Cheetah misadventures - one year on

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/one-year-indias-cheetah-project-shows-spotty-report-card-8943750/

Ravi Chellam writes:

And here's what the "other" side has to say.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/travel-news/preparations-underway-to-bring-south-african-cheetahs-to-gandhi-sagar-sanctuary/articleshow/103727764.cms

"India is planning on bringing another batch of cheetahs from South Africa by the end of this year. When that happens, the plan is to relocate them to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Apart from Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary, another site called Nauradehi is being prepared. 

As of now, with 15 cheetahs and a cub, Kuno National Park is almost reaching its carrying capacity of 20 cheetahs. New sites are being developed to accommodate the newcomers by the end of this year. "

"This year, authorities are going to take extra precautions to bring in cheetahs that do not develop thick winter coats. This is because, from last year’s lot, some of the cheetahs developed thick winter coats in the Indian summer and monsoon months, which caused severe infections and deaths. "

Shore walks diary -

Morning walks on 6th, 7th and 8th September 2023 - low tide

Blogger has decided to jumble up the order of the photos, and it really doesnt matter, so 

let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be - I sing, and carry on.

Clean sands near the tide line and no debris of shells at the high tide line.  6th was cloudy and 7th, 8th were sunny.

Virgin Murex shell in solitary splendour

A massive razor clam piece

Vast exposed wet sands at low tide...and less human debris - made for a surprise delight.  

The sands were free of the washed up shells that I usually each comb through on low tide mornings.

The tideline had no shell debris to speak of.

Contrasted to July 2023 - the tideline was like this.

Possibly some long shore current has changed direction?

The bird most adapted to the human "footprint" - the crow -was picking off a net collecting wire and string for nesting material possibly.

There were a few Sunset siliqua shells here and there.

The manner of this shell's presence in solitary splendour gave me the feeling it was possibly dropped by someone.

Near the Valmiki Nagar thickets, the coccinia (kovakai)is flowering.

A mole crab was a surprise discovery.

A house sparrow flitted down to the road near sparrow point.  Long time no see.

This emerald treasure - scarab beetle - beauty lay, quite dead sadly, on the road near the beach.

While the painted grasshopper was on the milkweed, looking well painted and toxic.

A dog was catching up on sleep, (the beach has more than a dozen) in a lovely little burrow he/she had excavated for him or herself.

Water bubbles glinted in the sun, and ghost crabs scuttled around.

The crabs were shy, but I got a good look with my binoculars.

I discovered that this is a variety of hibiscus - Wineleaf Hibiscus - growing wild by the roadside.

I wondered if this was a mangrove root..a Barringtonia from somewhere?

Until next time...

Those painted grasshoppers are back

 Sept 6th and 7th

Poekilocerus pictus 

On Calotropis

Coloured and painted, you'd think it would cheer us

but beware, that toxicity cld afflict us

23, chewing Calotropis poisonous

So, we can squirt you, dont you mess with us

I know, I shall leave, I'm no ignoramus!

Thiruvanmyur 4th seaward road thickets - the milkweed are filled with painted grashopperss.