Our 4X4 vehicle was our lifeline

We have all watched on National Geographic or Discovery Channel how the lion hides in the yellow grasslands of Africa and leaps for its prey; a ferocious predator mercilessly tearing through the flesh of an animal. Or to see an eagle swoop down to the ground and catch its prey in its claws and fly back again. It leaves you in awe to be able to see these predators in their natural habitat. While such sights do look amazing and tend to gather viewers’ gasps, but it is, at the same time, a highly challenging task to capture such actions.

In the March of 2013, while I was still in Delhi completing my undergraduate degree, I got an enticing opportunity to shoot a documentary for the Government of Kerala at the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It was highly exciting, but we had absolutely no clue as to how tough it could be to make a wildlife documentary. The most important thing about documenting wildlife  is to capture action. Showing beautiful scenery and landscapes to the viewers over and over again can make them disinterested very quickly. To keep them hooked to a 30-minute documentary film, showing them some kind of action was a must.

Dense tropical rainforest of Western Ghats near Thekkady

The biggest challenge that a wildlife documentary film maker faces is the uncertainty of spotting animals. You go with your camera into the forest, select a vantage point and just wait, hoping that animals would come there soon and give you a good shot. Such views are a rarity in such a vast expanse of forest. What is the probability of spotting even 1 out of 45 tigers in a jungle that is spread across 900 square kilometers?Pretty slim!

We had to divide ourselves into two groups, so that each group would go to a different region everyday and cover it. We would go in those open 4X4 vehicles (Mahindra Bolero or Thar jeep with open tops), standing with the cameras ready. However, to capture wildlife, it was important to be “one with the jungle”. Silently blend into the forest in such a way that our presence wasn’t even noticeable. That meant tens of kilometers of trekking every day. Any alien intrusion made the animals run away and leave the area in an utter silence again.

Trek along with heavy cameras

Remember scenes from Madagascar, the animated film, where a herd of animals would run and the whole ground would tremble? It’s not exaggerated! At one time, while exploring the forests, we found a herd of at least 50 Indian Gaurs (Bisons). There had to be absolutely no movement, so much so that every breath felt like a loud sound that might drive them off. Eventually, they did run away and the ground trembled as 50 beasts, each weighing around 900 kilos, scuttled away.
I spent a few nights with the 3 local forest rangers in tents in the middle of the jungle, a location 2 hours of boat ride away from Thekkady (a town in Kerala where we were based), and another 2 hours of trek from the boat. It was so deep in the forest that you could trek for hours in any direction and find not a single trace of humanity, but only dense jungles and wilderness.

Sitting around a bonfire in a pitch dark forest, we interviewed those rangers. The only source of light, apart from the fire, was the moon. In a black and yellow ambience, we sat down on the mats in the open jungle and set up our cameras. Joining broken English words and limping on Malayalam quite frequently, the rangers recounted their past as smugglers and poachers in these forests; about their lives when they would smuggle spices and tree barks, and hunt animals as tribesmen; and later how the government intervened and gave them jobs using these same talents to protect the forests. Today, they work for the wildlife protection from any human disturbances. After all, nobody knows the forests like they do!

Easy to find wildlife!

They were really brave old men, dressed in simple green uniforms and chappals (sandals), carrying nothing but a few oranges to quench their thirst and satiate their hunger. In contrast, we carried one backpack each filled with biscuits, chips, wafers and water bottles, while wearing expensive shoes and what not. Their unsophisticated mannerisms and the expertise of being a ranger was an arresting duo of qualities in them. One of them was called Baby by his colleagues, and he was quite the contrary of a man as his name would suggest! He was a short, dark guy with white hair, speaking broken English with a never-to-leave sea of calmness in his expressions.

Hard-to-find wildlife!

A big advantage of being a documentary film maker is that you get to meet such diverse set of people, all with immensely interesting pasts that leave you dumbfounded. And then there is, of course, the travel; to a new place, a new adventure, new people and new cuisines. To make good documentaries, you have to do your research well and to do that, you have to live among the people, mingle with them, understand their customs and traditions, and experience their lifestyles. Believe me, I have ever since wanted to relive that experience; to once again go into the forests and tune myself to that rhythm!

