Wildlife of South India was a dream project for David and me. We have been exploring the wilds of South India, from the Western Ghats to the coasts and dry Deccan tableland for over a decade now. Even while working as naturalists in Satpura and Kanha, we took every opportunity to go back to South India and explore various interesting nooks of this vast habitat mosaic.
The culmination of these explorations have finally resulted in this 360-page compilation of 1920 species of mammals, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles, and amphibians that are found in the 6 states (TamilNadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Telengana, and Andhra Pradesh) of southern India.
When we published our Central India guide in 2016, we could feel the difference it brought to the people in the landscape, both the local guides and forest department staff, and also the visitors to the parks. What was once a place solely for tiger viewing was slowly changing into a beautifully rounded wilderness experience. The importance of walking, seeking lesser fauna, understanding microhabitats, and seeking the unseen was brought out after the distribution of the book. This is exactly what we as naturalists had been preaching in Satpura, a unique park which we spent 5 years in.
Walks, canoeing, hides, and even exploring and understanding the ecology of degraded buffer forests were the norm here. It was an oddity in Central India. A park that did not have to speak about cats. It was all about the lesser fauna. But with quality guiding and access to relevant information, this could be a part of the experience in other parts of the landscape too. This was the idea behind our first book, and later, the wildlife guide for South India.
With one book talking about a vast array of fauna, beautiful imagery, the information portrayed in a beautiful yet simple manner, and most importantly, in the dimensions of a book that fits into one’s backpack, this would make the wilderness and biodiversity more inviting to explore and less daunting. The journey of exploration doesn’t have to involve roaming wild places or going on safaris. It starts with understanding one’s backyard garden. This Photographic Field Guide will be the perfect companion to initiate this beautiful journey!
Grab your copy here!
A few snippets from the guide:
Buy online here!
