I've Never Seen This Animal Before
You do see animals every now and then...
Hey friends,
Greetings from Ashoka University, India!
Last week, I was deep in the forests of Uttarakhand, one of the last contiguous forests in India and maybe in the world. I find myself constantly returning to these woods. There is something magical about them; I’ve found a piece of myself there.
It was late in the evening. I made my way to a small clearing near our campsite. The sun was just kissing the hillside. If we could see the snowy peaks, they would be bright orange in the alpenglow.
I found a quiet corner away from the group to look at the trees. Here, they look like something straight out of the Lord of the Rings. I half expect them to sprout eyes and become the Ents of LOTR lore.
20 minutes go by as I relax in the calm mystery of the Himalayan forests. Just as I expected; I didn’t think anything extraordinary would happen.
Just then, as I drifted into daydreaming, a black figure bounced into view. I used "bounce" literally; this creature bounced along the ground, none the worse for wear. It came within 3 meters when it suddenly perked up and looked at me.
It was a yellow-throated marten—a weasel-like animal living in the Himalayas.
Surely, it did not expect to see a human so deep in the forest. Quicker than words could tell, it tumbled down, emitting a soft alarm call.
I was lost for words. Encountering large wildlife isn’t that common in the Himalayan forests.
I always assumed that I’d have to wait decades to have such encounters with wildlife. But I learned that if you’re persistent enough, the natural world does open up to you. You might not see wildlife every day, but if you keep exploring the forests of this world, you might just stumble across its residents.
Over the last 7 years, I’ve had numerous such encounters. And now, I’ve compiled them all into my upcoming book - “The Light of Wilder Things”. It encompasses these years I’ve spent in the pursuit of wildlife. In short, it is MY story. It’s going to be published soon!
And what do you know; the next morning, I went to the same clearing, and a friend spotted the marten in a nearby tree. I shot a shaky video of it scurrying down. Here’s a screen grab from the video.
Just for fun, here’s a video of me sliding down some snow. :)
Postcard
I have very few photographs of myself. I’m usually the one behind the camera.
But my friend Vinu took this shot when I was pushing to the summit. This is one of my favourite photographs—I will forever cherish it!
Favourite Quote
“If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint”, then by all means paint, and the voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh
Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!
If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.
Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.
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