Perspectives on ideas and the wild
The winter air hanging over Kapla Beel (wetland) was bitterly cold. It was well past midnight, and the surrounding villages were fast asleep. Along the dark embankment of the massive wetland, a small team of forest staff moved like shadows, their flashlights cutting thin beams through the heavy mist. Suddenly they noticed nylon nets stretched …
The internal combustion engine may have conquered the world, but it hasn’t yet conquered the soul of a true forester. In my years within the forest department, I have learned that the most vital piece of skill is the grit to walk long distances inside a forest. Every recruit, from the lowest ranks to the silver-haired …
This is the final photograph taken before our forest camp was eventually eroded and washed away by the relentless force of the water. In this frame, we stand like a group of old friends at a station, waiting for a train that only goes one way. We knew the camp was becoming a part of …
For the forest guards of Uchila Camp, the night was never a time for sleep. It was a time for listening to the snap of a heavy branch or the low, throat-tightening rumble of a six-ton visitor. For months, the camp had been a flashpoint. The staff, dedicated to protecting the wild, were exhausted by …
An urgent news, a quick mobilization and it began the way most wildlife emergencies in Assam do. The injured elephant that we had been monitoring for few days had wandered out into the nearby village and was spotted near a stream at Panbari, with a huge swollen feet. The team arrived with tranquilizer ready, dart …
When I joined the forest department, I had a certain image of myself. Striding through misty forests, binoculars around my neck, quietly protecting the wildlife. Nobody told me there would be days I'd be carrying a rubber boat on my head through a thorny forest.It started as a clean, professional mission. My team and I, …