I have had encounters with many species, but had not met a leech before. Mosquitoes are long-standing friends- at least one of them, Anopheles by name. A leech, if you have not seen one, looks like an earthworm on a diet-a successful one. So small that you can miss it if you are not looking for one. In rainy times, they are everywhere, in grass particularly.
Once it latches on to you, usually on your foot somewhere, only salt is effective in getting rid of it. Otherwise, before you know it, it sucks out a few drops of blood, and grows five times its size. If you pull it out at that point, the blood still flows out for a little while. Shoes with thick socks may make it difficult, but if you are in chappals, it's a good idea to rub salt on your lower foot before you step out in a leech-infested area.
I had heard about them in Waynad area, but actually found them in Kotagiri, near a waterfall in a jungle. Interesting, but I don't really want to ever meet one again, if I can help it.
