Malabar Giant Squirrel | Forest Hills Farm and Guesthouse, Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu, India
The first thing that comes into mind when one hears the word squirrel is a tiny creature with a fluffy tail. When the word ‘giant’ is attached with ‘squirrel’ it is hard to imagine or picture that. Well in fact, giant squirrels do exist.
The picture above is of the Malabar Giant Squirrel or the Indian Giant Squirrel. An incredibly beautiful creation with wonderful colors and a striking orange bushy tail. Known to be shy animals, they mostly keep to the high reaches of trees and are agile climbers too.
This individual is a resident at the Forest Hills Farm and Guesthouse, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, hence the opportunity to shoot a close-up.
Way before I started photography, I heard the song Lose Yourself by Eminem, and the starting line has stuck with me ever since. It goes-
“If you had one shot,
one opportunity
to seize everything you ever wanted
would you capture it or just let it slip?”
This line is a constant reminder and the closest description of what I feel when I’m out on a safari or walking/trekking photographing birds.
Fondly known as Kittu, I’ve been a resident of Mudumalai for three decades. I manage and run Forest Hills Farm and Guesthouse; a family run resort near the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
For as long as my memory goes, I have been an ardent lover of wildlife. Growing up on tea estates and Forest Hills, has played an active role in nurturing my love for nature and wildlife. During school holidays at Forest Hills, I made full use of safari and trekking opportunities that came my way.
In 2005, I decided to pursue photography with a Canon film SLR and in 2007, I went digital. The love of wildlife has taken me to various national parks both in India (Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Tadoba, Kaziranga to name a few) and other esteemed forest reserves such as Masai Mara (Kenya). While I keenly keep a track of birding activity at home (Forest Hills Farm and Guesthouse), one might just bump into me during a safari at my favourite forest reserve i.e. the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
View all posts by Sameer Jain (Kittu)
Lose Yourself Photography 
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