tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-207798092012-01-21T00:31:24.417+08:00Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-45297116738907334992012-01-17T21:53:00.004+08:002012-01-17T22:39:20.029+08:00

MAGIC IN THE WILDERNESSIt never ceases to amaze me how Nature continues to weave Her magic disappearing spells on us, even in this age of mass deforestation and urbanization.As species go extinct as fast as the seconds hand on a clock, so too do others seemingly disappear and then suddenly re-appear like some monumental game of hide and seek.A recent case in point is the beautifully enigmatic

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-5639204106781228602012-01-16T00:31:00.003+08:002012-01-16T01:02:10.701+08:00

ARMPIT ALARMI learned today, that the Silverback male Gorilla will emit a strong body odour from his armpits when he is either threatened or excited, and to also notify other gorillas of his location.Of the 98.67% genetic similarities we share with this gentle giant, it figures that armpit odour had to be somewhere on the list...So if you are ever fortunate enough to encounter one of our closest

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-72657335886378733322012-01-15T19:50:00.005+08:002012-01-15T20:02:39.195+08:00

My fantastic in-laws managed to dig up this 'blast from the past'...Its one of just a few portraits I have ever attempted (humans are much harder to render realistically than animals), and with good reason...Yes, this is Kristen, or at least my rendition of her, way back in '97 when we were in the early days of courtship!Yes, it is slightly lop-sided. And yes, Kristen laughs at it. But it took

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-50785733865283479432012-01-15T16:37:00.003+08:002012-01-15T16:45:39.560+08:00

BEATING THE QUEUE: ATTENBOROUGH-STYLEWhile stuck in an hour-long queue at the supermarket, (for example, on the last weekend before Chinese New Year), why not pass the time by pretending to be David Attenborough, and narrate a wildlife documentary in your head, using the people around you as your subjects/characters.It is extremely entertaining, and becomes a fascinating expose of human behaviour

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-16656107248484660692012-01-15T15:58:00.003+08:002012-01-15T16:05:10.155+08:00

Over the years I have realized just how much anecdotal and useful bits of information I have come across on a daily basis - only to have them lost in the vacant recesses of my brain, to be lost for all eternity.So this year, I shall endeavour to preserve them for posterity, here on the pages of this blog, so that others might find them of use, or at least a desperate talking point after dinner...

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-69099727959526671002011-05-03T02:16:00.002+08:002011-05-03T02:23:06.858+08:00

15 x 22, pastel, 2011

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-69881243250355663142010-10-30T13:54:00.001+08:002010-10-30T13:58:58.535+08:00

After having had such an incredible experience filming in Mongolia earlier this year, I thought it might be a good idea to submit a few of my photos to this ONE LIFE photography competition.Have a look through my little portfolio, and vote if you have the time!Thanks!Charith Pelpola - One Life Photos

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-74127675885243191412010-09-29T13:21:00.002+08:002010-09-29T13:27:46.649+08:00

For the final episode in the series we pull out all the stops - bringing you a sport that has never been filmed before, from one of the most remote corners of Indonesia.The aim of Mbela is to draw blood - it is violent and sometimes brutal and if you are born into the community where it originates - you MUST play the game...A big thank you to all our viewers, friends, and you wonderful people out

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-7710550118967021792010-08-22T10:41:00.011+08:002010-08-22T10:58:19.853+08:00

That's what it felt like - to be stood on a landscape, so spellbinding, and yet so alien - that it almost felt unreal to actually be there.The steppes of Mongolia spread out like some vast cloak of grey and green over a gently undulating terrain. It seems almost too tidy, too well planned out - compact stands of pine trees crest every mountain-top. Boulder-strewn riverbeds twist, serpentine

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-75430153255367667722010-08-12T21:22:00.006+08:002010-08-13T00:52:16.864+08:00

After months of stops and starts and cutting through red tape and a maze of filming permits, Firewalker's inaugural TV production SAVAGE SPORTS, is off the ground.Airing this Sunday in Singapore and across the region, producing the series really has been a trial by fire, but nevertheless a rewarding experience thus far. Check out the show's opening titles for a flavour of what to expect in the

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-55078587658735075592010-04-18T02:36:00.005+08:002010-04-20T01:33:46.201+08:00

After half a year of researching and reshaping - Firewalker Productions has been commissioned by Channel NewsAsia to produce a 6-part documentary series about traditional sports throughout the Asia Pacific region.As we cannot reveal the true name of the series just yet, it is for the moment code-named - Project: Olympic.Field production starts in earnest in May 2010. Charith will be directing and

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-24789637526840164392010-02-18T17:28:00.002+08:002010-02-18T17:40:08.093+08:00

I don't normally self-advertise but for those of you who are able - Watch UNEXPECTED ACCESS tonight on Channel 5 at 10pm please! A rare opportunity for me to highlight the problem of the illegal wildlife trade to a prime-time audience. Hope many will tune in; especially poignant in this Year of the Tiger... animal lovers beware - some disturbing images - but these things must be highlighted from

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-10990209514894755182009-11-05T21:34:00.011+08:002009-11-06T03:19:02.350+08:00

