[concorde24]

This article is from The Hindu dated 7/6, Chennai edition on Page 1

"White Tiger in Nilgiris is a first" - Nilanjan Ray, I guess this is indeed you. Will be great to have more details on this great find and your experiences.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nationa...le19217223.ece

[mpksuhas]

News link about above mentioned post, also saw a post on Sanctuary magazine Facebook page.

As mentioned by Concorde, awaiting story from your end .

Link

[nilanjanray]

Very pale (leucustic) tiger, rare and unique, due to colour morphism. Perhaps the palest in the wild today. But not 'white'. Some editors used the phrase to attract more eyeballs. And yes, I took the photo

The Guardian or Asianet articles are a lot more correct re scientific terms.

A rare “pale tiger”, whose fur conservationists say could be the fairest of any in the wild, has been photographed in southern India.

“It is the palest tiger I have ever seen on the record or heard about in literature,” said Belinda Wright, the founder of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.

The animal was spotted last week by wildlife photographer Nilanjan Ray while driving in Nilgiri biosphere reserve in Tamil Nadu state.

Pale tigers, distinct from white tigers, are thought to have a genetic mutation that results in what biologists call colour morphism. It occurs in environments with large, random mating pools that allow for the varied exchange of genes.

Parvish Pandya, a doctor of zoology, said the birth of a tiger with pale fur was “quite a genetic chance”. He ruled out the possibility the tiger was albino, citing the lack of pinkish hue around its eyes.

Wright, who has spent decades in India tracking tigers, said she recalled only ever seeing one before, in the Ranthambore national park in Rajasthan in the 1980s. “But it wasn’t nearly as pale as this one,” she said.

The last white tiger in the wild was shot in 1958...
...
...

Read more

[Thad E Ginathom]

Wow.

It's amazing to take such photos and put them on the internet, it is quite something else to get them published in the national and international press!

Many congratulations

[//M]

Incredible clicks Nilanjan Da.

The pale tiger has to be the rarest one out there. I know you would not want to reveal much details about the exact location, quite rightly so. But many of us would really wish to see more pics and maybe a short writeup about this episode.

Many Congratulations for these brilliant clicks !

[C300]

Congrats Nilanjan. I read the article on the Guardian and then saw your name. This has to be one of the rarest clicks of the big cat in the wild.
Please share more pics and details about the encounter.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by NPV

Excellent thread and pictures, thanks for sharing.....
Trivia - Roerich Estate is a beautiful farm owned by the late artist Svetoslav Roerich and his wife Devika Rani.

Another trivia tidbit (hopefully with mods' permission)! -

"Roerich's UFO sighting
During his travels in northern China, Roerich describes a strange sighting in his travel diary on August 5, 1926:
We were in our camp in the Kukonor district not far from the Humboldt Chain. In the morning about half-past nine some of our caravaneers noticed a remarkably big black eagle flying above us. Seven of us began to watch this unusual bird. At the same moment another of our caravaneers remarked, "There is something far above the bird." And he shouted in his astonishment. We all saw, in a direction from north to south, something big and shiny reflecting the sun like a huge oval moving at great speed. Crossing our camp this thing changed in its direction from south to southwest. And we saw how it disappeared in the intense blue sky. We even had time to take our field glasses and saw quite distinctly an oval form with a bright surface, one of which was brilliant from the sun[1]"

It's a matter of interest for followers of the UFO scene - me included - that Roerich was among the earliest to have recorded a sighting!

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Wow.

It's amazing to take such photos and put them on the internet, it is quite something else to get them published in the national and international press!

Many congratulations

Thank you. Maybe my professional hat helped.

Originally Posted by //M

Incredible clicks Nilanjan Da.

The pale tiger has to be the rarest one out there. I know you would not want to reveal much details about the exact location, quite rightly so. But many of us would really wish to see more pics and maybe a short writeup about this episode.

Many Congratulations for these brilliant clicks !

I have been hearing rumours re many photographers - especially those with great contacts with senior forest officials - making a beeline for that place. Location might have been (has probably been) leaked, since the guide and a few rangers knew the exact spot. I told the location only to the FD. I just hope that the cute fella stays in the wild, with monitoring (radio collar, camera), and is not put in a zoo. And is not poached.

Originally Posted by C300

Congrats Nilanjan. I read the article on the Guardian and then saw your name. This has to be one of the rarest clicks of the big cat in the wild.
Please share more pics and details about the encounter.

