CHENNAI:We are always amazed at the experiences of a wildlife photographer, and we never stop gushing about the pictures they take. Well, what we are unaware of is the whole experience can be credited to their naturalist guide...someone like Surya Ramachandran, a Central India Naturalist Guide, who talks about the live action of a safari. We guarantee it’s much better than the dull wildlife shots you see.
First, a safari ride is not about sighting the jungle cat. Many people believe if a tiger is spotted, the expedition is a success. Not really. “Safari in India revolves around tigers. Sometimes they are adamant about it. But a safari can be so much more than that. It’s true, the mindset is definitely changing and it is up to the guide, always. The jungle is what a guide shows you,” says Surya.
A good guide will make sure you don’t always see the back of his head while on the safari. He will stop, point out, engage the children, make you take a walk and listen to the jungle sounds. Ironically, the first time Surya visited Forsyth Lodge, Satpura Tiger Reserve in 2012, he was disappointed not to spot even a single tiger.
Laughing, he says “I ended up seeing so many different things. At the end of two and a half days, I had made a checklist and it added up to 290 different natural species that I had seen. The habitat, rivers, fields, woodlands, temple ruins and wildlife — it was everything I dreamed of since my childhood.”
This incredible experience had given direction to his constant love for nature and animals. He did his internship taking photos, videos, going on walks, learned to drive a jeep on different terrains, follow tracks of animals and identifying different bird-calls until finally, he was made a permanent naturalist guide.
His holistic approach to the natural world and interest towards microhabitats and small carnivores made him travel and learn more rather than saturate. “Forget the tiger; I was fascinated by the world of dragonflies, butterflies, frogs and snakes! I could never understand nor accept that a tiger could be more important than a beautiful frog or a butterfly. Take the Stream Glory Damselfly in Pachmarhi, the resplendent Bush Frog in Munnar or the endemic Amarkantak Bush Frog in Amarkantak…these are far more important indicators of the habitat than the larger members like tigers or lions.”
Where is going wrong? Surya and his colleagues began to look for answers. It was one word — ignorance. “People just did not know and didn’t have the luxury of time that I did. They do not explore forests for each of its species and habitat. After sighting a single tiger, capturing it on their expensive cameras, they give up. They think they have seen it all,” rues the Chennai boy.
Around that time in 2014, a friend had brought a book on wildlife from Africa that covered all species from birds, reptiles, insects, mammals to trees in a simple, small book. This was exactly what they needed here. “We only have big, fat books dedicated to each species here. What was required was one simple book that covered it all with important details in an 80-word summary. That’s why we decided to publish a book that covered all species in Central India.”
And they did. The book Photographic Field Guide to the Wildlife of Central India was also gifted to each of the parks in Central India. Surya reckons it will fuel both naturalist guides and the tourist’s interests on other better species of nature apart from jungle cats through this photobook. Now, Surya plans to travel more, work with national park authorities and lead expeditions organised by major travel experience providers.
His parting piece of advice to wildlife and nature enthusiasts and photographers: “Know and choose your guide. Let him give you the experience and always take five minutes to listen to the jungle sounds. Keep the lenses aside, write a journal, walk on grass and look through your binoculars. There is so much more to learn and explore.”
(The writer is a freelance journalist)