There is a bird that haunts the remaining forest mountainsides of the Philippine island of Mindanao. People know it by various names; scientists christened it Pithecophaga - The Monkey-Eater; but the locals know it by another name: Haring Ibon - The King of Birds. Standing 1-metre tall and weighing over 6kg, the Philippine Eagle is described as being the most regal, tallest, and perhaps largest

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1819819283479670442009-06-24T14:38:00.004+08:002009-06-24T14:46:53.730+08:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I have uploaded the entire Spirit Bear documentary onto YouTube.Because of the site's requirements, I had to divide the show up into smaller bite-sized peices, six parts in all.But if you click on this playlist, you can watch the entire documentary uninterrupted:Enjoy!Cheers,Charith

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-2900507804660995252009-06-12T15:33:00.003+08:002009-06-12T15:49:09.592+08:00

A few years ago, I travelled to Sarawak in East Malaysia to find out more about a local conservation project to save the Green Turtle.Now I have finally managed to edit together and upload a short video snippet of what we saw and the work being done by Sarawak Forestry to ensure the future of this species.I was extremely fortunate to meet Park Ranger, Christopher Kri who is heading the project.

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-15592736511683734912009-06-08T23:50:00.000+08:002009-06-08T23:55:53.899+08:00

For those of you who know me well, I am forever lamenting the demise of the classic wildlife documentary. Those hour-long epics filmed on a grand scale, crossing continents within mere seconds to tell the story of an animal little heard of and barely ever seen before. Their stories were told with a moving, evocative narrative that described more than just their life histories, but evoked a sense

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-11608181047682391812009-05-26T17:48:00.004+08:002009-05-26T18:12:18.346+08:00

Now that its been a couple of years since it was first broadcast on Animal Planet, I've finally got round to posting the first part of our documentary, "Season of the Spirit Bear".Ironically its almost 3 years this month that we were out there filming our furry friends!Enjoy!

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-46236274634575999772009-04-16T21:55:00.002+08:002009-04-16T22:21:36.203+08:00

A few years ago, while I was still filming and working in Sri Lanka, I spent a memorable couple of nights in the company of new-borne Olive Ridley turtles, emerging from the sand and scurrying for the safety of the waves. Since then I have filmed several more turtle species in other parts of Asia - but this first encounter with wild turtles was the most poignant, and the tragedy was that back

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-41215822632910058342009-03-27T15:39:00.002+08:002009-03-27T15:48:21.141+08:00

My latest - in pastel65 x 55 cmPapua New Guinea tribesmen in ceremonial chant

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-31374577933515440032009-02-15T16:40:00.005+08:002009-02-15T17:38:59.852+08:00

I have sailed the inbound sea. I have led a nomad's life, wandering with the great shoals; sleeping under Orion's light, singing the liquid song of my loss and my regret. For the sake of my brothers, I keep my mind from wandering to that dying horizon, where my lover awaits with the comfort of dusk.The dunes afford no future. For my brothers and I are fishers of the sea. We have turned our

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-69629715638288310492009-02-06T12:14:00.005+08:002009-02-06T12:22:27.867+08:00

I was thrilled to discover this wonderful Gloriosa superba in bloom in Pulau Ubin - a small island off the coast of Singapore...The last time I saw one growing in the wild was in the Yala National Park in Sri Lanka! The plant has such an array of mystical and medicinal properties - and I know was also used to poison enemies in the heady days of pre-Raj era Sri Lanka... What a wonderful name:

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-60101352791945645142008-10-23T01:11:00.010+08:002008-11-03T23:01:23.891+08:00

Behind tinted glass, the landscape rolls on towards the horizon. Its just as I had always imagined, Giant Saguaro Cacti, standing like lone prospectors; staking their claim to a slice of thorny, desiccated desert. This was the empire of desert, the distant plain, the back-of-beyond, that had landscaped my imagination from early childhood to the present day. From a Fistful of Dollars, to No

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-91677359316448539832008-09-06T01:12:00.008+08:002008-09-06T01:37:24.205+08:00

We've only reached Episode 5 in the series, but Culture X is already making waves in Singapore's homegrown television industry. The show has now officially garnered the highest ratings EVER for a local production in the history of Singaporean television. And that beats the multitude of mindless comedies and overly dramatic soap operas that often become the bigger hits over here.It is something of

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-32874673646511551362008-08-27T01:42:00.004+08:002008-08-27T02:16:35.568+08:00

And now for something completely different... While filming in Kerala, Southern India last month, I visited Punnathur Kotta - literally the "Elephant Fort". Once the palace of a local ruler, its now famous for being home to some 64 elephants, who work for and are owned by the local temple.The oldest elephant here is around 75 years of age, and something of a megastar. There is an annual

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-42397536381949449372008-08-24T00:32:00.007+08:002010-09-16T02:12:37.295+08:00

Our society as we know it is divided into two clearly defined boundaries - Life and Death - and we hope to remain in the realms of the living as long as we possibly can. That's a given... But a few weeks ago, I was given a new perspective of this seemingly obvious statement. We were filming in Manila, Philippines for Culture X, and I was anticipating shooting a curious little story about a group