Seems so. As per Belinda Wright. http://www.conservationindia.org/author/belinda

The sighting was rather interesting. Media doesn't know half of it. Rest assured, my Bison (4x4 Fortuner) played a key role :-)

Edit: let me put it this way. If I didn't have a faithful 4x4, it is unlikely that I would have captured this unique animal.

And FD has its own priorities. Anyway, I have been assured by FD and NGOs that this unique animal will be taken care of.



Google for 'pale tiger' 'nilanjan' for more info.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Thank you. Maybe my professional hat helped.

Oh! I missed out on the fact that you are a pro.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Oh! I missed out on the fact that you are a pro.

I am not a pro photographer, Thad.

Anyway, the line between professional and amateur is blurred nowadays. Some of the best photos I see are from amateurs who can afford the best gear, learn from best pros and travel around the world.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I am not a pro photographer, Thad.

But... you had the hat

And you made very good use of it!

[C300]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I have been hearing rumours re many photographers - especially those with great contacts with senior forest officials - making a beeline for that place. Location might have been (has probably been) leaked, since the guide and a few rangers knew the exact spot. I told the location only to the FD. I just hope that the cute fella stays in the wild, with monitoring (radio collar, camera), and is not put in a zoo. And is not poached.

Thats bound to happen. Probably many photographers with connections are already there. Lets hope for the best.

[Rajain]

Hi Nilanjan

A few days ago a friend messaged me about spotting 'white tiger' and so I asked who spotted it. Your name was mentioned. And then several comments in the FB (I am not on FB so I had to find out someone who is there and I was able to read them. Once I knew it is you all doubts cleared.

There are parts of Bangalore that demonstrate how the citizens have been taking care of the flora and fauna. Those aspects we are lucky about. I know several lakes are getting the fencing and work on their embankments plus de weeding. Some happiness there. The sad parts are also many - several drains flowing into lakes, garbage pile up and industrial waste.

All of this combine to make the birds and animals really struggle to keep up with the human intervention.

I have said this before in your other thread - you are able to take wonderful pictures and I appreciate you sharing them with us.

My compliments to you in this thread for capturing the essence of man-animal co habitation in our city.

Cheers
Rajain

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Very much so.

Do you have the idea and concept for some of those shots, like the silhouettes, before going out to find the subject, or do you get the idea of making that picture when you see the subject?

My question is probably not very clear. I'm just wondering how the "creative workflow" works.

A bit of both. I have certain shots in mind, that I might ot might not be able to execute. And then when I do see something, certain ideas get triggered.

Originally Posted by Rajain

Hi Nilanjan

A few days ago a friend messaged me about spotting 'white tiger' and so I asked who spotted it. Your name was mentioned. And then several comments in the FB (I am not on FB so I had to find out someone who is there and I was able to read them. Once I knew it is you all doubts cleared.

There are parts of Bangalore that demonstrate how the citizens have been taking care of the flora and fauna. Those aspects we are lucky about. I know several lakes are getting the fencing and work on their embankments plus de weeding. Some happiness there. The sad parts are also many - several drains flowing into lakes, garbage pile up and industrial waste.

All of this combine to make the birds and animals really struggle to keep up with the human intervention.

I have said this before in your other thread - you are able to take wonderful pictures and I appreciate you sharing them with us.

My compliments to you in this thread for capturing the essence of man-animal co habitation in our city.

Cheers
Rajain

Thanks. At least in my part of Bangalore, the lakes seem to be well maintained. Not counting Bellandur Lake, which is a nighmare

A few more photos.

Balcony light


Darter with catch


Low key shot


Starlings and kite


City lights

[Mysticeyes]

Beautiful posts with excellent photographs and captions. Loved the soft tone in many of them. Surprised that Bangalore city has so much varities of birds We often have to cross border to TN to get varities

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Wildlife in Bangalore: A Question!

Mt wife just spent a couple of weeks there on family duties. She loved the climate, and caught the right weeks to be away from Chennai. But one thing she noticed was a lack of crows. Do you people really not have a city full of crows? Then why do we? Is it because there is less rubbish on the streets there?

Sir, that's one phenomenon I had observed during many trips to rural TN areas. Finally I deducted that it may be due to low waste-generation/ dumping in rural settings