Common Indian Monitor, Kabini
For all those weaned on martial arts movies, here’s good news. Another, highly entertaining, action packed thriller is playing at this very minute, in the jungles of Kabini, and the lead actor is a real dragon. The Common Indian Monitor doesn’t spit fire, but does everything a self respecting dragon action hero should. He can run like a sprinter, burrow underground when he wants to lie low, do the breaststroke like a champ, and shimmy up a tree and stay camouflaged, before you can say ‘Ninja’. And woe betide any unauthorized male monitor who dares encroach on his territory. What ensues is a bout that wouldn’t be out of place in the WWF or a Sumo wrestling ring. The commonest maneuver is to stand up on the hind legs, clasp the opponent firmly about the neck and shoulders and with a sharp sideward jerk of his head, to throw him down, sometimes tossing him completely over. To the victor go the spoils, which include free rights to the territory and all the beautiful lady lizards there. All this running, climbing, swimming and fighting is, however, hungry business. And our hero rightfully works up a rather large appetite that’s entirely carnivorous. He prefers foraging on the forest floor, tongue flicking in and out, and has a very convenient luncheon philosophy: eat anything that you can overcome. Despite all his talents, our hero is a solitary reaper, and doesn’t seek an audience; you’ll most likely find him riding off into the sunset, all alone.
Photograph: Jayanth Sharma Story: Rajesh Ramaswamy
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