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-7316479396250045192008-07-29T16:13:00.004+08:002008-07-29T16:53:45.142+08:00

Let's face it, writing for television can get a little tedious now and then - follow the same format, deliver the same punchline - it all gets a bit monotonous.Its not that you don't want to be original - of course you do! Its just that most of the work on offer these days dictates that you follow a tried and tested formula - television stations are not risk-takers, they are safe-betters, and

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-53293919520282896732008-05-23T15:52:00.007+08:002008-05-23T16:18:02.026+08:00

I've always been interested in the fate of mammals that have become extinct within the timespan of human occupation on the planet, and one of the most intriguing of these cases is the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine, a unique marsupial carnivore from Australasia that some die-hards reckon still lingers on in the vast reaches of the outback... But recent news reveals that we may not even have to

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-49843910226981476032008-05-15T00:29:00.005+08:002008-05-15T00:34:43.687+08:00

Thekka Wewa, Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka 2008This is a view just a few minutes jeep ride away from where my uncle has just built himself a jungle hideaway (check the link above to find out more)

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-56937764644927339192008-05-14T10:44:00.000+08:002008-05-15T00:06:19.083+08:00

Its been painful but all of my work recently has taken me away from wildlife and only recently have I been able to emerge from the bottomless pit that is engineering documentaries.After months of researching concrete thickness and the hazards of working in marine clay, I am happy to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, quite literally.And apart from going all technical, I also wrote

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-64194721488109808172007-11-16T10:36:00.000+08:002007-11-16T11:25:53.144+08:00

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania . This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's letter before you get to the response letter. SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County Dear Mr. DeVries: It has come to

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-24322088228097990712007-09-20T02:27:00.000+08:002007-09-20T02:56:28.785+08:00

I knew I shouldn't have done it as soon as I walked into the place...Stepped into the pet shop to buy the furry ones their food, and I was hopelessly, magnetically drawn to this beautiful creature seated quietly amid the noise and excitement of the puppy sales area at the back of the store.I feel sorry for Huskies raised in Singapore - bred to brave the winters of the Northern Hemisphere, it must

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-91794669796254960452007-09-15T00:58:00.000+08:002007-09-15T01:29:32.778+08:00

I am not often confronted by things which leave me at a loss for words, sickened and saddened at the same time.But today during a casual wander through Singapore's shopping district, I came face to face with such an abundance of apparel and high fashion made from animal fur, that for a moment it felt that I had been transported into some kind of glorified slaughterhouse.Name any top fashion label

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-24244525494647818702007-07-21T01:03:00.000+08:002007-07-21T22:44:33.569+08:00

Now that she is 5 months old, Pumpkin, our resident cute kitten and Twinkie's pride and joy, has learned how she can get away with things that other animals in our household cannot. Take Cocoa's tail for instance - many others would love to - but its seriously out of bounds. Cocoa does not like her tail being tampered with. But now Pumpkin has shattered that taboo completely, and Cocoa is at a

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-79131629672587505362007-07-19T02:59:00.000+08:002007-07-19T03:33:17.275+08:00

Far from me to be a foreteller of doom and gloom, but I have to say that last year, when we were wrapping up our final weeks of filming in the glorious wilderness of Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, amid that slightly weightless feeling of being completely at peace with your surroundings, I commented, "this is too good to be true." On our search for evasive Sloth Bears, we had

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-9290440415500825432007-07-18T13:11:00.000+08:002007-07-18T13:35:04.440+08:00

Found uploaded by someone else on Google Video - the full 49 min documentary. Watch it while it remains online. You can also download it and watch it with Google Video Player.The Indian Tiger is in deep trouble. Thirty years ago India set aside over 30 tiger reserves controlled by Project Tiger. Initially it was hailed as a great success, but in the last few years hundreds of tigers have been

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-54379155890300494532007-07-18T12:20:00.000+08:002007-07-18T13:35:20.814+08:00

My apologies for such a long absence. It has been an interesting time, where I've taken the opportunity to explore the hidden depths of hospitals and experience some of the most interesting observational procedures. Nothing life-threatening, just a few probes and scopes and scans just to figure out how my erratic transplanted kidney is faring.To all intents and purposes it has shut down for good,

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-84370648555169475962007-03-15T22:35:00.000+08:002007-03-15T23:42:53.867+08:00

Well the kittens are now five weeks old. They seem to have already developed some personality, having discovered early on the many advantages of being cute, small and furry and therefore entirely and instantly forgiven for any misdemeanor.Having learned to climb before they could walk, they have established the sofa as their new domain. Here they are captured in a brief moment of rest - that's

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-50116405182311340372007-03-15T01:23:00.000+08:002007-03-15T01:40:54.084+08:00

Well alright! "Spirit Bear" has been nominated for an award at the Wildlife Asia Film Festival, currently happening here in Singapore.It has been shortlisted for the "Best Director who is bald and very tall" category - a hotly contested award as you might expect... And if for some reason I'm not victorious there, it's also been entered into the "Best Local Production" category, which is a bit

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-4856502084314827482007-02-28T21:49:00.000+08:002007-03-13T16:19:12.204+08:00

