Aspiring guide at Keoladeo Ghana NP, Rajasthan

A few days before Christmas, 2006, I'd found a spot well away from the main track in Keoladeo Ghana National Park, near Bharatpur in Rajasthan. Nevertheless, this man found me and tried to sell me his services as a wildlife guide. To demonstrate his abilities, he identified the black-shouldered kite sitting in a tree nearby. Unfortunately he misidentified it, badly. They're unmistakeable birds, too. I declined his offer but one had to admire his enthusiasm and initiative, even if they're not enough to compensate for his lack of knowledge. Perhaps by now he's learned enough to be reliable, although reluctance to say, "I don't know" can be a harder handicap to overcome.

All content © 2009 Pete McGregor