Looking for the Loris!

I rushed from this sighting to other and while rushing around in search of birds there was a whisper..Loris, slender Loris..whispered the wind in my ears.

So off I went climbing the Urlanthanni rock. Now this is a seasonal waterfall, where the water rolls over the rocks during monsoon but at other times, like now is dry. So you climb up and at the top is a place that's surrounded by tall trees and mountains. The wind whispers and ruffles you hair..the little I have, birds flit and sing and you are alone among them. Colorful butterflies flicker and as you stand mesmerized...a damm ant climbs over your shoe and bites.

We stood beneath the tall trees a few minutes later and high up among dense foliage, we saw small bodies curled up tight among the dry leaves. If the guide was not there we might have thought they were leaves. We could not make out much but for the ears and those tiny human like fingers. I stood there realising a childhood dream. We were patient and were rewarded, a tiny head moved slowly turning towards us and I gazed into those lovely eyes of the slender Loris. I thanked my friend Gopinath Kollur who pushed me into the forests and taught me about photography. During a dark period in my life he taught me the peace of the forests.

I turned back and limbed my way somehow to my car and drove to the homestay.

My ankle were swelling up. I knew I could not delay my departure as the ankle would swell up more. I packed and belted myself on to the driver's seat.

It was a tedious and painful drive back to Kochi but I somehow made it. As I sat alone that night, with ice around one ankle and a compression bandage around the other, I wondered whether it was worth it.

Well I clicked away and then followed the dim trail through the thick undergrowth. The tall trees of the rainforest filtered the sun and it was dark, gray and humid on the ground.

I slipped and tumbled, the water does not roll over the rocks now but I did. Maybe a loose rock or a dip in the ground. I held on to my camera keeping it safe but could say the same for myself. I lay there for a minute in shock and then got up on my hands and knees, swaying a bit with pain, mortification and angry with myself. My companion, a true wildlife photographer, reached for my camera first.

I stood on my crocked ankles. There was no way but forward..the whisper was loud now..Loris, Slender Loris.

We were now deep inside and anyway I would have to hobble back gritting my teeth and bearing the pain. I chose to move forward.

On the way we saw another elusive denizen the ceylon frogmouth which spurred me on.

And then I looked into the eyes of that elusive endangered primate looking back at me from my camera and I smiled