Early Monsoon

We had to cut short our Kabini shoot because of early monsoons. There has been heavy downpour the last two days and it meant its tough to film in the rain and and the elephants have started to disperse.

But just before the rains arrived, we managed to get some amazing sequences of elephants at the backwaters and a very lovery sequence of a young calf playing with another one for a good hour the other day. Infact the day before, we were surrounded by a big group of elephants and got to see and experince all the groups dynamics of elephants very up close. Close enough for me to shoot Sandesh talking to the camera and with an elephant in the back taking up 60% of the screen. One tusker did get a bit curious about me while I was filming slightly away from my vehicle, but overall it was a very frutful trip.

Now that the monsoons have arrived, we are heading out quickly to Valparai in Tamil Nadu. We are trying to locate and film the very rare and weird looking Purple Frog, which was discovered only 4 years ago. If we manage it, it will be the first time this frog would have been filmed.

Back in town now, to re-arrange things for the monsoon shoot.

16 Comments

  1. Anonymous · May 26, 2007 Reply

    ATB

    All the best Kalyan!
    -Pramod.

  2. shivakumar_l · May 26, 2007 Reply

    sad to know that you had to cut short your trip … but all our wishes are with you for your future shots.

  3. Anonymous · May 26, 2007 Reply

    All the best kalyan :)……. I hope you find that frog …..
    Anjali

  4. Anonymous · May 26, 2007 Reply

    You mentioned the elephants dispersed. Where to and why? Do they disband and break into smaller groups?

  5. admin · May 27, 2007 Reply

    Lot of elephants from the Nilgiri Biosphere (Bandipur+Nagerhole+Whynad+Madhumalai+BR Hills) migrate towards Kabini during the summers as there’s lot of fresh grass and water to drink. This congrigation is also a chance for all the elephants to find mates, meet old friends etc.

    Once the rains start, they go back to their own forests mostly.

  6. Anonymous · May 27, 2007 Reply

    You mentioned 5 different regions that the Elephants come from. If they find a mate from a diff region, what happens after mating? Do they just go their separate way or have to choose one particular region?

  7. Anonymous · May 27, 2007 Reply

    “Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis ” — whoa! sounda amazing… my next nick 😉

    -Venky

  8. Anonymous · June 1, 2007 Reply

    absolutely faithfully

  9. admin · June 1, 2007 Reply

    Re: Hijack

    BR hills is the best place to go to during the monsoons.

  10. Anonymous · June 2, 2007 Reply

    FlyingSoul

    Sorry this one’s not on ur wiriting or ur lens skills……

    exercising my right of freedom of speech, this is on u wild lover (sorry wild life lover….to err was human)

    i envy u… for hav achieved so much in so less…

    and i no where even know wat photography is all about, so chill.

    r u frm this very world….. i thought these species were extinct long back.

    Good work Kalyan ….. keep going and Best Wishes for BBC

  11. Anonymous · June 3, 2007 Reply

    Re: Hijack

    Maybe I missed the memo, or haven’t been paying attention, but what about the rains makes a BR Hills visit more worthwhile vs Kabini? Is it the hilly ecosystems’ response to the rains?

  12. admin · June 4, 2007 Reply

    Re: Hijack

    Heh just that Kabini is known for its large mammal sightings. With the rains, its very tough to find anything there. With BR hills, you have the forests as well as the hill range experience.

  13. Anonymous · July 21, 2007 Reply

    How do elephants from BR Hills get to Kabini? Is there a corridor somewhere?

  14. admin · July 24, 2007 Reply

    They do have a path. BR hills via Sathyamangalam which joins Bandipur and that directly connects to Kabini

  15. Anonymous · April 2, 2008 Reply

    all the best !!!!!!!!

    hai kalyan … am dr.sanjana, am v much impressed abt ur passion towards photography……. hope to see u on television soon…… al the v best ..keep going..

  16. Anonymous · April 2, 2008 Reply

    r u married ????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    hey kalyan… i think am in love with u n ur photography…….!!!!!!! if u r a bachelore ..will u marry meeeeeeeeeeee???????????????? plz do reply

Leave a Reply