Of the woods and deer and why monkeys don't feature

I am not a nature guy. Neither am I a photography guy. But, this post _might_ smell of those elements. Ignore such thoughts.

Of the many things that contribute in making IIT Madras "IIT Madras", one big factor is the deers deer and one relatively lesser but more prestigious is the blackbucks.

When I came here four years ago, I remember someone with the mike saying that there are 11 blackbucks on campus: 7 male and 4 female. I remember thinking then, that it pays more to be a male blackbuck in the insti than a male student. Damn you JEE! Anyway, the count of the deers deer, if I remember right was put at 40.

One fact that was said then but somehow gets lost in the woods often is that IIT Madras is the only university in the world to be in a reserved forest. (No, this post is not about IIT Madras and it's glory. Patience.)

Past month, staying here, I noticed there were many more blackbucks (and one whitebuck - too :P ) and deers deer than I had ever seen. It was a comforting sight because these animals were said to be on the brink on extinction and that insti is not a viable enough eco-sytstem for them. Armed with my phone - I did snap a few pictures. There is only as much you can shoot with a 2 MP camera embedded in your SMS-device! And while I was capturing the pictures, my friends found it to be 'amusing' and 'gay' that I, after staying here for four years, was taking pics of deers deer.

The following are the different pics I took at different times on different days. FYI, deers deer are the ones with the spots. Blackbucks are the ones without. Unfortunately, my photography has lead to spots on both.


IIT Madras has often benefitted from the legacy of the forest:

All our Shaastra, Saarang articles begin with "It is that time of the year when the woods are buzzing with [Insert Shaastra-ish or Saarang-ish word]". Most of our brochures, howsoever small the number may be, would mention "sprawling 650-acre campus set in the forests". The Director could make jokes about the monkeys - the ones living inside the room and ones on the trees. Our nature-conscious GATE-clearing students get to complain of dogs attacking deers deer in a mail addressed to all the 5000-odd people on campus.

Monkeys are not featured in this article. I am thoroughly pissed with them because they broke a wash-basin in the bog. It is a totally different issue that there has hardly been any water in the one that has managed to survive: