indiaharrisdotcom
From maple leaves to mango trees. I'm a Canadian woman living on a tropical island in the Philippines. Welcome to my world...
Archives
The silverback hesitated, watching us intently from behind a screen of foliage. He then seemed to make a decision and began moving toward us quickly. His size was intimidating, roughly 450 pounds we had been told by our guide. Trust me, that’s BIG when you’re up close. Our rules had been clear: maintain a minimum distance of seven meters from the gorillas. This big silverback didn’t seem to care about the rules. He… Read More
My mind loves to show off its fabulous memory. It’s forever sifting through its files and making grandiose judgments: the food in this restaurant used to be so much better than it is now. Sunsets are way better in Bali. Oh my God, this beach is crap — remember Champagne Beach in Vanuatu, now THAT was a beach. Wow, she’s just DESTROYED her face! On and on my mind goes, always flaunting… Read More
Africa is a great teacher. To watch a lion kill with savagery, then gently share the meat with its cubs is a reminder that despite our best attempts to disguise ourselves, we too are animals. Let’s not think for a moment that we don’t kill. No matter how much pretty wrapping paper we use, those bacon strips we ate this morning were once a pig. Last night’s barbecued steak was once a… Read More
On a sweltering afternoon in Botswana elephants gathered alongside the Khwai River seeking relief from the heat. At one point over twenty male elephants stood in the water, peacefully going about their business of bathing and drinking, with little social interaction. Then a new elephant arrived and it was obvious that he recognized an old friend. The two walked up to one another and embraced for a very long time. Don’t you… Read More
In Botswana the earth is parched and cracked from months without rain. Water pools sit dried up and abandoned, forcing animals to travel long distances in search of a life-sustaining drink. Not all of them make it. For those that do, taking that long sip of fresh water may cost them their lives, for in this driest of seasons, while the world waits for the spring rains to come, the water hole… Read More
“OH SHIT” might have been the last words ever to come out of my mouth. Not very profound, but a pretty accurate assessment of my situation. According to witnesses, that’s what I shouted when I was charged by a tiger the day before yesterday. Okay, so the tiger was a cub and the charge may have been more of an attempt at a “pounce”, but I admit to having a moment of… Read More
Tigers. There aren’t many left in the wild, so for those of us who love to photograph them, there are few alternatives to snapping away at our local zoo. Tigers in zoos are sad creatures, pacing restlessly in cages or sleeping off their boredom. Worldwide, far more tigers live in captivity than in the wild and the future of the wild tiger looks grim indeed. I’m happy to say that I’ve just finished a three-day tiger… Read More
South African wildlife documentary filmmaker and maverick conservationist John Varty has become famous, not only for his film-making career and work with African Big Cats and Asian tigers, but also for his highly adventurous life. He has survived a helicopter crash and a tiger mauling, and has written a page-turning memoir appropriately titled “Nine Lives”. In 2003, the Discovery Channel made a documentary about him, called “Living with Tigers”, and in 2011,… Read More
I’m discouraged. It seems that almost everyone’s a conservationist these days — until a coyote moves into our backyard; or we need to pour concrete over Asian rice paddies to build subdivisions for the expanding middle class; or when Walmart advertises a sale on cheap wooden picnic tables that no one realizes were made from old growth trees in Siberia. But who can blame anyone for wanting to live a happy life in a… Read More
India
"My life is all about travel, photography, helping animals, and writing..."
Blogs I Follow
July 2014
Camping in Washington state
indiaharrisdotcom 
Recent Comments