Last year, new genetic tests comparing DNA from humans, chimps, gorillas and orangutans revealed striking similarities in the way chimps and humans evolve - which set them apart from the others.The finding added further weight to a controversial proposal to scrap the long-used chimp genus Pan and reclassify the animals as members of the human family.The move would give chimps a new place in

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-72125115614699581482007-02-15T01:55:00.000+08:002007-02-15T03:20:58.874+08:00

I guess the time finally comes to everyone, when they must assume the reigns of responsibility.. and guide a new soul into this world. Well ladies and gentlemen, that time has finally caught up with me... I have become a grandfather. Twinky has given birth to 3 kittens, amidst much panic and nervousness and commotion (coming mostly from Kristen and myself). So this past week I have focussed my

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-39927732206115088402007-01-05T10:00:00.000+08:002007-01-05T22:08:00.225+08:00

There's something about Singapore that makes me smile - in spite of the workaholic days, the tremendous expense of almost everything (not including the food or the cinema tickets thank goodness), and the perpetually steamy sub-tropical temperatures. And that something - is the wilderness - and yes, it is still here.Because you see, in spite of the citystate's well-founded reputation for urban

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-20844757451200017742006-12-22T17:48:00.000+08:002006-12-22T18:14:00.237+08:00

In a couple of days it'll be the 2nd anniversary of the Tsunami that struck South and South East Asia in 2004. We were holidaying in Sri Lanka at the time, and although a cousin of mine and his entire family were killed, my wife and her folks were lucky enough to be in the wrong place at the right time - and thats why she is still alive and well today, thank God.A few months before the Tsunami

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-43200252461157513792006-12-20T00:21:00.000+08:002006-12-20T00:24:46.380+08:00

And ironically, in the same week we witness one species disappear from the face of the earth - we welcome a new one....(Image: A Haas/WWF)This tree frog, found in Borneo, has been named Rhacophorus gadingensis. The environmental group WWF says in a new report that at least 52 new species have been found in Borneo during the past year.

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-11261615799000966792006-12-19T13:22:00.000+08:002006-12-19T14:19:56.958+08:00

"The Baiji is Functionally Extinct. Lipotes vexilifier is the first species of cetacean – whales, dolphins and porpoises – to disappear from our globe in modern times… the first large mammal to go extinct as a result of man’s destruction of their natural habitat and resources. The disappearance of the Baiji from our planet is a tragedy for animal lovers around the world – and a tragic milestone

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-79108262177123828562006-12-11T13:54:00.000+08:002006-12-12T15:30:46.600+08:00

In the lone hills of southern Sri Lanka, there lies a belt of tropical rain forest called Sinharaja. Like all ancient forests, it once stretched out across the country, linking the burning coastline to the cool, lingering highlands.'Sinharaja' is literally the 'lion king', which refers to the original "Royal Forest of Sri Lanka". The small 8,000 hectare fragment that remains today is the last of

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1165258965875451762006-12-05T02:00:00.000+08:002006-12-08T08:01:21.096+08:00

Perhaps the only tropical grassland in India with the status of a national park, Velavadar in Bhavnagar, is 36 kilometres of grasslands and thorn scrub in the southern confines of Gujarat. We travelled through this area in search of Asiatic Lions, and although the forests of Sasan Gir were our ultimate destination, I was beginning to get a distinct feeling that we were now entering an area of

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1164817765816253302006-11-29T22:59:00.000+08:002006-12-04T18:11:24.873+08:00

When I finally got round to fine-tuning the narrative for our documentary, it was vital that we had a semblance of a "cast" - characters on whose lives we could eavesdrop if only for a fleeting moment in time, and tell their stories, from their point of view. Well that was the plan anyway. And after our first season of filming and hardly any bears on the ground, I was beginning to wonder if

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1164397472484137022006-11-24T23:52:00.000+08:002006-11-29T15:10:07.153+08:00

I thought today would be a bad day, considering the way it started: our much loved Suckermouth Catfish, Hypostomus plecostomus, imaginatively christened "Spotty" by my wife, had passed away during the night. I bought him as a 2 inch baby when we first came to Singapore in 2000, and 6 years later, he had grown into a handsome 2 and half feet giant.Farewell Spotty. We had good times...I spent a sad

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163783698541642112006-11-18T00:38:00.000+08:002006-11-21T17:50:01.536+08:00

There comes a moment in the jungles, after the first few days of frenzied surveillance and field research, when you settle down, figure out your likely locations, and just wait for things to happen. And that's the moment when the wilderness gradually starts to accept you as part of the landscape...It was no different this time in Sri Lanka, while waiting for the stars of our show to make their

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163733683866926042006-11-18T00:22:00.000+08:002006-11-19T06:04:40.046+08:00

Cocoa is a curious sort. For those that don't know her, she's a typical "Singapore special" - mysterious parentage, but some recognizable breeds incorporated somewhere within her ancestry.She's extremely inquisitive and when she's feeling up to it, inclined to bouts of cleverness. Cocoa is very familiar with all the animal life that frequents our neighbourhood here in the west coast of the

