KOCHI: A rare pig-nosed purple frog lurks near a marsh oblivious to the camera focused on it. This elusive endangered species, spotted in the Western Ghats, is a blaring reminder that puts the question of vanishing flora and fauna to the fore. This image by wildlife photographer Lal Kakkattiri sets the tone for ‘Nature Fest’, the wildlife photography exhibition going on at Lulu Mall.
And, amidst the hustle of shop hoppers, these 50-odd fierce and fabulous images of eight wildlife photographers do their bit for nature conservation. “The wildlife photographs exhibited here are more than just images. They are an awareness tool. We believe these images can make you fall for the beauty of the forests, the rich fauna that defines it. The images can be an eye-opener on the need to know, feel and conserve our wildlife and forests,” says Seema Suresh, a photographer whose works have been exhibited here. As she displays her snap of the Great Indian Hornbill, the endangered avian species inhabiting the Athirappally forest, she explains how the materialisation of Athirapally project would sound the death knell to several species from the globe.
Beauty in the Wild
In a frame by Aparna Purushotaman, a leopard is seen perched on a tree, a very rare spotting at Parambikkulam forests while Ali Malappuram’s snap of a wild gaur shows the beast stepping into a tarred road from its green habitat, a well-crafted metaphor from the nature.
“The forests of Kerala are thick and it isn’t easy to manoeuvre. So sighting a leopard in the forests here is a huge thing. I was fortunate enough to do it during my second outing to the Parambikkulam forests, says Aparna who has also captured a wild skink in motion .Canada-based photographer Vijayan Thomas’ capture of grey langurs playing on a tree at Bandipur National Park, Karnataka, had won him the BBC Viewer’s Choice Award. The picture proves how it became the favourite, courtesy the overwhelming cheeriness of the monkeys that play on a makeshift swing.
While Shefiq Basheer Ahmed has brought the wilderness of Himalayan mountains to his frames through the very beautiful Himalayan Monal and Thar, Manoop Chandran’s lens have captured the majestic tigers. The exhibition also features works of Mohan Thomas.