General elections are just a few months away; Iran signs nuclear deal to end sanctions; Cyclone Helen passes through with minimal damage; Typhoon Haiyan wrecks havoc in the Philippines… While we are more bothered about such earthly events, there is something spectacular happening in the skies. A heavenly object’s visit to the sun could become the most spectacular event of the year. Comet Ison is about to undertake its closest approach to the sun during this weekend.

Many comets have the orbited the sun in the past few decades – Halley’s Comet in 1986, Comet Hale Bopp in 1997. So what’s the big deal this time I wondered! I do remember that during Hale Bopp’s visit in 1997, I had been to the planetarium in Bangalore where the Association of Bangalore Amateur Astronomers (ABAA) had organised a comet viewing session. In those days when the internet was virtually non-existent, such activities were the only way to understand the bigger events happening in the universe!

An asteroid passing by is a common occurrence, but a comet’s visit is a rare event. Scientists have counted 4,894 known comets till July 2013, but this number is steadily increasing every year. It is surprising to know that nearly 80% of the visible tail of a comet is all water vapour and dust. Due to their low mass, comet nuclei do not become spherical under their own gravity and therefore have irregular shapes.

Is Comet Ison different from other comets?

ABAA’s President Jayanth Basavarajaiah clarified in this manner – “To begin with, Comet Ison is not a typical elliptical periodic comet that orbits the sun regularly. It is a hyperbolic sungrazing comet that means it would go too close to the sun and the solar tidal forces could tear it apart during its perihelion (passage around the sun). The sheer size of the comet of around 4-5 kilometres in diameter has allowed it to survive a lot longer than most other comets that travel so close to the Sun’s surface. Additionally, since the comet may be making its very first pass by the Sun in its lifetime, it is believed that the material ejected in the tail of the comet will be primordial material dating back to the formation of our Solar System!”

Further, Jayanth stated that due to the debris and material ejected from the comet as it melts near the Sun, scientists are able to get measurable information about the Sun’s magnetic fields, its solar wind, and other interesting information that otherwise would be rarely possible. Since Earth will pass near the comet’s orbit on 14–15 January 2014, tiny dust particles blown by the Sun’s radiation may cause a meteor shower.

Formally designated as “C/2012 S1”, the comet was named “ISON” after the organization that discovered it in September 2012, the Russia-based “International Scientific Optical Network”. Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok discovered it using the 0.4-meter (16 in) reflector of the ISON located near Kislovodsk, Russia. The initial report given to the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams identified the object as an asteroid, but follow-up observations by independent teams reported its cometary features. Therefore, as per the International Astronomical Union’s comet-naming guidelines, the comet was named after the team that discovered it, rather than the individual discoverers.

Best time to watch

Typically, whenever astronomers report about a celestial event like this, there is media hype about an event of a lifetime. So I asked Jayanth if there is a possibility that Comet Ison will become a great comet as bright as moon. Jayanth stated that from 14 November 2013, Comet Ison became visible to the naked eye for experienced observers located at dark sites. However, due to the full moon and glow of twilight, the comet has not become bright enough to be seen without an optical aid. After it reaches perihelion on 28 November, Comet Ison may become extremely bright if it remains intact.

Predicting the brightness of a comet is difficult, especially one that will pass so close to the Sun and be affected by the forward scattering of light. Originally, media sources predicted it might become brighter than the full moon, but based on recent observations, it is only expected to reach around −3 to −5 apparent magnitude, which is about the same brightness as Venus. If Comet Ison survives its sungrazing passage, then it promises to be a dazzling heavenly display with a long bright tail.

Comet Ison is now heading for its close encounter with the sun and its visibility in the morning sky is low, since the twilight haze obscures it. On its return path (if at all the comet survives) the comet will be again visible to the naked eye in the eastern sky from December 3rd until early January 2014 on both the hemispheres of Earth. Hopefully, Cyclones Helen and Lehar will dissipate by then and the sky will be clear for this spectacle!

In Bangalore, Association of Bangalore Amateur Astronomers will be organising a comet gazing session, while Khagol Vishwa – the Organization of Amateur Astronomers is organising one in Pune. Don’t miss this lifetime event!