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163740328478622782006-11-17T13:03:00.001+08:002006-11-17T13:56:30.683+08:00

from National Geographic NewsIn the remote forests of southeastern Russia, scientists have captured what's believed to be the rarest big cat on Earth: a Far Eastern leopard.The animal is so scarce that only 30 are thought to survive in the wild.The team, led by biologists from the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, caught the 100-pound (45-kilogram) male in a snare last week while

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163483874628117682006-11-14T13:08:00.000+08:002006-11-21T17:48:17.636+08:00

Well, if blockbuster Hollywood movies can have them, then why can't I?Thought it might be fun to show you some of the behind-the-scenes goings-on of "Season of the Spirit Bear", as a lead up to its premiere on Animal Planet in a couple of weeks.And just to make sure that I give absolutely nothing away - none of this stuff actually appears in the documentary... so you'll still have to tune in

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163477345158071742006-11-14T11:58:00.000+08:002006-11-14T14:21:29.473+08:00

A Thai zoo, which has hosted a couple of pandas for four years, will play ahem, "adult" videos for the male next month to encourage them to breed in captivity.The pair - living chastely together at the zoo in the northern city of Chiang Mai since arriving from China in 2003 - would be separated in December, but stay close enough for occasional glimpses of each other, said panda project chief

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163391202695954422006-11-13T12:01:00.000+08:002006-11-13T12:46:41.860+08:00

Throughout the Asian region, outdated laws and blinding oversights still exist that make the work of the wildlife researcher difficult to say the least.Check out this improbable example from India - or, "How to study a nocturnal animal, without permission to do any research at night."[text from Science Nov. 10, 2006 - DOI: 10.1126/science.314.5801.907a]Little is known about the Malabar civet (

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163179708611031472006-11-11T00:55:00.000+08:002006-11-11T12:48:01.766+08:00

Everyone should have a hobby - and as I don't drink or smoke, the next best thing was fish-keeping. And since going on about David Attenborough can't strictly be classified as a hobby, raising tropical fish seemed a more socially acceptable pastime.I must admit that my efforts at piscine husbandry kind of faded away after my dear old pair of Blue Discus died of, well, being terminally old.

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1163057227150835792006-11-09T14:51:00.000+08:002006-11-10T05:14:53.790+08:00

Above all perceptions in the natural world, is the tuning of the senses to a language far more resounding than words. Yet so subtle, that it remains inaudible to our own human acoustics.As you or I might walk through the forests, and delight in the songs of the oriole, or the warning drill of a flamboyant peacock, we remain entirely unsuspecting of the deeper

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1162801137818552112006-11-06T14:20:00.001+08:002006-11-16T23:31:06.846+08:00

Permit me for five minutes to act my shoe size and not my age...As some of you may know, Sir David Attenborough and his work have been a lifelong inspiration for me.Those closer to me know that I don't stop going on about him...During my childhood I was enchanted by his personable accounts of the rich natural histories that surround us. I am still enchanted. My career is as a result of his work,

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1162791189246062652006-11-06T13:27:00.000+08:002006-11-06T13:34:55.500+08:00

It's considered a national symbol, displayed on the back of Macedonia's 5-denar coin.But the Balkan lynx, the largest of European wildcats, is a very rare sight in the southern Balkans these days.Conservationists say only about 100 remain scattered across the region, making it Europe's most endangered wildcat, and they're mounting an urgent effort to save it. The cat roams the rugged hills of

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1162729131757697832006-11-05T19:31:00.000+08:002006-11-05T20:18:55.913+08:00

What does a wildlife-lover do when he is on medical leave and can't go out into the wilderness or have fun getting lost in the jungle?Well, MC is no fun for someone like me. So I decided to deal with the boredom by going back to one of my first loves and starting my artwork again, which I've been neglecting for some time.So here goes, after a week or so of meditative artwork, here's my latest

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1162266300245170332006-10-31T10:45:00.001+08:002006-11-02T08:25:34.976+08:00

Hello All, apologies for the absence - illness and a bit of enforced rest have kept me away for a while, but enough about that. I am delighted to announce that Season of the Spirit Bear will be premiering in this part of the world (Asia and South East Asia) on 26th November.Check out this Animal Planet link for more details.Internationally, it'll be airing on the 18th November in the UK and

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1162261582911956562006-10-31T10:22:00.000+08:002006-10-31T10:26:22.923+08:00

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1157127414232116642006-09-01T23:10:00.000+08:002006-10-31T10:28:55.403+08:00

Well its been almost two whole months since my last entry. Time flies when you're having fun...Actually after days and nights of frantic editing and frequent pacing of the edit room floor and myriad instances waking up and pleading to no-one in particular, "Why the hell did I choose to make a film with Animal Planet about the most endangered (and therefore most elusive) mammal species in Sri

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1152026931709211362006-07-04T23:17:00.000+08:002006-08-04T11:11:31.603+08:00

After escaping ambush from Asiatic Lions, a near-squashing from angry elephants, a close-shave with a giant Stingray and being defecated on by a family of Flying Foxes... I've finally been injured by an animal - well quite a few animals actually.It is a sad day indeed: Last night two of my cats decided to have a fight, and the dogs joined in.Unfortunately the site of said fight was on top of my

