihing River that flows through the Park, the unblemished virgin beauty of the Namdhapa National Park with the sound of the rapids and murmuring winds, interrupted by the gleeful hooting of the Hoolok Gibbons, is captivating. Time, in this little Shangri-La, comes to a standstill. Sandwiched between Myanmar on its eastern and southern boundaries with the Patkai Mountain Range and the eastern end of the Himalayan foothills, the Park spreads over an area of 1850sq kms of rugged terrain between an altitude bracket of   200 feet to 4500 feet and is home to an exotic variety of tropical and alpine flora and fauna.   Namdhapa is a botanists’ dream. The enchanting and wild diversity of the floral species of the Park comprehensively forms a multi-storied structure. The lower reaches of the Park represents tropical wet evergreen forests, the middle tier represents mixed deciduous forests, while the upper strata...

SALTICUS Salticus (from Latin “ saltus ” = jump or leap) is a genus of the family Salticidae, a group of jumping spiders. Coloration of this species is determined by various scales of modified setae covering a brown or black integument. Narrow scales or hairs may be black or red or rust coloured while broad scales are either iridescent (often magenta or green) or opaque granular white or yellow. Several species have a dorsal pattern of black narrow scales and white granular scales arranged in transverse stripes, especially on the abdomen, from which the common name “Zebra Spiders” originated. Most Salticidae prefer open sunny habitats. They are often found on vertical surfaces including man-made structures such as walls and fences or on natural elements, such as tree trunks. They are also found near water where they feast on emergent aquatic gnats and other insects. Salticus species have been observed preying on insects that are several times of their body size. This genus has ...

MALLARD The Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Siberia and North Africa and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Falkland Islands, India and South Africa. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae . The male birds have a glossy green head and are grey on their wings and belly while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Both sexes have an area of white-bordered black or iridescent blue feathers called a speculum on their wings. Males especially tend to have blue speculum feathers. The female lays 8 to 13 creamy white to greenish-buff spotless eggs on alternate days. Incubation takes about 27 to 28 days and fledging takes another 50 to 60 days. The ducklings are precocial and fully capable of swimming as soon as they hatch. Unlike many Waterfowl, Mallards are considered an invasive species in...

LORIINI Loriini is a tribe of small to medium-sized arboreal parrots characterized by their specialized brush-tipped tongues for feeding on nectar of various blossoms and soft fruits, preferably berries. The species form a monophyletic group within the parrot family Psittacidae . The group consist of the Lories and Lorikeets . Traditionally, they were considered a separate subfamily Loriinae from the other subfamily Psittacinae based on the specialized characteristics but recent molecular and morphological studies show that the group is positioned in the middle of various other groups. They are widely distributed throughout the Australasian region, including south-eastern Asia, Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Australia and the majority have very brightly coloured plumage. The usage of the terms "lory" and "lorikeet" is subjective, like the usage of "Parrot" and "Parakeet". Species with longer tapering tails are generally referr...

KOOKABURRA Kookaburras are terrestrial Tree Kingfishers of the genus Dacelo native to Australia and New Guinea, which grow to between 28 cm and 42 cm (11 in to 17 in) in length and weigh around 300 grams. The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra , onomatopoeic of its call. The loud distinctive call of the Laughing Kookaburra is widely used as a ‘stock sound effect’ in situations that involve an Australian bush setting or tropical jungle, especially in older movies. Even though they belong to the larger group known as "Kingfishers", Kookaburras are not closely associated with water. The name Dacelo is an anagram of Alcedo , the Latin word for a Kingfisher. Four species of Kookaburra can be found in Australia, New Guinea and the Aru Islands . The Rufous-bellied Kookaburra ( Dacelo gaudichaud ) – native to the lowlands of New Guinea, the Spangled Kookaburra ( Dacelo tyro ) – native to the Aru Islands and southern New Guinea, the Blue-winged Kookaburra ( Dacelo...

KESTREL The Common Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ) is a bird of prey species belonging to the Kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae . It is also known as the European Kestrel , Eurasian Kestrel or Old World Kestrel . In Britain, where no other Kestrel species are found, it is generally just called KESTREL. Common Kestrels measure 32 cm to 39 cm (13 in to 15 in) from head to tail with a wingspan of 65 cm to 82 cm (26 in to 32 in). Females are noticeably larger. The adult males weigh around 136 gm to 252 gm and the adult female weighs around 154 gm to314 gm. They are thus small compared with other birds of prey but larger than most songbirds. Like the other Falco species, they also have long wings as well as a distinctive long tail. In the cool-temperate parts of its range, the common Kestrel migrates south in winter. Otherwise, it is generally sedentary, although juveniles may wander around in search for a good place to settle down as the...

OTTER Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae . The 13 extant otter species are all semi-aquatic, aquatic or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes Weasels, Badgers, Honey Badgers, Martens, Minks, Polecats and Wolverines. The word Otter derived from the Old English word otor or oter . This and many cognate words in other Indo-European languages ultimately stem from the Proto-Indo-European language. The root word is wódr̥ which gave rise to the English word water . Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs. Their most striking anatomical features are the powerful webbed feet that are used to swim and their seal-like abilities of holding their breath underwater. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the Sea Otter have long, muscular tails. The 13 species range in adult size from 0.6 m to 1.8 m (2.0 ft to 5.9 ft) in length and 1 kg to 45 kg ...

LEMUR Lemurs are mammals of the order Primates , divided into 8 families and consisting of 15 genera and around 100 existing species. They are native only to the island of Madagascar. Most existing Lemurs are small, have a pointed snout, large eyes and a long tail. They chiefly live in trees and are active at night. Lemurs share resemblance with other primates but evolved independently from monkeys and apes. Due to Madagascar's highly seasonal climate, Lemur evolution has produced a level of species diversity rivalling that of any other primate group. Until shortly after humans arrived on the island around 2,000 years ago, there were Lemurs as large as a male Gorilla. Most species have been discovered or promoted to full species status since the 1990s. However, Lemur taxonomic classification is still very controversial and depends on which ‘species concept’ is used. Lemurs share many common basal primate traits, such as divergent digits on their hands and feet and nails inste...

IMPALA The Impala ( Aepyceros melampus ) is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. Being the sole member of the genus Aepyceros , it was first described to European audiences by German zoologist Hinrich Lichtenstein in 1812. Two subspecies are recognised — the Common Impala and the larger and darker Black-Faced Impala. Active mainly during the day, the Impala may be gregarious or territorial depending upon the climate and geography. The Impala feed on monocots, dicots, forbs, fruits and acacia pods. The Impala is primarily found in woodlands but sometimes on the interface between woodlands and savannahs. It also inhabits in places close to water. While the Black-Faced Impala is confined to south-western Angola and Kaokoland in north-western Namibia, the common Impala is found widespread across its range and has been reintroduced in Gabon and southern Africa. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the Impala as a “species of lea...