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E
ach day, forests blink out across the world as a result
of human activities, carrying with them an
incredible number of unique species. Little patches
of forest that linger within human settlements thus become
ever more precious, offering hope that we can nurture
marvelous animals, plants and microbes for years to come.
Northeast india is one of the most species-rich spots on the
earth, making it especially important to preserve and
nurture forested pieces of land here.
with our friends Arjun and Narmada and their little
daughter Saira, we took a break from our hectic lives as
scientists and visited Bordubi T.E. in Assam for an
enchanted ten days in December 2014. Our Christmas and
New Year holiday was spent in style with Arjun’s aunt and
uncle – our gracious hosts Sarita and Ramanuj Dasgupta.
we spent the mornings and evenings savouring the
sumptuous food, enjoying their generous hospitality.
However, being ecologists, we were also very keen to explore
the nearby forests brimming with exciting wildlife.
Unfortunately, the socio-political situation at the time
meant that we couldn’t venture far from Bordubi. Luckily,
one evening we had a chance to visit the Bamboo Bari in
Koomsong T.E. – a small piece of bamboo forest preserved
amid an ocean of tea bushes.The smell of this forest is still
fresh in our minds! we had just about an hour of fading
daylight, walking on damp soil thick with years of fallen
bamboo leaves. Dragonflies and butterflies were turning in
for the night as the bamboo rustled in the gentle breeze.
it was absolutely magical to inhale the forest and watch it
fold away its secrets for another night.
Early the next morning we dove right into the bamboo
thicket, watching still-snoozing dragonflies and butterflies
as we went along. As the sun became stronger we came out
to the edge of the thicket, watching butterflies get busier as
they absorbed the sun’s warmth.
Most of the butterflies were common species, but no less
beautiful to watch.Towards noon all we had to do was walk
on the paths along the edge of the thicket to see hundreds
of butterflies flitting around! Highlights included the
Orange Oakleaf – a large, handsome butterfly that superbly
resembles a dead leaf so birds wouldn’t eat it; the Purple
Sapphire, a beautiful tiny jewel; and the Glassy Tigers that
smoothly sailed through the air along the forest edge.
On our last day at Bordubi we explored another patch of
greenery in Koomsong, which turned out to be a
regenerating forest. we spent a couple of hours looking
around for butterflies and dragonflies, but the pickings were
slim. However, just as we decided to return to Bordubi, we
happened to spot a stunning caterpillar on a leaf – it was
the Tawny Rajah! it had four horn-like projections on its
large head, and with its slow, graceful movements looked
like a dragon weaving a magic spell. Once we knew what
to look for, we spotted dozens more caterpillars. Along the
way, we found ants building curious nests with plastered
Deepa Agashe and Krushnamegh Kunte are Ecologists and Evolutionary
Biologists at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, Bengaluru, who study the diversification of life on
earth, and the means to preserve biodiversity in tropical and developing
countries such as India .
~ Dr Deepa Agashe &
Dr Krushnamegh Kunte
Habitat Islands in the Midst of Tea
50 JULY 2015