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1150823278180454522006-06-21T00:40:00.000+08:002006-07-11T18:39:15.150+08:00

As some of you may know, I've been busy with a documentary about Sloth Bears on the island of Sri Lanka.Have been in the process of getting all my footage sorted out, but I'd like to share some of my experiences here - and share with you just what its like to be in the wilderness away from Humanity for a few precious days!!! (I need it from time to time, and fortunately my job allows me to do

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1150633704136318992006-06-18T20:17:00.000+08:002006-06-18T20:47:41.106+08:00

Hello All,Apologies for the long absence - have been busy with my Animal Planet project, but have found enough respite from my schedule to get back to the blogger!A fascinating update about a fossil rodent-like creature whose carcass had recently been found in a Laotian meat market, believed to have become extinct 11 million years ago (!): Images have been obtained of a live Laotian rock rat, the

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1146640023436001502006-05-03T14:53:00.000+08:002006-05-08T19:05:44.026+08:00

As I prepare for an upcoming shoot, I'd like to share with you an unlikely but useful part of one's field kit: VodkaSome of Vodka's many uses:1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The solvent will dissolve the adhesive.2. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1145824126781978202006-04-24T04:17:00.000+08:002006-06-18T20:34:29.266+08:00

Check out this amazing streaming live "Eagle Eye Cam" from a bald eagle's nest in Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.EAGLE EYE CAMThe eggs are about to hatch and the local wildlife department are monitoring the pair.The eagles have nested on a protected, privately owned piece of land so they are safe from harm.

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1145735289881467512006-04-23T03:36:00.000+08:002006-09-12T11:11:04.146+08:00

Nature's capacity to heal itself is absolutely incredible. I for one believed that Chernobyl would forever be a "No-Mans Land" - but obviously the animals don't seem to have paid much attention...With lynx, wolves, eagles and wild horses, the radioactive no-go zone around Chernobyl has become a rich natural reserve in the 20 years since the accident at the nuclear power plant. Dangerously soaked

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1144842674646459482006-04-12T19:22:00.000+08:002006-06-25T20:33:52.066+08:00

Regeneration - the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs or even limbs - has a limited capacity in mammals. While skin and hair cells constantly renew themselves, unlike a newt, if a human loses a leg, there is no second chance. But the discovery of a strain of mouse, the Murphy Roths Large (MRL), with remarkable regenerative capabilities has opened up the possibility that

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1144306342418426232006-04-06T14:24:00.000+08:002006-04-11T13:34:23.456+08:00

If you trace our family tree 370,000,000 years back to the Late Devonian, this could well be the face of our long-lost great grand mother.Meet Tiktaalik roseae, the newly described lobefinned fish from Nunavut, Canada. The name Tiktaalik comes from an Inuit word for the fish we call burbot, after local elders noted the similarity between the fossil and the large living fish they catch. Unlike

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1138391719048433802006-04-06T14:04:00.000+08:002006-04-06T16:46:51.793+08:00

Its a funny old world, isn't it? The circumstances that keep the human race united under the common ties of community - and yet poles apart in terms of commodity.A couple of weeks ago a sleak black Lamborghini pulled up along side me in town. This admittedly gorgeous piece of machinery is probably one of the most recognizable statements of privilege and wealth on four wheels that you're likely to

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1144157484628089892006-04-04T21:29:00.000+08:002006-04-05T01:26:10.226+08:00

More hope for the most endangered cat in the world: DNA analysis of excrement found last October in an Area of Special Protection for Birds (ZEPA) between the Cofio and Alberche rivers in Spain, correspond to an Iberian Lynx.Reseaerchers believe this confirms the existence of a lost population of lynx in the Sistema Central. The only problem is that the infamous M-501 highway that will run from

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1143873284480282242006-04-01T14:20:00.000+08:002006-07-25T23:18:56.596+08:00

In yet another wild burst of directionless creativity, I started yet another piece of artwork - this time as an ode to the Lions of Gir.As usual I have been distracted with work halfway through, and have all good intentions of completing it... eventually.BTW - when I finally get my act together, I'll be putting up an online gallery of some of my recent work - mainly just for amusement, but some

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1143871004115806842006-04-01T13:43:00.000+08:002006-07-02T17:19:27.876+08:00

Two more Iberian Lynx cubs were born in captivity on March 23rd at 9:30pm to the same mother, Saliega, as last year's historic cubs - the first Iberian lynx to have ever been bred in captivity. This is a truly wonderful achievement, considering the fact that the species is now recognized as the most endangered feline in the world. The cubs were born at El Acebuche lynx breeding facilities in

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1143744622875026402006-03-31T02:40:00.000+08:002006-06-15T02:41:01.903+08:00

On the topic of big cats - here are a couple of leopard pics from my last field shoot in Sri Lanka.They are both stills from footage I'm using for a documentary to be released at the end of this year.The first is a beautiful young male - being very cautious as he approaches a waterhole just before dusk. He is watching a herd of Spotted Deer on the far side of the open ground!The next fellow is a

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1143229742103244992006-03-25T03:04:00.000+08:002006-03-25T03:57:40.890+08:00

