Back in my undergraduate and postgraduate days, while I was pursuing Zoology, I was deeply interested in gaining field experience in wildlife research. At that time, opportunities were quite limited, especially for students trying to enter the field. Permissions were difficult to obtain, funding was scarce, and many internships in wildlife and environmental work required students to cover their own expenses during field visits. Even with those challenges, I was eager to learn and spend time in the field. What mattered most to me then was the chance to be in forests, observe wildlife closely, and gain firsthand experience whenever possible.

One such opportunity came during the summer of 2008, when I spent my vacation in Agumbe. While travelling to the base camp, someone casually mentioned that if I was lucky, I might spot the elusive Lion-tailed Macaque in the forests adjoining the main highway. That one sentence stayed with me for the rest of the journey.

The Lion-tailed Macaque (LTM) was legendary among wildlife enthusiasts. An endemic and endangered primate of the Western Ghats, LTMs were typically found only in the evergreen rainforests of South India. A black face framed by a silver-white mane, silent movements high up in the canopy, and behaviour so shy and elusive that spotting one in the wild felt like a privilege earned only by luck and patience.

I scanned every tree on that bus journey. Every movement in the canopy made my heart race. But alas, I never saw them.

That feeling stayed with me for years. Shortly after my Master’s, I got an opportunity to work on a project involving the LTMs. But the internship dates clashed with my course schedule, and I had to let it go. I remember feeling absolutely devastated. It felt like the forest had opened a door for me, only to shut it before I could step inside.

A year later, another opportunity appeared. I cleared for a JRF position in the Agasthyamalai region. The work required long stretches inside remote forests. I remember imagining myself there already, surrounded by dense rainforest, walking through tiger territory, living the kind of life I had romanticised for years. It felt like everything I had wanted. But fate, once again, had other plans. This time, though, the decision was mine. I chose not to take up the position. Even today, I sometimes wonder what life would have looked like had I opted to pursue JRF there.

***

Years passed. Then came 2021. I found myself in Valparai, a place well known for Lion-tailed Macaque sightings. A reasonably healthy population was documented in the Anamalai region, and in particular, the Valparai population was known to be relatively accustomed to human presence.

***

And then came 2025.

I went on a trek to Agastyakoodam, the very landscape I had dreamed about years earlier. From a tourist’s perspective, this route did not just have religious significance but also offered scenic landscapes making it appealing to nature enthusiasts. Dense evergreen shola forests swallowed the trails. Giant trees towered overhead. The air smelled leaf litter. Every bend felt ancient and alive. After a tough summit in foggy weather, we started to make our way down.

And there they were….

A completely wild troop of Lion-tailed Macaque.

This was exactly how I had always dreamed of seeing them. Not beside roads. Not near garbage bins. But deep inside a living forest, behaving exactly as wild animals should.

And just like that, the forest relaxed.

The troop continued foraging through the canopy as if we did not exist, moving gracefully between branches and we continued our way ahead saying our silent goodbyes.

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