Page 19 - dpl 4.indd

nAture

As part of the ancient

landmass of Gondwanaland,

the Indian sub-continent

possesses an impressive

variety of wild mammals

similar to much of those that

have evolved in Africa.

Left: Greater One-horned Rhinoceros (DS)
Below: Asian Wild Buffalo (DS)
Bottom: Asian Elephants (DS)

my guide for the entire 25-day trip. I was
immediately transferred to my hotel, the
Brahmaputra Ashok, which overlooks
the mighty river of the same name. A
snooze followed by a dinner and light
refreshment readied me for the meeting
that evening with the rest of our tour
group of 7. Just before the meeting I
was very surprised to find at the hotel
entrance, an unconscious Yellow Bittern
which had flown into a glass window of
the hotel, stunning itself. Not seriously
injured, it quickly recovered and was
on its way again. A good omen for the
birding?

Soon after breakfast the next morning,
we were on our way to the Kaziranga
NP, travelling through very populated
rural areas in a stifling atmosphere of
smoke and dust (no rain for 5 months),
the cloudless sky white rather than
the usual blue. Our minibus journey of
17
DPL