wildlife – VAGABOND IMAGES

Sight of the unexpected! A tiger out of nowhere at Sattal

Upendra SwamiDecember 25, 20222234 Views6

4.33 PM; Nov 7, 2022. Studio region Sattal, Uttarakhand. No one... no one ever told me about presence of any tiger in and around Sattal region. No birder, no friends, no fellow travellers, no officials have in recent memory recorded the presence of any tiger here. And, if they have, then no one probably reported it. Leopards are many, that we know, but tigers? But, this is what I saw and captured on that day, when I was strolling in forest of the studio region for a quick birding trip! Am I the only one to capture a tiger in the region! More than a month and half has passed since the incident, but I still don’t have concrete answers, no responses from any official, district administration, wildlife authorities or even tiger conservation authorities! What everyone—who has seen the ph...

IndiaPhotogallery

Jumbo’s day out at Mattupetty

Upendra SwamiJuly 14, 20201468 Views4

You can find elephants everywhere in Kerala- from forests to roads and temples. They make a fascinating sight and also some excellent stories. They have always been integral part of legends and mythology. There is no temple festival in Kerala without elephants. Kerala also has a good number of wild elephants as well. As per a rough comparison Kerala has almost 600 captive elephants and almost 6000 wild elephants. One of the highest peaks in the Nilgiris the Anamudi peak literally means 'elephant's forehead'. In India, elephants are always in news, thanks to our mishandling of one of the most graceful and intelligent animal out there. Still sight of a herd of wild elephants is good enough to stop the traffic on road and turn everyone into curious onlookers. They too keep people amused w...

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Experience the best of bush, beach and highlands in Sri Lanka!

Upendra SwamiJuly 31, 20191179 Views0

It’s not about a hotel, but about a whole chain of hotels. We often review hotels on their facilities, rooms, comfort, but here I am talking about the outdoor experience that these hotels guarantee and I can assure you that these are the reasons good enough to try them, and while you do so you won’t be compromising on any other thing that you would like to judge this hotel upon. Having said that, this is a fact that tiny island nation of Sri Lanka is an amazingly rich place in natural heritage and it gives you some very fascinating encounters with beautiful, beautiful world of wildlife. What more can be fun when you get some fantastic deals to stay and enjoy. That is all experience with Cinnamon is all about. Into the wild of Yala If you’re keen to make the most of incredibl...

AdventureInternational

Visit Sri Lanka for some warmth this winter

Upendra SwamiJanuary 9, 2019475 Views4

Is the winter too harsh here in the north? Well, if you need some sunshine, why don’t you move south… further upto Sri Lanka. And, its not just sunshine, it is a perfect holiday destination to give you some unforgettable experiences. I had a fantastic experience in Sri Lanka, every single time I was there. It’s close, its fun and its affordable too. So let me list out the reasons, why you should be in Sri Lanka right now or may be later this month. What an exciting first trip of the new year it can be. So, let’s go! Tea gardens of central Sri Lanka 1. Brilliant weather and immaculate beaches One of the perks of vacationing in an island country like Sri Lanka are the stretches of pristine beaches, azure ocean waters and seemingly endless horizon. The beaches of Southern Sri Lank...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Spectacular views from the Station at the Top

Upendra SwamiNovember 8, 2018495 Views2

It had started raining when we reached the parking area of Top station. Weather in Kerala have been a unpredictable lot these days and every rain reminded of the floods that traumatised the state just a couple of months back. However Munnar region is generally unpredictable about its weather, than the other parts of Kerala, with more likelihood of rains, as the Neelgiris form the first mountain wall in the way of clouds coming from the Indian Ocean. Even the day before, it started raining in the second half, although it wasn’t heavy. That day, it was clear, when we left Munnar, and after a couple of mini halts, we thought that it was better to go to farthest place first and see other things on the way back to Munnar. Hence we drove to Top Station. Clouds kept gathering as we moved close...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Everything you need to know for planning a trip to Eravikulam National Park

Upendra SwamiOctober 29, 20181094 Views1

Earlier, I had planned to include all this vital information in my previous post about Neelakurinji trail in Eravikulam National Park. But then I stopped myself, as it would have made the post very long. I would have to either reduce the number of images from that post or cut short on the information. I didn’t want to do any of these. Hence, I decided to do a separate post and try to give every layman information possible to plan a trip to Eravikulam National Park. Read: On the Neelakurinji trail at Eravikulam National Park Landscape around Eravikulam National Park Reaching: Eravikulam National Park is 12 kilometres from Munnar town on the Munnar-Udumalpet road. It takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes to reach there on the winding hilly road. Road is good and safe. You can travel by ...

AdventureIndiaNews

In memory of a Star on International Day of Forests

Upendra SwamiMarch 21, 2018478 Views2

Star breathed its last yesterday and it is certainly the most disheartening news to hear on the International Day of Forests. Star, also called as Sitara was actually one of the stars of the forests of Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. As per news reports Star or Sitara, which was named T-28 in forest records died after being tranquillised. Perhaps a tranquilliser overdose took its life. He was tranquillised in attempts to rescue him from a village in Khandar area on the park's periphery. It is said that this 13 year old male tiger had strayed close to a village where people had surrounded it. Forest officials reached there and in attempts to rescue, tried to tranquillise it. Ironically, the theme of this year's International Day of Forests is : Fores...

InternationalNews

Ten wayward manatees rescued

Upendra SwamiDecember 9, 2017452 Views4

Members of the SeaWorld Orlando Rescue Team at Florida, USA traveled to Charleston, S.C. recently, where in collaboration with multiple organisations and volunteers – they helped save 10 wayward manatees. The manatees were spotted in the upper reaches of the Cooper River, near a warm water outflow area. Historically, manatees move south into warmer waters when the water temperature drops below 68 degrees. Due to rapidly dropping water temperatures in the river, the manatees remained close to the warm water outflow, instead of continuing to travel south. In doing so, they were isolated from adequate food sources and naturally warm waters. Following close coordination with some members of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staf...

InternationalNews

SeaWorld returns two more Sea turtles to the Ocean

Upendra SwamiJuly 8, 2017506 Views9

Two loggerhead sea turtles are back home in the wild thanks to SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Team. In partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) the turtles were returned to the ocean at Pineda Beach Park on Wednesday morning. Rescued in December 2016, a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle was transported to SeaWorld Orlando from Massachusetts, where the animal received initial treatment from the New England Aquarium. Upon intake, the turtle had a dangerously low body temperature and a large wound under its right flipper. As a part of the turtle’s wound care, SeaWorld utilized radiographs, antibiotics, and laser therapy to heal the injury. The second turtle released, a sub-adult loggerhead, came to SeaWorld in March after it was found upside down in the surf

IndiaNews

A gigantic support for India’s elephants from Treadright

Upendra SwamiApril 13, 2017366 Views0

The TreadRight Foundation, created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands has announced that it will support TreadRight Heritage Initiative partner Wildlife SOS – India this coming Earth Day. For every booking made on Saturday, April 22, 2017 with TTC’s family of award winning brands around the world including Contiki, Insight Vacations and Trafalgar, The TreadRight Foundation will donate US$1 to Wildlife SOS - India to help save elephants in abusive or harmful situations. Each dollar donated by TreadRight to Wildlife SOS as part of the Earth Day campaign will go directly towards supporting the organization’s land fund for the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura, India with the goal of expanding the existing rescue centre in order to p