Proud to be a Sikkimese: Sikkim Travel, Culture & Local Heritage

The two-tailed ‘house lizard’ surprised me that evening, almost making me. The small reptile, more commonly a house lizard, is no new species to me, but in all my years, I have not encountered anything I saw at my home in Shantinagar on the evening of August 12, 2018. A whitish lizard  and a  bhitti  moved  on the wall beside the dining table. At first glance, I considered it just the usual lizard until I saw something strange at its tail. I stood up and went near the wall to look closer - just to find that the lizard I was watching had two tails instead of a standard one tail. I took no time to pick up my mobile and took a few shots. Shedding off a tail is a common thing, every internet article on the tails of lizards writes. But in some cases, the new tail regenerates along with a new tail from the broken tail. Thus, making a twin tail or sometimes even three tails is common. I even found an article published in the Singapore Post in 1960 that says the ...

  source: German Archives 

I have always followed the humour of RK Laxman through his cartoon character in The Times of India newspaper. He was one of the greatest cartoonists the country of India had seen and off later in this side of the region when we think of newspaper toons I am sure you all shall have one name in common and that's Pankaj Thapa.   One of the attractions of Sikkim Express newspaper, Pankaj Sir's humour and his way of presenting the events is beyond words. Just watch the above cartoon that represents the recent Bear episode at Gangtok. I could not hide my smile....thanks, Sir!!

FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS A chicken born with four legs at Jog Maya Tea estate near Ghayabari in the Kurseong sub division. Picture by Bhusan Chettri.

" The first animals intentionally sent into space were fruit flies , accompanied by corn seeds aboard a U.S.-launched V2 rocket in 1947. The experiment aimed to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes. Some further V2 missions carried biological samples, including moss . Albert II, a Rhesus Monkey , became the first monkey in space on June 14, 1949, in a U.S.-launched V2, (after the failure of the original Albert's mission). Albert II died on impact after a parachute failure. Numerous monkeys of several species were flown by the U.S. in the 1950s and 1960s. Monkeys were implanted with sensors to measure vital signs, and many were under anesthesia during launch." But it was September 28, 1935, a rocketmail experiment was conducted in Gangtok in which a cock was lifted in the rocket. A cock with 155 Sikkim Rocketgrams was also launched along with it. The experiment was conducted by Stephen Smith, father of Indian Rocketmail, with the ...

by Nakul Chettri With a large number of ethnic societies having their own social, economic and cultural attributes living in a highly heterogeneous mountain environment, any developmental initiative in the Himalayas has to be based upon a value system that they understand, practice and is sustainable. The Himalayas are characterised by highly complex socioecological systems, with rich cultural diversity linked with equally rich biological diversity. However, it is a paradox that the majority of people living in this biologically rich region are among the poorest in the world. Agriculture, being the most dependable livelihood option available to these people has evolved significantly over the centuries to cater to their subsistence needs. Based on the agro-climatic zones and farming practices, the Himalayas can be broadly categorised into five major systems. Each of these systems can be characterised by i) specialised pastoralism (purely livestock based, a high altitude transhuman subs...

A python caught between Melli and Jorethang Road was handed over to the Melli Check post. The python, probably in it's pursuit to swallow alive a helpless deer had tumbled down the steep hill above and landed on the way. You can also see the dead deer in the background circled in red. PHOTOGRAPH SHARED BY ROSHAN SUNDAS

Wonder of nature or just a genetic abnormality a five legged cow at Buda-Subba temple at Dharan. PHOTOGRAPH SHARED BY ROSHAN SUNDAS

KURSEONG, July 28: A rare animal ‘caecilians’ has been discovered in Makaibari Tea Estate near Kurseong. The animal belongs to the amphibian family. It is being claimed that the animal was sighted after a gap of over 100 years. The creature found for the first time in 1881 at Rangliot Valley in Sikkim was named as Icohthyophis Skkimmennis. Robin Suyesh, a student from Delhi University made the discovery in the tea estate recently. Suyesh informed that the species was found in the area of Sikkim and Darjeeling and hence he had come here to investigate about the species about which not much was known. Suyesh has collected two samples, which he would take to Delhi for further studies. “I will take these samples to Delhi and show it to my seniors and study its anatomy to gather more information about the species,” he said. http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id=215953