Remembering Bandipur Tiger Reserve

One of the most important places in my life...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Ashoka University, India!

I’ve finally dived head-first into editing the first few chapters of the book. I’m also working on the extra book illustrations.

Being up here in North India, I miss the forests of the south. And so this week, I decided to reflect on one of my favourite places—Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

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A black shape looms in the distance. It was unlike the others; too black to be a deer, but too small to be an elephant. As we get closer, the shape turns; black morphs into a long snout, shaggy beard, and two deep-set eyes. I am staring at a wild sloth bear.

I was driving along NH 766, the highway that passes through Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Wayanad National Park. I have driven on this road for years, and have never seen a sloth bear.

Sloth bears are elusive creatures, keeping to the dense forests. They search for termite mounds which they force open with 7-inch claws. Using their long tongue, they slurp up as many termites to satisfy their cravings

I watch in amazement as it walks across the road, towards the neighbouring forest. In no time, it is swallowed by the thick undergrowth.

Once or twice a year, I drive on this road to visit my family in Kerala. And each and every time, I wait for the forest section, praying to see wildlife.

Rolling down the windshield, I inhale the tang of the wilderness. I have witnessed the forest in all its colours; a warm orangish brown in the summer, verdant green during the rains, and everything in between. My eyes scour the thickets ardently, in search of the elusive animals.

I have seen peafowl, elephants, monkeys, and plenty of deer during my travels. They browse near the main road, raising their heads when you stop and point a lens at them. The tiger and leopard, however, are yet to reveal themselves.

Elephant Encounters

But trouble has been brewing in this Edenesque patch. Night traffic through the reserve disrupts the nocturnal wildlife, often running over animals.

Activists have lobbied for a ban on night traffic through the forest. The governments of Kerala and Karnataka have regular tussles on the matter.

Roadkills decimate wildlife all across the world. This ban is what stands between conservation and widespread slaughter. Implementing these measures around the nation would positively impact our fast-depleting wildlife population.

Meanwhile, I continue to drive on this road, eyes peeled to see the fauna of the Nilgiri forests.

Write Creatively, Edit Mercilessly

Writing and editing are very different. 

While writing, you must flex your creative muscles. But while editing, you must cast that aside. You need to read each word and ask yourself, “Does this add to the overall story? If it doesn’t, delete it.”.

It’s as simple as that.

This is what I’m constantly telling myself as I work on the manuscript—” Your writing is a reflection of your work at that moment, not you as a person. So be ruthless.”

Here are some links I enjoyed this week:

• The Full Story of Colin and Samir: Love these guys. Great podcast.

• Level Up Your Confidence on Camera: Loving this course. This skill is such an important one. Really want to master it.

Postcard

Here’s an interesting challenge. What has been photographed in the image above?

Favourite Quote

And then there was the small matter of the Snow Leopard, whose terrible beauty is the very stuff of human longing. Its uncompromising yellow eyes, wired into the depths of its unfathomable spirit, gaze out from the cover of innumerable editions. It is, I think, the animal I would most like to be eaten by. — Peter Matthiessen

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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