Our first expedition into the north eastern regions of India! Mizoram Monsoons!
The north east of India hosts a suite of species diversity, drastically different to that of the peninsula. We initiated and ended the expedition in West Bengal, allowing everyone to experience the differences between that of the far north east and the peninsula. Mizoram offers higher elevations and thicker forest, in fact it contains more primary forest than anywhere else in India. Whereas, the area of West Bengal that we visited offers vast agricultural fields and bustling towns.
Visiting these contrasting regions provided the expedition participants the perfect opportunity to gain a better understanding of how different species utilise different ecological niches but, more importantly, it demonstrated the diverse scenarios in which snakebite occurs in India, from accidental steps on Russell’s vipers in rice paddy fields to krait bites at night.
We finally had the opportunity to visit a special group of villages in West Bengal, coined the Kaouthia Village (we will not disclose the real name or location as we believe tourism could have a detrimental affect). These villages have learned to coincide peacefully with the monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia) which has resulted in huge densities of cobras and minimal bites. Discussions with local villagers lead us to believe that no more than one or two bites occur every couple of years. It’s quite incredible considering we were able to observe more than five cobras, living outside homes and animal sheds, within the space of an hour or two. Make sure to check out the photos below, all of which are in-situ photographs
Ultimately, Mizoram Monsoons was a new venture and a huge success. We ticked off over 55 species in as little as 10 days and explored lowland to highland habitats, including everything in between. We can’t thank our participants and the incredible team at Mizoram University enough. Without a doubt, Mizoram Monsoons 2023 will be happening and you can find out all about it by getting in touch with us here, today!
Make sure to check out all of the photos below, including that of the Kaouthia Village and all of our previous expeditions!
