How I got into nature & wildlife

I REMEMBER THAT SUNDAY in August 1999. It was probably the most defining moment of my life. I did not realize it then, but that day changed me, or should I say, brought to the fore the real “me”, which had been hidden somewhere for 25 years. It gave me something to look forward to in life, forever. As a teenager, I loved watching the TV series Our Living Planet, by Marty Stouffers. I always thought those beautiful forests, those magnificent animals and birds existed in places only Marty could reach and I had to be content with watching them on TV. I envied him and wished for an opportunity to see them at least once. Then one day, when I was about 15, I saw an article in a magazine about the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, along with some lovely pictures. My joy knew no bounds when I found that what Marty had been showing on TV all these years, existed in India too, at least at one place. I carefully stored away that issue and decided this was a place I’d definitely visit some day. Life went on. I joined medical college but Marty and his series, as well as my Bharatpur dream, persisted. While in medical college, on Saturdays, I often sought permission from a professor (who was also my mentor at that time, in a way), to leave class early so that I could catch Marty’s series. Interestingly, the professor never stopped me. We had often seen him stop suddenly in the midst of his lectures, as if to listen to something. Most of us laughed. I was also curious — why did he do this? But it remained a mystery. I got my medical degree, started my practice and life seemed good. Two years later, I fell ill and had to be operated upon. 15 days later, the surgery had to be redone because of negligence during the first surgery. But the damage had been done. I continued to fall ill very often and underwent three or four surgeries within two years. The repeated agony caused depression; the medicines killed my appetite and I became skinny. In a way, my illness affected my upcoming practice too. I saw that I could never succeed the way I had in the first two years. I became a nervous wreck and was frustrated in general. All through these years, I had been in touch with my professor on and off. He was aware of my illness and consequent depression. One day he said, “Why don’t you come with me this Sunday?” “Where?” I asked. “Leave that to me,” he said. “Just come over.” So I did. I accompanied him on a nature walk with the BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society), on their forest land. I then learnt the secret of his frequent pauses in the midst of lectures — he listened to the bird calls, trying to identify them. No wonder I was allowed to leave early for Marty Stouffer’s series too! Anyway, I enjoyed the walk, came back home feeling better. Soon, life was back to where it was. Then, in August 1999, the newspaper carried a beautiful picture of the karvi flowers in bloom on the front page. The caption read: “These flower once in eight years and this is the flowering year. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has arranged a nature walk to watch these, in the Sanjay Gandhi national park.” Something within me stirred. I called my professor to ask if he was going for the walk and sure enough, he was. I registered my name too. As we went deeper into the park, my heart leapt. This was what I was yearning to see all these years, unaware that it was right here, practically in my backyard. The forest was just like what I had seen in the series and so close to where I lived. Why hadn’t I found it earlier? I felt a childish impulse to jump and laugh out loud in sheer joy — it was as if I had found a long-lost love, or a treasure that I had been searching for. The karvi flowers, the monsoon streams in the forest, the lush greenery, the birds, and the butterflies — everything took over my senses and I was transported into a different world. I then started going on these walks more often, as much as my health allowed. Once in two months, once a month and then once every two weeks. My health improved. But more than that, over a period of time, from a quiet, timid, shy personality, I turned into an extrovert. I made friends; I turned confident; I became assertive. Was this the real me? Where had I been buried all this time? I also took to photography, and started visiting many sanctuaries and national parks over the years that followed. I got involved in conservations and awareness activities. Today, I endeavour to spend at least a few hours every week outdoors, with nature. What started as a hobby has become a passion, a purpose, a guiding force in life — it is something I live for. It has helped me brave all storms in life and emerge smiling.

Published in Tehelka Magazine, Vol 5, Issue 28, Dated July 19, 2008