Tag: Asia
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Four Days in the Sumatran Jungle (2024)
I’ve been fascinated with the wildlife of Southeast Asia—namely the gigantic, mysterious islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi—from the time I first visited Sabah at age 9. Since then, I’ve dreamt of returning to the region by myself to search for wildlife. In November of 2024, I fulfilled my long-standing dream by planning and…
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Sulawesi (2024): Nantu Forest Reserve
I spent two days and one night (Days 4 & 5) of my Sulawesi trip exploring the verdant, 520 km² Nantu Forest Reserve in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, where I obtained a total of one hundred million bug bites, mud-soaked shoes, and zero sightings of Babirusa, Sulawesi Warty Pig, or Lowland Anoa (my target mammals). …
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Sulawesi (2024): Hungayono Forest
Out of the three reserves I visited on my 2024 Sulawesi mammal adventure, my favorite by far was Hungayono Forest. This rarely-traversed but spectacular expanse of hilly primary rainforest, hot springs, and limestone caves constitutes part of the western section of 2,871 km² Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, and is a paradise for Sulawesi’s endemic…
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Sulawesi (2024): Tangkoko Nature Reserve
I’m a third-culture kid raised on wildlife adventures in exotic locations. Since moving to Shanghai, China, at the age of seven, I’ve had countless marvelous opportunities to explore the natural wonders of the Far East with my family. I am incredibly grateful to my parents for fostering my passion for animals and nature throughout my…
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24 Hours of Birds and Mammals in Singapore’s Last Rural Oasis!
An overnight wildlife expedition to Pulau Ubin (‘Granite Island’ in Malay) had been a long-awaited objective of mine since moving to Singapore in 2022. I’ve been to the island a limited number of times over the past two years due to its relatively remote location and a lack of free time on my part. However,…
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Two Weeks of Fruitful Night Walks Around Singapore
It’s been great to be back in Singapore after almost four months of working and visiting relatives in the United States. Even though I was born in the US, I’ve just always felt more at home on the other side of the world in Asia, so I’m grateful to still be able to live in…
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A Recap of Adventures I Have Yet to Talk About (August 2023-September 2024)
This post serves as a rather broad summary of the nature-related adventures I’ve had over the past year that I have not touched on previously. Starting off in August of 2023, I had the opportunity to partner with a local marine biologist, my friend Sek Chuan Chua, for an internship through the school program I…
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India (2024): Birding in Udaipur and Agra
This post is an account of all the birding I did over the course of three days in Udaipur and 24 hours in Agra during my family’s March 2024 trip to India. It also showcases the best of my 2024 India wildlife photography, apart from the photos taken on our Leopard safari. A broader summary…
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India (2024): Leopard Spotting in Amagarh Leopard Reserve
When most people think of Jaipur, the capital city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, they imagine unique cultural sites like the fabulous Amber Palace or the vibrant, pink buildings of the city center. But there is a completely different side of Jaipur worth experiencing—an important piece of heritage that isn’t known to many but…
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India (2024): Wildlife and Culture
India is one of the most geographically and culturally diverse, colorfully vibrant, and all-around fascinating countries there is. In March of this year, during my weeklong spring break, my family embarked on an epic culture-themed trip to three amazing Indian cities: Udaipur, Jaipur, and Agra. Though our trip primarily focused on cultural aspects of India…
Bennett Gardner Wildlife Watching 