vanayatra - The Jungle Trails

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The magical experience of a boat cruise on the Thekkady lake, a premier tourist destination in Kerala's Idukki district,

turned into one of deep mourning, as a boat carrying an estimated 75 tourists and boat crew went down, killing many. None of the passengers was known to be wearing a life jacket.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/New-Article/art...

Wayanad wildlife sanctuary which is also known as Muthanga sanctuary is situated in the state of Kerala in India. This protected area is contiguous to the wildlife sanctuary in adjoining states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Muthanga serves as a home to many wild mammals and birds. India Bison, spotted dear, Asiatic elephants and peafowls are very common here.
Wayanad wildlife sanctuary is second largest in the area in Kerala state.

BANGALORE: Some of the famed trekking trails in the dense Western Ghats
region in Karnataka, which have been attracting a large number of adventure

tourists in recent years, will soon be mapped to help ensure greater safety
for trekkers.

The package will be called the “Great Western Ghats trails.”

While there are about 200 trekking trails in the ghats, 18 have been
identified for the project, and many will be added in the future. Those that
have been identified for mapping include Kumaraparvatha, Brahmagiri,
Kudremukh, Kurinjala, Tadiyandamol, Mullayanagiri, Narasimha Parvatha,
Badabudangiri and the Kali River bank trail.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/29/stories/2009092950780200.htm

Tiger reserves are protected areas across the bio geographical regions in India, aimed at protecting the Bangal Tigers. This is part of the Project Tiger, initiated in 1972 to maintain the tiger population in their natural habitat.

During 19th century and estimated number of 45000 tigers were present in India, but a survey conducted in 1972 revealed that only 1800 tigers left in the wild of India. This alarmed the authorities in India and globally for an initiative to protect the big cats from extinction, in 1973 the project tiger launched in Corbett national park and other tiger reserves started across the country.

The e-mail from an old friend who runs a white-water rafting company was too enticing to resist: We're running a new-to-us river in India's remote northeast, he said. Join us.

It sounded like a rush. It turned out to be much more. In six days, we covered 72 miles of the Kameng River and shot some 100 rapids.

We plunged through roiling caldrons of whitewater that lifted the adrenaline level to truly yee-ha moments. And I took more than one unwilling swim in the chilly water.

The Kameng sweeps through the Valley of the Hornbills in pristine rain forest. Elsewhere it passes below tiny bamboo villages of the Nishi tribe, whose men hunt the magnificent birds for the colorful bills that adorn their headgear and who carry machetes in monkey-fur scabbards.
Source:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2009936235_trindiaraft27.html

A survey of the butterflies in the district conducted by the Wildlife Department has reported sighting of 197 butterfly species. The three-day survey, which concluded on Monday, was conducted in association with the Hume centre for Ecology and wildlife biology, a wild life research organisation of the district. This was the first ever survey of butterflies of Wayanad, adopting a new scientific methodology.
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/article23693.ece

Extreme Birds - Having the ability to fly puts physiological constraints on birds that most other animals don’t have to contend with, yet some feathered creatures have evolved remarkable physical traits [National Wildlife Magazine]

Critically endangered Angolan antelope gets a second chance - Travel to the African nation of Angola and you'll see representations of the giant sable antelope ( Hippotragus niger variani ) everywhere you turn: on the country's currency, on stamps, and on company logos. But unless you look really hard, you probably won't find any actual giant sable antelopes. Fewer than 100 of the iconic animals are believed to exist following the devastation of Angola's bloody 27-year civil war.

On the trail: Volunteers build trails - Twin Falls Times-News -