Meeting The Wanderoo (Finally !) - Lion Tailed Macaques

Valparai, Tamil Nadu

I had seen the Bonett Macaques enroute and was in Valparai for a few days like I mentioned in my previous post. The weather was playing spoilsport though and had been threatening to chuck its own spanner into my works with some showers overnight. My first morning there however was clear, bright and I woke with thoughts of finally meeting The Lion Tailed Macaques. I’d been fascinated by pictures of these unique looking Monkeys for more than just a few years. They were my main motivation for picking this location and it’s the interest in these guys that had brought along with it the interest in the Nilgiri Langurs as well for me. But to be totally fair, I’ll have to admit that I’d been wanting to see these guys since even before I’d developed an interest in birds even. They’re just so unique and rare. Critically endangered that they are, one has to plan a multiple stop, air and road transit trip from my side of the country for a few chance sightings of these guys.

I’d done my reading and knew that I was to head to Pudutotam, which I’d passed by on my approach. Now, Pudutotam has a bungalow and these Macaques are known to cross over from the Anaimalai Reserve and into the grounds of that property almost daily. I’d considered staying there but renting the whole bungalow when I didn’t plan to spend much time in it seemed rather wasteful especially when conversations with locals had confirmed that the Lion Tailed Macaques can be spotted from outside the property as well. They were my main attraction alright but not the only one.

There’s a bridge on the main road near the entrance to the property that I'd highlited in my notes and that’s exactly where they were on my first day and first attempt. First impressions, much smaller than I’d expected and through the lens, just as unique and big looking as I’d expected. These guys are totally something else period. Check out the first approacher peeking through the foliage in Pic : 1. My guy may look shy in that photo but they actually were anything but, really. They came out of the trees, crossed the road and headed straight through the gate with passerby’s not giving em a second glance either. This is their system in these parts is what I’d read and that’s what it was.

This experience turned out to be the most unique sighting I’ve been at cause my subjects weren’t the main event that stopped traffic flow. I was. No other photographers, no line of vehicles to see animals. Just curious local people in motorcycles and cars that slowed down to watch the odd man with the big camera; some of whom gathered around my cab with questions about me which they directed to my driver. I could only pick up on “researcher” from what I overheard of their conversation in Tamil sadly, but I do wonder what it is that he told them? As for my subjects, they proceeded to move down from the trees in their own sweet time and crossed the road to move through the small gate on the side usually used by people and headed into where I couldn’t follow. They were totally at ease and one even brushed past me as I was taking pictures of the troop members who had gone past. It was kind of surreal to be surrounded by these guys while picking my shots and all the while also being curious about what was going on behind at the taxi. Well, I wanted a new experience; I just hadn’t just counted on this in my wildest dreams.

Now these guys are short and I had a long lens. I was shooting at my now, primate standard of 1/1000 but I hadn’t imagined that I’d be surrounded by them now had I? Stupid low angle I tell you. It’s my opinion that they’d be the most ferocious looking creatures if they were a little taller really. Choosing my subjects based on distance was crucial and I think I did good with em on the trees or walking further up and perhaps better with em moving upwards on an incline than further up on the road. I had to resist the urge to lay down cause I didn’t want one of em urinating on my head. They’re Monkeys man, you never know and just as the group walked off into the property, my driver was over and signaling that we were done at this location. That small group of around 10 or so was apparently it for the famous Pudutotam troop. I’m also kinda sure that he wanted me and my antics off the main road and tucked into one of the smaller lanes as soon as possible as well.

20 minutes had gone by in the frenzy of trying to make pictures of the Wanderoo (their local name) and I knew that I wanted more. So much had been happening all around me and with multiple moving subjects that I was sure I had missed many possibilities. Time had just flown right by. I had been told that their timing of moving into the property was pretty consistent in some of my phone queries and I told myself that I could surely meet them again at the same spot maybe on another day if I timed it accordingly. Interestingly though, I didn’t get lucky at that famous bridge again during this trip even at the same time. I did see other Wanderloo around and got to observe their interactions with their own kind as well as with people though.

That, is something that happened much later during this trip and I’ll be coming around to it soon I’m sure.