Not one, but two positive news reports about big cat conservation in Asia.First, news about a subspecies I've had the great privilege to experience in life:Asiatic Lions to get new Sanctuary at Jesar Friday 24 March 2006 In a major step, the state government has decided to set up a new lion sanctuary at Jesar hills in the Bhavnagar-Amreli forests to ensure better conservation of the

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1143133299473714142006-03-24T00:21:00.000+08:002006-03-24T01:17:43.503+08:00

My apologies for the week-long absence. I find myself having been dragged into the bottomless depths of the delectable soup also known as "Scriptwriting 101 for engineering documentaries".Over these past few days my mind has drifted back to the dreaded surroundings of my schoolboy physics classes, where I was perpetually at a loss to understand what on earth was going on. All those fulcrums and

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1142484678345283072006-03-16T12:34:00.000+08:002006-03-16T14:01:50.486+08:00

The low-lying Maldives island chain was right in the bulls-eye of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis, but the islands themselves suffered surprisingly little damage and some even grew taller as a result of the deadly waves, reports a New Zealand geologist.Despite the disastrous effects of the tsunamis on humans and man-made structures in the Maldives, less than five percent of the land

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1142341176355924522006-03-14T20:04:00.000+08:002006-03-16T01:23:32.856+08:00

As a prelude to my next Field Journal entry, a portrait of possibly the most regal animal I have ever stood in the presence of... Standing over two and a half feet tall, adorned by a seven foot wingspan, and crowned by a royal headcrest fit for a king, the Philippine Eagle is a proud bird indeed. But inspite of his impressive display of dignity and power, Junior here and the rest of his clan

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1142231841076232252006-03-13T14:13:00.000+08:002006-03-13T14:37:21.193+08:00

They already use basic tools, have rudimentary language and star in TV commercials, but now scientists have proof that chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than other great apes. Genetic tests comparing DNA from humans, chimps, gorillas and orang-utans reveal striking similarities in the way chimps and humans evolve that set them apart from the others. The finding adds weight to a

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1142192604647997632006-03-13T03:15:00.000+08:002006-03-13T03:43:24.696+08:00

I came across this extremely powerful image from WildAid's Active Conservation Awareness Program (ACAP) webpage. As more and more incidents and examples of the illegal wildlife trade continue to infiltrate headlines in the popular tabloids, the time is ripe to grab hold of the opportunity and recent swing in public opinion - and start becoming active, in whatever way possible to raise awareness

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141930549007517342006-03-12T01:30:00.000+08:002006-11-28T02:28:43.980+08:00

After the ever so slightly disappointing encounter with the 'kitchen dragons' of Komodo Island - (of course that doesn't take away from the fact that there are dragons further inland that are known to have taken human victims in the past, notably the infamous case of the Swedish photographer whose only remains were his cameras) - dropping anchor at Rinca was a relief in more ways than one.The

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141897227623063052006-03-09T17:04:00.000+08:002006-03-09T17:40:27.666+08:00

Reception staff at the Natural History Museum in London were in no doubt about the message they wanted to be passed to future visitors. 'Please, please tell your readers they cannot come to see the squid unless they book,' pleaded one.Over the past four days thousands have arrived to see Archie, the giant squid, after news of his unveiling - in a tank of pickling fluid in the basement of the

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141750654413783322006-03-08T00:45:00.001+08:002006-03-08T00:57:34.416+08:00

A map reveals where mammal species have the highest risk for future extinction, according to a new study...Among the most prominent of the 20 hotspots of possible extinction are the forests and tundra of northern Canada and Alaska, and the chain of islands stretching from Indonesia to the South Pacific.This map is talking in terms of 'decades to come' - but if we already have a good idea that

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141661759432393832006-03-07T00:03:00.000+08:002006-03-07T00:18:22.830+08:00

Ocean depths beyond 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) are almost devoid of sharks, a finding that is grim news for these threatened fish, according to a recent study.An international team of researchers used deep-sea trawls, baited hooks and baited cameras to see where sharks live, testing depths in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans and Mediterranean Sea from 471 to 5,900 metres (1,530 to 19,175

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141584315172811872006-03-06T02:11:00.000+08:002006-03-06T03:01:11.096+08:00

Most people wake up in the morning with a yearning for... peanut butter sandwiches? Or maybe, a game of pool? Well something like that anyway...Well I woke up today with a yearning for an elephant encounter - yes it happens now and again. Its been 6 months since my last meeting with wild elephants, and the sentimentality that surfaces at not being in their company is something akin to

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141468432692306312006-03-04T18:12:00.000+08:002006-03-04T18:48:35.456+08:00

In the Okavango Delta, lions are doing something unexpected — they have taken to water and become supreme swimmers. Animal Planet's Swimming Lions introduces people to the team of scientists — led by Christiaan and Hanlie Winterbach — who are engaged in an ongoing quest to understand this quirky leonine behavior.Swimming Lions shows the problems that lions in the region face and what makes them

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141364972959399392006-03-03T13:17:00.000+08:002006-03-06T23:05:38.346+08:00