Factfile –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet

I strived for many years to attain transcendental consciousness through meditation but in vain. However, ever since I started riding horses, transcendental consciousness came to me naturally. And then I wondered how I lived all these years without these beautiful beasts in my life!

Every time I rode a horse ‘feel good hormones’ obediently kicked in, as if their lives depended on it. After every ride I went through feelings that ranged from “I want to do something heroic” to “God is in his heaven and all’s right with the world”. Magical happiness takes over my entire existence. In my opinion, the scent of a horse is better than the best perfume. Sometimes it provides oxygen to a needy soul.

While riding a horse you are too busy observing your horse’s body language and communicating to the horse through your own body language. Therefore, you do not have time or space in your mind to process other thoughts. That state of thoughtlessness is what most people try to achieve through meditation. In addition, there is physical exertion. Every riding session feels like a spa session, except that it’s sweaty.

Now, my favorite language is ‘Horse’. It’s very interesting and you don’t have to worry about correct usage of grammar. For example, the position of a horse’s ears indicates his mood.

• Pricked ears: he’s curious;
• Pinned back ears: he’s angry;
• Ears back but not pinned: he’s listening to you;
• Ears forward: listening to something else.

They also talk with the other parts of their body… Swishing tail: sign of agitation or warning the other horses to keep their distance. Flattened tail: fear.
They communicate through sounds too…

• Sigh followed by a shudder: relaxed or bored
• Nickering: seeking attention or they recognize you
• Groaning: pain or just a plain habit
• Snorting: excitement. It is as simple as that.

Most of us consider horses as dangerous animals and horse riding as a dangerous sport. You’ll be surprised to know that horses are flight animals and not fight animals. This means, they choose to flee at the first opportunity than to fight. However, like any other sport, accidents happen while riding a horse too.

Horses are more like children: innocent, mischievous, and sometimes temperamental and want to be free to do what they want to do. Of course, they are powerful and elegant at the same time. Just by watching their beautiful gait, shiny, swaying mane and tail, your heart will be filled with joy. All you have to do is to look into their large brown glassy eyes and you will be transformed to their world. Besides, horses have the largest eyes among the land mammals and there is absolutely no way you can ignore them. Horses can sleep both standing as well as lying down. They sleep better when they are in a group as some horses stand guard, while the others are sleeping. Horses are herd bound and when isolated they would rather to live with a human than in solitude.

In the world of horses, it’s always about horses. I find it very fascinating when someone says, “Did you ride Starlite before? She’s jumping today;” “Zamindar was fabulous in today’s shows;” “Kalina as always did a great job.” I would be forced to ask who was riding these horses; otherwise there is absolutely no mention of the person in the discussion. It is absolutely thrilling to know that it is not human but another animal that is being treated as a superior creature and without the animal demanding it.

Horses and humans have been working together since time immemorial. Horses have been used in wars, as porters by gypsies, in agriculture to till fields, for entertainment in shows and races, for meat consumption, and in the medical field to make anti-venom. Evidently, horses are viewed as status symbols.

One day in Bangalore, I was riding a horse named Donald – an old one with a “been there done that” attitude. When I was trying to hug him, I saw some white flakes on his crest, closer to the mane. Worried, I asked my instructor, if Donald had some problem. My instructor casually shrugged and said he has hair so he will have dandruff too, just like us. Horses have graying hair, thinning hair, dandruff and other hair-related problems!

Horses are not much different from us humans. Some horses are fearful and some are bold. Some have strong work ethics and some are utterly lazy. Some are competitive in nature and some couldn’t care less about winning. Some are truly amiable and some are outright hostile. So understanding a horse’s nature is much like understanding a human being’s nature.

Horses can be great teachers of tolerance, obedience, hard work, and friendship among other things. Horse riding to me has been very therapeutic and my life would have been incomplete without these magnificent, mystical, life-altering creatures. Surprisingly, I found that therapeutic riding or “Hippotherapy” is used to treat mentally and physically disabled persons to help them improve balance and coordination, increase self-confidence, and get a greater feeling of freedom!

Factfile –
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.wikihow.com
http://www.equineline.com