Wilderness within: Nocturnal treat with awesome sightings

Date: 14/08/10

Me and Mandar were planning to go for a night trail, from many days, for conducting the survey for my amphibian documentation project. But due to some or other reason either he or I could not make it. But now it is high time, the season is about to end and again today, I was free but Mandar was not. I was not so keen on going alone. Although I was comfortable roaming around in the wilderness during the night looking for herps, research work involves sitting at one place and observation. As your senses are highly alert during the night, slightest of sound disturbs your concentration. That is why I wanted someone to watch my back while I note the observations and photograph the specimens. But he wasn't available so I decided to go alone and I am glad didn't stay back. My trip was a blast. I got to see lot of things along with my subjects of study.

I reached the place where there is a big lake and most of amphibian activity takes place there. It was around 7:40 pm in the evening and only light available was moonlight. I put off my torch and scanned the area in front of me. Suddenly I felt movement at my side a few feet from me. When I looked in the direction, I was stunned. A porcupine was peacefully walking besides me. I wanted to take a shot so I lit the torch. Seeing the light, It just started running in a zigzag fashion. Due to the uneven terrain, bushes and dark, I just could not focus and even the flash was inadequate. So all I got was this.

You can see the eye shining, and if you increase your brightness, you can see the faint white quills in the back

I just moved a bit further and was examining the peripheri of the lake when I saw something else standing at around 20 feet from me. It was bigger than the porcupine. When I shone my torch in its direction, it sprinted away. I could not make out what it was as I didn't have my spects on. But it was something huge.

Recovering from the two shocks, I gained my breath and moved forward. I was searching for the tree frogs in the area surrounding the lake. The area had ankle deep water and had thick vegetation in it. I just moved forward from a patch and returned back when I saw some leaf like thing sticking out of the vegetation. When I saw closely, I was awestruck. I couldn't believe the fact that what I was looking closely supposing it to be dry accasia leaf, was a baby Cobra. It was there in the same patch of vegetation which I just crossed. I saw the animal at close quarters and got a sudden adrenaline rush in comparison with which the earlier two incidents were nothing. I was just saying "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa" for the next one minute. I recovered when the snake decided to move. I tried to take a shot, I got one record shot too. But before getting a good shot it slithered into the ankle deep water covered with vegetation. I didn't catch it because it was only as long as my forearm and could have easily bitten me. I tried to search it scouting around the area but didn't find it. I was on a high for next 10-15 minutes.