Wild is something that calls from deep within — a pull towards the unknown, the raw, the real. It isn’t something that can be explained, only experienced.
And for this Motor Vehicles Department officer, the wild is his freedom, obsession, and the compass that guides his camera.
Shefiq Basheer Ahammed, currently posted as regional transport officer in Malappuram, forged a bond with the wild early in his life. Growing up in Pathanamthitta, close to the forest, he was steeped in stories of wildlife. “I never had fear and always loved adventure,” he says.
This connection took a new dimension when he began venturing into the woods. He started capturing the beauty of Kerala’s deep forests through his camera at the age of 15.
Later, in his early working years, Shefiq took a job at an oil rig in Dubai. He started saving enough to fund his initial international travels.
Even after joining the MVD in 1999, his heart remained tethered to the forests. In 2008, he took a five-year break from service, dedicating that time solely to exploration and photography.
“I was on leave without an allowance. Almost every senior official and colleague supported and encouraged me those days. The department even began to see me as the official photographer,” Shefiq smiles.
Over the years, sponsors came in, but his travel style remained simple. Being close to nature, to him, is the biggest luxury.
“In the early years, I focused on birds. The thrill was in discovering new birds. Gradually, my subject matter shifted to mammals,” he says.
To date, his lens has captured nearly all the major species in India — many endangered, some rarely seen even by seasoned professionals.
So far, Shefiq has travelled to 22 countries, from Russia, Sumatra, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, and more. But before each expedition, he spends one or two years researching a single species,
“When we go into forests, we must follow their rules. No animal is dangerous by nature. It’s our approach that defines their response. It’s us humans who are the real threat,” he smiles.
One of the most defining journeys of Shefiq’s life was in 2017. A 15-day expedition to Mongolia — the land of extreme temperatures, vast steppes, and diverse wildlife.
“Mongolia is largely unexplored, mainly due to its erratic weather. The temperature there can go from -50°C to 45°C. I kept wondering, how animals live in such extremes,” he recalls.
That curiosity took him deep into the wilderness, where he sought out the Przewalski’s horse, once thought to be extinct but reintroduced in the 1990s; the Bactrian camel, rugged and adaptable to ice and sand; and the elusive Pallas’s cat, a thick-furred wild feline that thrives only in sub-zero climates.
Spotting the Pallas’s cat became a highlight of the trip. “It’s a nocturnal animal, very shy. You can only see it during the day if it’s nursing cubs near a den. After lots of research, we decided to visit during March-April,” says Shefiq.
“With the help of a guide, we spent four days trekking in Hustai National Park and then eleven days in the Altai Mountains, always searching for a sight of the cat.”
He recalls the moment vividly. “First, we saw a vulture circling above and a fox hunting nearby. Suddenly, she emerged from the snow — the Pallas’s cat,” he says.
Shefiq promptly took that rare shot. A while later, the cubs also appeared. “We captured it all. Moments like that are rare. Honestly, I call it luck more than skill.”
During the same trip, he also went on a snow leopard expedition. This time, into the Gobi Desert. “The only way to get there was on horseback. I had to learn horse riding within just five days. While we were out there, hurricane-like winds suddenly hit, and the temperature dropped sharply. One fellow-traveller, who was sitting right next to me, and clicking photos, almost froze in that weather,” Shefiq recalls.
“We were worried if he would survive. We rushed him to the base, but there was no hospital. Thankfully, the local people did what they knew best — massaging vodka on his body for better blood flow. It worked!”
That’s one memory from the trip that Shefiq will never forget.
The extraordinary trip will now be remembered by many. It is now featured in the CBSE Class 7 English textbook, Gul Mohar Language for Life.
“I only found out when a friend called and said his daughter had read my name in her textbook. I was stunned that children were actually reading about my travels,” says Shefiq.
Talking of what keeps fuelling his travels, he says witnessing something beautiful after long waits and travails gives an inexplicable josh, he says.
Witnessing the wild orangutans near the Blue River in Indonesia was another such thrilling moment for Shefiq. This time it involved a dangerous trip through the Java Sea, known for violent high waves.
“When we genuinely like something and follow it seriously, there is a certain joy in finally achieving it. That high is everything,” he says.
Now 54, Shefiq is still chasing wild dreams. On his bucket list are the mandrills in Ethiopia, the gorillas in Congo, and a trip to Antarctica. What if he finds a mystery creature there?
Instagram ID: @shefiqbasheer