Ansell Phillips Photography

The Indian Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsi) is the smallest out of four mongoose species found in Sri lanka. Somewhat similar to our ferrets and weasels however their diet consists of slightly more dangerous & venomous prey. This daring little mammal carries a formidable nickname Snake Killer, they will actively hunt Cobras and even Black Mambas! They are adapted to this task as they have special acetylcholine receptors which means they have built up a resistance to the snake’s venom, not entirely, but they can withstand a few bites. Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdg9gkmWsEA (start from 1.20 min if short on time).

We quietly observed this juvenile Toque macaque as it foraged for its main source of food - fruit. You would think this species is common and widespread but not only is it endemic to Sri Lanka, they are considered to be Endangered. This little one is protected as it is lucky enough to live in a national park, however individuals and troops who venture out or live beyond these borders in search of food are persecuted and viewed as pests. As you can guess this is a big reason why populations have declined. The fight against deforestation is key for the Toque macaque whose important ecological niche is to consume a significant portion of the forest’s annual fruit production to then disperse the seeds through defecation subsequently stimulating growth of fruit bearing trees into new areas.

Stepping into Sri Lanka was quite the shock after coming from a semi-arid desert region of India. The humid, muggy heat hit us like a tonne of bricks. Tropical ecosystems hold the highest biodiversity levels out of any terrestrial ecosystem in the world. And you can see why looking at this photograph - a visual overload of lush green floral species. It rains heavily in this region largely a result of the monsoon season which can dump up to 5,000mm of rain annually. To put that into perspective, the UK's average rainfall per year is no more than 1,500mm (and that’s still a lot!). Thousands of animals take advantage of these favourable environmental conditions. Nature is everywhere in Sri Lanka so stay tuned to see the wildlife we found.

Blackbuck populations in India declined dramatically after 1947 due to unsustainable poaching and habitat loss through conversion to farmland. However, following strict legal protection this species has made a strong comeback and was recategorised to Least Concern by IUCN Redlist which is an amazing success story. Poaching still poses a significant problem in certain states of India as the Blackbuck forage on farmer’s crops. They are a crucial prey base for wolves, leopards and tigers, local initiatives are raising awareness through education and there is also talk of subsidies for farmers whose revenue is impacted by these predators.

We set out at sunrise to witness this biodiverse grassland ecosystem slowly wake up. Driving through the bush, we couldn’t quite believe who came to have a quick glance at us before the sun fully emerged. An Indian grey wolf, Canis lupus pallipes! They are a subspecies of the Grey wolf, Canis lupus and unlike their ancestors in North America and Europe, this species has a much thinner coat to aid it’s survival in this warmer climate. Like their European and American cousins ...they hunt in packs deploying specific tactics depending on the prey. On the menu for a hungry pack of wolves is livestock such as sheep and goats, small mammals, birds and also antelope if they can catch them. A long term issue for the Indian grey wolf is that populations are isolated between regions across the country, recent studies have found that building habitat corridors between populations and increasing tree planting would go a long way to ensuring this subspecies of wolf survives for decades to come.

A 200km drive north of Diu bought us to yet another unique biome in Gujarat - semi arid dense grassland, home to many endangered animals and now fully protected; this fragile habitat has suffered from hundreds of years of mismanagement and unsustainable hunting. However, since the creation of Blackbuck National Park, resulting in a large influx of tourism money, this environment is flourishing once again. Keeping checking in for the animals we saw...

In the early evening we caught sight of this Spotted Owlet, Athene brama, waking from a nap in a hollow tree at Gir National Park, Gujarat. Typically this nocturnal species’ breeding season is from November-April so maybe this little one had a late night!

Whilst the quality of this photo isn’t great we had to share as it was an incredible experience to see this majestic lioness walking through the forest just before sunrise. Slightly smaller than their African counterpart, there is only a single population of about 523 of Asiatic lions in the entire world! Thankfully they are on the rise and expanding outside of their protected range in Gujarat, India. This historical comeback from only 50 individuals to over 500 is down to strong mediation between the local government, park rangers and landowners/farmers. If livestock such as cattle is killed by a lion then the farmer is subsidised the value of the loss. This type of conservation management has also been used to introduce predators such as wolves, bears and lynx back into Europe.

A Chital deer, Axis axis, looking through the undergrowth at us with interest and concern. This young male is still finding his way in the natural world, the velvet covering his antlers is a big give away of age and life experience. Next season he might be old enough to start competing with other males for dominance but until then he will stay with the herd. They are important prey for the endangered Asiatic Lion where a single population exists in the state of Gujarat.

We still can't believe how much time this beautiful Crested Hawk Eagle stuck around in the outer edges of Gir forest. An incredibly successful raptor species distributed across Central Asia, they can inhabit multiple habitats such as savannas, tea plantations, wet forest and mangroves. Being such an adaptable carnivore, this apex predator stabilises ecosystems primarily by controlling and maintaining snake and smaller bird populations.

On a hot afternoon in Gir park, Gujurat we were trying to seek some refuge from the heat when we bumped into a Golden Jackal trying to do the same thing. The jackal lives in a tight knit family pack, closely bonded and reliant on each other for protection and food. The male and female are monogamous so the other members of the pack are their previous offspring who now help to raise new pups, babysitting their younger siblings whilst the adults hunt is a common altruistic behaviour in jackal packs. Their diet is almost 50-50 animal to plant food; they eat a lot of fruit during spring and summer whilst hunting small gazelle, rabbits, fish and birds when they can. This opportunistic and diverse hunting/foraging strategy is a main reason why they are found in many parts of the world throughout different terrains and habitats.

With all the incredible wildlife and natural environments to see, it is easy to miss the beauty of the towns and cities we stayed in whilst travelling. We were fortunate enough to spend a few nights in a guesthouse with a roof top restaurant right on Lake Pichola. After a long day exploring temples this sunset was a welcome view - Udaipur, Rajasthan.

A doe and two fawns foraging the open grassland in Ramthambore Tiger Reserve, constantly on the lookout for predators, most notably the tiger and leopard. More often than not they are found near a water body which makes them easy to prey on. They do however have a fierce instinct to protect their young and female doe's have been known to stomp the ground threatening to charge and bark a loud alarm at the threat. Considering its widespread distribution, from the Himalayan mountains to the tropical forest of Borneo, it is surprising the Sambar deer, Rusa unicolor, is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Redlist. Due to poaching and the loss of grassland and forest habitat. This could eventually have to have a negative impact on what remains of the Bengal tiger as the Sambar can make up a large proportion of a tiger's diet.

A slight hiatus on this page, it's been a difficult time and everyone's lives have been turned upside down this last month. With so much negativity in the media we thought to share some positive nature stories from our adventures to India a few years ago. So here's a bird with a funny name - The Jungle Babbler! Also nicknamed Seven Sisters, they tend to congregate into groups and chatter and chirp among themselves. They are incredibly social birds and when foraging, one will act as a sentinel and alert the others to any potential danger, they have even been known to mob predators such as snakes.