The dance of the peacock

We were at Telia lake at Tadoba National Park. It was almost sunset, and I was told it was futile to capture any shots as the light wasn’t good enough.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off a peacock which had come down to quench its thirst.

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After it had had its drink, it turned its eyes on the peahens and set off to woo them.

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It spread its wings and danced for over an hour- its tail feathers and backside jiggling in a strange Bollywood kind of shimmy.

Her nonchalance didn’t deter him, neither did the presence of a sloth bear which came down to have a drink at the lake on that hot summer day.

My most fantastic moment was when it bowed to the peahen to the ground almost in an obeisance…. but she remained unflustered.

The story remains the same across all species!