Topslip

Right outside of my study area is a place in the Western Ghats (mountains) called Topslip. First, what an awesome name for a place in the hills, I really dig it. If I founded town in the Sierra Nevadas or the Appalachians, I’m pretty sure I’d rip off the name. Topslip, CA, I like the sound of that… Anyways, I got to visit for a bit recently and was blown away. It’s inside a National Park in Tamil Nadu called the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctaury and it was AMAZING. The mountains there are spectacular but the wildlife is even more so! Tigers live here along with elephants, boars, panthers, tons of monkeys, bears, tropical birds, bison, leeches, etc! I was a little bugged out about running into a tiger but I was assured that tigers only get a couple folks a year, it's the 'lonely bull' elephants that you have to worry about- they can be really aggressive and quite stampy...

Bamboo Forests... the bamboo grows in clumps, I'm not sure why though- that's an elephant path we're walking on BTW, thus the large clearance and the 'presents' in the foreground...

It was surreal walking on elephant, not man-made trails
The park rangers patrol the park for poachers on elephants- I wondered how they get on those guys- the elephant lifts his leg to help the rangers on- ADORABLE!
The SPECTACULAR Western Ghats
Baby boars are adorable, apparently.
This guy was ready to jack my shiny camera.
Greg's foot vs. elephant footprint.
Elephants 'N Temples- Stereotypical India!
The ranger that took us on the trek was really awesome and was from these there hills. Actually, the 'hill people' have their own distinct language and culture from the folks in the lowlands of Tamil Nadu. BTW, the socks in my pants look might be a new style in 2011 but I rocked it just to keep out the leaches- there's a lot of them up there!