This December, we are joining hands with Sanctuary Asia to shine the light on some of our most neglected and misused habitats, such as deserts and grasslands, and the species that make them their home.
The theme for the first Fortnight Focus challenge of December – Grasslands – saw an overwhelming amount of entries from the community. So much so that we decided to do two seperate photostories, including all our favourite entries – a generic Grasslands story and another one specifically for Grassland Birds.
The winner takes home a Shutterbug Pro camera bag from Wildcraft and exclusive goodies from NiF.
A big shout-out to everyone who contributed, and a definitive invitation to those who haven't yet to join in for the next.
Neelu Pilania
The Lone Ranger
A Blackbuck is pictured amidst the golden grasslands of the Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
Shreya Singha Ray
The Flying Buck
A Blackbuck defies gravity to fly across a mud road in the Blackbuck National Park of the Velavadar grasslands in Gujarat.
Hira Punjabi
Stalker Alert!
A stunning capture of a Royal Bengal Tiger stalking its prey in the grasslands of the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
Manish Manick
The Hunt is ON!
The perfect action shot of a Royal Bengal Tiger in pursuit of a Chital at the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
Samyak Kaninde
The Standoff at Mayureshwar
A rare capture of a standoff between an Indian Grey Wolf and a Chinkara in the grasslands of the Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Pune, Maharashtra.
Tanay Panpalia
The Day of the Jackal
An Indian Jackal stares back into the camera at the famous Boat Camp area of the Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.
Tapan Sheth
Golden Ears
Enveloped in a golden hue, a Striped Hyena stands amidst the grasslands of Velvavadar at sunset.
Indranil Basu Mallick
The Purrfect Pair
A nuzzling pair of Jungle Cats pictured in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The survival of these elegant felines are largely dependant on the existence of such grasslands.
Merlin Selvan
Madras Pincushions
An adult and juvenile Madras Hedgehog pictured in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
Onkar Bedre
Blue, Black and Red
Some of the most beautiful reptiles are found in grasslands. This male Fan-throated Lizard has its fan in full display, which it uses to attract females or to challenge other males during a territory fight.
Kallol Mukherjee
The Playground of the Plain Tiger
The flowers of grasslands are key elements for small insects and butterflies. The Wild Cockscomb flowers in particular are widely distributed and a number of species are very much dependent on them, like these Plain Tiger butterflies.
Shamik Sanyal
Robber in the Grass
A Robberfly sits perched on a shoot of grass near River Teesta in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.
Yuvraj Navle
Sticks in Action
The Stick Mantis is one of the most adapted insects you can find in our grasslands. They look just like dried grass, making it extremely difficult to find them. But, once the grass is green in the monsoon, they are much easier to spot.
Ashish Peshave
Meerkat or Mongoose?
The tall grasses after the monsoon season often pose a challenge for short animals like the Indian Grey Mongoose. This particular member was seen standing on its rear feet like a meerkat and scanning its surroundings.
Mainak Das
Love in Brahmaputra
A pair of Greater One-horned Rhinoceros mating in the grasslands of the Brahmaputra floodplains.
Suchi Govindarajan
The Kaziranga Maze
A herd of elephants maneuvers the tall grasslands of the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
Jitendra Pati
The Silent Ghost
It is certainly a dream come true, to photograph a Royal Bengal Tiger against such a beautiful backdrop of the Sundarbans.
Varrun Varatharajan
Deserts or Grasslands
Changpa nomadic herders graze their flock on Ladakh's frozen grasslands, as the unworldly Siberian winds sculpt and erode the barren mountains nearby to desert sand.
