We once embarked on a safari where we were lucky enough to spot this beautiful Burgundy Malabar Giant Squirrel. We were amazed as we watched it feeding on the tender leaves of a tree.

A Malabar Giant Squirrel

Further on our journey, we were greeted by a herd of Sambar deer at a salt lick, licking the mineral rich soil and water. Strangely, the deer possessed ‘sore’ spots on their neck; the hair seemed to have fallen off this area and there appeared to be a small circular area with a bloody appearance in its place. It was interesting as there seemed to be conflicting opinions regarding the function and nature of the sore spot, which could be related to their breeding period. I was surprised when I was told that this unique feature was seen only in the Sambars of South India!

Sambar Deer

We last saw a beautiful juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle sitting on a branch by the side of the road, its call echoing through the otherwise silent forest.

A Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 7th, 2010 at 12:40 pm and is filed under Birds, Herbivores, Mammals. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.