About the series
On The Edge Conservation and Nature inFocus bring you a seven-part documentary mini-series on the Western Ghats — one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity. Older than the Himalayas, this chain of mountains running parallel to India's western coast showcases an exceptionally high level of endemism, while facing intense human pressure.
Stories from the series
13 stories
In Search of Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle
Rarely seen, the Cantor's Giant Softshell Turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world. Join ecologist and conservationist Ayushi Jain as she tracks down the first-ever reported population of Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtles in Kerala
In Search of Salim Ali's Fruit Bat
Salim Ali’s Fruit Bat is one of the three rarest bats in the world! Filmmaker Sara and conservationist Rajesh Puttaswamaiah set out to film this rare bat species that has barely 1,000 individuals left in the wild
In Search of Nilgiri Marten
The Nilgiri Marten is an enigma! Follow naturalist Surya Ramachandran as he explores the forest patches of Munnar in search of this rare mammal
LongreadIn Search Of Hornbill Nests In The Anamalai Hills
How does one track hornbills in the wild? What does it take to follow them across mountains, and locate their nests deep inside rainforests and tea plantations in the Western Ghats?
Farmers Of The Forest
Hornbills disperse thousands of seeds every day, helping them travel far from their parent trees. Find out how the birds help forests flourish and thrive
The Myristica Swamp Creature
These ancient swamp forests of the Western Ghats are in truth older than the dinosaurs. Pradeep Hegde gives us a tour of its most curious denizens
LongreadThe Primitive Swamp Forests Of The Western Ghats
Myristica swamps are some of the most primaeval ecosystems on the planet today. We map the origins and plot the immediate conservation journey that lies ahead for this threatened ecological hotspot
LongreadProtecting The Mysterious Purple Frog
How do you study and conserve an amphibian that lives underground all year and emerges for one day to breed? After spending more than a decade studying this frog from the Western Ghats, this biologist has some answers
VideoThe Purple Frog Mystery
Sandeep Das, who has been working on the Purple Frog for more than a decade, introduces us to the curious life of this strange amphibian from the Western Ghats
VideoThe Mighty Little Survivor
Radha Rangarajan and Adarsh Raju trek into the high-altitude shola-grasslands of the Nilgiris in search of the rare and endangered Nilgiri Laughingthrush. Find out the unexpected turns the quest takes.
LongreadThe Little Survivor Of The Nilgiris
Restricted to the shola-grasslands of the Nilgiri Hills, the endangered Nilgiri Laughingthrush is subsisting even when its habitats are rapidly shrinking. But at what cost?
Photo FeatureSharing A Home With The Gentle Giants
The town of Valparai in South India is a stellar example of how tolerance and co-existence are possible when people and animals have no option but to share resources and space. Read all about the elephants of the Anamalais
VideoThe Elephant In The Road
Ganesh Raghunathan shows us how the elephants of the Anamalais and the people of Valparai live alongside one another, sharing space and resources.