Last week in Sumatra nationwide efforts to eradicate poaching and illegal trade of tiger, rhino, elephant and orangutan, made progress with the initiation of an intensive “boot-camp” training course focused exclusively on enhancing wildlife protection.Designed to increase the role of local villagers and communities, the course is unique in that trainees are supported by, not only Government and

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141293159688709292006-03-02T14:43:00.000+08:002006-03-03T03:16:02.646+08:00

Travelling to Komodo is literally like travelling back in time. As soon as you're set adrift from the port of Labuan Bajo, you're not just leaving dry land; you're also turning your back on all preconceived notions of civilization.Travelling in the company of The Nature Conservancy Indonesia, we journeyed over miles and miles of sea.I counted the hours by counting the many island chains that

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1141066847643897492006-02-28T01:11:00.000+08:002006-03-03T03:02:47.416+08:00

Throughout all my escapades in the Asian wilderness, I've had one constant companion, irrespective of country, habitat, or environmental conditions. Whether open savannah, humid rainforests, or the tangled maze of mangroves - there's been a monitor lizard somewhere on the scene.Love 'em or hate 'em (I happen to be in the first school of thought), monitors are masters of adaptation. And come

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1140791636459184482006-02-24T22:25:00.000+08:002006-02-26T00:51:50.876+08:00

23/02/06The holy grail of wildlife photography - a sequence of a snow leopard hunting a goat in the Himalayas - has been obtained by a BBC natural history unit about 50 miles from the Tora Bora caves, once a hideout of Osama bin Laden. (And I am frothing with envy and admittedly a considerable amount of admiration!)With a high definition lens, cameraman Mark Smith captured the sudden high-speed

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1140675813090440322006-02-23T14:04:00.000+08:002006-02-23T14:35:01.250+08:00

As a precursor to another Field Journal entry - this time about my encounters with that giant among reptiles, the wonderfully adaptable monitor lizard, here's another piece of artwork I've been working on. Its a Clouded Monitor, Varanus bengalensis, in the undergrowth with a streak of sunlight catching it - undergrowth and streak yet to come... Detail: 'Dawn Monitor' Charith Pelpola, 2006

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1140667544755160502006-02-23T11:45:00.000+08:002006-02-23T12:16:54.316+08:00

Rudyard Kipling may have told us how the leopard got its spots, but it has taken two University of Wisconsin researchers to tell us how the chicken lost its teeth. And the tale told by John Fallon and Matthew Harris, seems almost as strange as Kipling's famous fictions. The strange part came when the scientists got a chicken to grow alligator teeth.Confused? It's all explained in the journal

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1140412953851497952006-02-20T12:34:00.000+08:002006-02-20T13:27:10.863+08:00

Great ape populations are undergoing a dramatic decline, which is predicted to result in their extinction in the wild from entire regions in the near future. Recent findings have particularly focused on African apes, and have implicated multiple factors contributing to this decline, such as deforestation, hunting, and disease.Less well-publicised, but equally dramatic, has been the decline in

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1140287102258572272006-02-19T00:10:00.000+08:002006-11-06T15:16:54.120+08:00

Its amazing how a simple tune can evoke a vast store of nostalgia, seemingly from out of thin air. This morning a song blaring from a distant radio, a typical tune from the mid-80's - I think it was an old hit by Simple Minds - tapped a totally forgotten region of my memory, and suddenly I was back in those old days of questionable hairstyles and garish clothes, surrounded by the sounds of the

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1140200022528073302006-02-18T02:02:00.000+08:002006-02-18T02:14:28.196+08:00

It may still be "King of the Beasts," and have a far higher profile than its enigmatic Asian cousin, but it seems that even the ubiquitous African lion is losing hold over its kingdom. According to a new report released by the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), these emblematic big cats have disappeared from 82 percent of their historic distribution over the past several decades.

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1140026307887310942006-02-16T00:56:00.000+08:002006-02-16T19:31:46.020+08:00

One of the world's most endangered big cats - the beautiful Asiatic Lion - was once widespread from the Mediterranean to India. Today they number just around 300.With such a small number of animals - representing the world's entire population - there are so many problems that have arisen for conservationists trying to rescue the species - not least of which is the tiny gene pool. Inbreeding has

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1139856206501066632006-02-14T02:29:00.000+08:002006-02-16T18:57:31.786+08:00

Well that didn't take long!In January, ICS camera traps recorded the remarkable scene of a Grey Wolf with its kill in Khojir National Park, eastern Tehran.The animal had passed in front of the motion-detector infrared camera and then returned with its kill which was later identified as a small carnivore, probably a jackal. The wolf was photographed as part of continuing field research under the

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1139855061780692832006-02-14T00:54:00.000+08:002006-02-14T02:49:42.836+08:00

There are the WWFs and the IUCNs of this world - the necessary international conservation organizations that have built themselves into global mouthpieces for environmental welfare and preservation. And all credit to them.But when such groups evolve to such a scale and complexity, they have no choice but to address policies and mandates, by and large, on an equally global perspective.But what

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20779809.post-1139848221071930212006-02-14T00:10:00.000+08:002006-02-14T00:30:21.740+08:00

I'm sorry - I couldn't resist sharing this. I keep coming across these so often, should really start a regular series.

Charithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11634398463834680275noreply@blogger.com0