Mr.Hunk.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

INDIA'S WILDLIFE IN 1959-70:M.KRISHNAN

M.Krishnan was awarded a Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1968 to study the status of India's wild animals which have suffered considerable depletion and change as a result of human encroachment on their habitat.His fascinating report,with superb photographs appeared as a series of articles in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society.The abovenamed book was published by BHNS in 1975.He covered 35 Major Mammals of India.

I have written about Gaur from his study report.I am now quoting from his report on Wild Buffalo.

"Prater gives the size of a large bull at from 5ft.6in at the shoulders to 6ft.6in exceptionally:the later figure seems improbably tall,for the buffalo is an exceptionally massive animal,probably broader across the body than any other Indian mammal in proportion to height,and inclined to be squat rather than tall when very massive.The weight has been estimated at around a ton, for a big bull.
The Indian wild buffalo is the heaviest and most massive of all wild oxen,probably the fiercest when truly wild."-M.Krishnan

Some of the members who are fortunate to visit Manas Tiger Reserve upto early eighties have seen them.
SaktiWild

P.S:
Shri Sabyasachi, members and readers will be thrilled to know that The Statesman has decided to re-publish M.Krishnan's "Country Notebook" to evoke nostalgia among older readers and to acquaint younger ones with the work of a genious.The first installment of this re-issued series appears in 8th Day pages inThe Statesman dated 01-01-12.[May please see Announcement Column titled "New Arrival"]