This Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award 2017 winner’s career path was set early in childhood. Between walks through Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park and explorations through virtually every biogeographic zone on the Indian subcontinent, this remarkable young man has described a new species of bird to science and personally seen and documented as many as 1,190 avian species in India. A longtime associate of author and birding expert, Bikram Grewal, he met him to share both purpose and vision with Sanctuary readers.
SHASHANK, YOU ARE ONLY 34 YEARS OLD, BUT YOUR INTEREST IN WILDLIFE AND BIRDS ALREADY SPANS OVER A DECADE. TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY.
I remember being gifted a book on the mammals of India by my grandfather when I was just four. And read it again and again until I knew it by rote. When I was seven our teacher asked us to write on the animal we liked the most, and while most of my friends wrote on dogs and cats, I chose the Asian elephant. My love for birds was born when my grandmother brought home a caged bird. Curious about its identity, I looked in the book Common Birds (India - the Land and People) by Dr. Sálim Ali and Laeeq Futehally and discovered it was a Red-vented Bulbul. Not happy with seeing the bird in a cage, I began to spend virtually every holiday and any spare time I had exploring the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and other birding spots in Mumbai. On one such field trip, I met Dr. Anish Andheria who promised to take me with him every time he came, provided I stopped walking alone inside the national park. Between him and the inimitable Dr. Parvish Pandya, Vice Principal of Bhavan’s College, I was fortunate to be gifted the practical knowledge I needed to launch a life enriched by an understanding of natural history, ecology and conservation. through my high school and college years.
WAS THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY A KEY STEPPING STONE?
Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Sanctuary Asia.
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Denne historien er fra December 2017-utgaven av Sanctuary Asia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Why Children Are Needed To Help Save The World
On my very first day in India, I encountered many marvelous new customs not practiced in the United States, my home country. But the most curious by far involved trees. Here and there, alongside the roaring streets of Mumbai were rings of marigold wreathed around twisting banyan trunks like dried rays of afternoon sunlight…
Who's Who?
Fact: all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads! Let’s unpack this...
The Sea Raptor
The White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is one of the most common raptors along the Indian coastline. Nevertheless, the sight of this soaring, broad-winged, white and black bird of prey is nothing less than majestic
Bringing Up Bob Hoots.
While we were visiting a friend’s farm in the village of Yelachetty, near Bandipur Tiger Reserve, we found Spotted Owlets nesting on the tiled roof… and one of the chicks on the kitchen floor!
Yala, Land Of The Leopard
Yala is not only Sri Lanka’s second-largest, but also the most-visited national park in the island nation.
The Wizards Of Oz!
Australia is not only a country, but also a continent. The land down under, cut-off from the rest of the world has an abundance of unique species of native animals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants.
Scales & Tails
I was really excited and looking forward to the workshop on reptiles and amphibians at Nature’s Nest in Mollem, Goa, between June 24 and 26, 2017. It was my opportunity to meet renowned herpetologist Varad Giri.
Big, Brilliant And Endangered
When one thinks of elephants, the first word that probably comes to mind is BIG! But elephants, while they may be the largest creatures on land, are not just big and powerful, they’re wise and sensitive as well. Recent scientific studies have established that they are among the most intelligent animals in the world.
Earth Manners
Everyday habits matter! Let’s be kind to the planet, animals and ourselves!
World Scan
CHINA’S IVORY TOWNAn explosive investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency has revealed how criminal gangs originating from an obscure town in southern China have come to dominate the smuggling of ivory tusks poached from African elephants.
