02/01/10
I came to India with the firm intention of learning as much as I could about the herpetofauna of this amazing country. As a budding zoologist and wildlife filmmaker, I was keen to take part in ongoing research and saw this as a great opportunity to follow and promote the doings of dedicated scientists and conservationists.
I spent one month at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, situated 40km South of Chennai on the Coromandel Coast. As well as literally touching the beach, MCBT is an oasis of shade and green in what can sometimes be a hot climate. But the pleasant surroundings were bonus, as I was here to work with crocodiles. Although the volunteer program appeared to be non-existent at first, I quickly got used to the unpredictability of it all and understood that a proactive attitude would get me doing things. Thus, in addition to crocodile and turtle measurements, pen cleaning, crocodile catching, caiman lizard feeding (you’ll agree with me, not activities you do every day back home), I was able to set up food quality control and water temperature studies as well as help put together a series of talks for the Croc Bank to implement in the future. Not only did I learn interesting facts about the 14 different species kept here, but it got me chatting to the public and served as an invaluable educational tool. However, I’m not going to lie, there was also a lot of time off, which could be spent relaxing on the beach, visiting nearby Mahabalipuram or going on “snake walks” with local Irula tribes men (a good opportunity to get close to India’s “big four” venomous snakes).
Through the Gerry Martin Project I came to learn about the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, the only permanent field base in India, and arranged to spend my second month there. Whether you’re into reptiles, birds, amphibians, mammals or insects, the forest surrounding ARRS is home to a stunning variety of wildlife you’ll never tire of. The station was initially set up to study one animal in particular, the King Cobra, and today volunteers regularly take part in the resulting radio telemetry project. I was trained to use the tracking equipment and was soon sent into the field where I came within a few meters of the
impressive creature feeding on an unfortunate Malabar pitviper. Trekking through the rainforest all day was also a challenging but satisfying experience, and was certainly more my kind of scene. In such a place, possibilities for new projects are endless and so during my stay I helped map out a study site in a nearby areca plantation for future research on Flying lizards (Draco dussumieri) to be carried out. I also co-designed a project whose aim was to assess ant diversity within the ARRS grounds. Every now and again, the ARRS team led by Gowri Shankar, would be called out to a neighbouring village to remove an unwanted King Cobra from a barn or an attic (on one particular occasion I found myself on the same fragile roof as a 11 foot King Cobra!). Thanks to these captures, the telemetry project is in fact expanding with tracking devices being implanted in new individuals. Two days before I was due to leave Agumbe, a group of vets performed a smooth surgery on the beautiful male that had been captured on the roof.
As a photographer and filmmaker, Agumbe was a treasure trove of wild subjects and innovative shots, including green vine snakes, scorpions, barking deer, mongooses, flying lizards, more than fifty species of butterflies and countless frogs. For awesome scenery I just had to trek to Wanakabe falls, a 200 meter high waterfall that seems to simply topple of
the edge of the Western Ghats, or catch an early ride to Kundadri temple situated on top of a hill and from which I witnessed a gorgeous sunrise.
It’s also the people that make the place and ARRS was no exception. I met many like-minded scientists, photographers, volunteers, etc with whom I could learn and share over a homemade biryani or sambar. All in all, ARRS was really worth the detour.
By
Jeremy Cusack,
University Of Bristol Alum.
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