Hey friends,
Greetings from Bangalore, India!
Happy Diwali to all those who celebrate.
This week, I thought I’d talk about a childhood hero of mine - Valmik Thapar.
He is one of the most renowned “tiger men” of India—people who have dedicated their lives to preserving this great cat. And he is a big hero of mine. Much of my love for wildlife can be traced back to him.
Back in 1976, a young Valmik Thapar saw his first Ranthambore tiger. For those of you who don’t know, Ranthambore is one of the tiger capitals of India. This famed forest draws tourists from all over to see this big cat against the backdrop of old Mughal monuments.
Until then, he was just a city boy (by his own admission), unsure of what he wanted to do with his life. Some force steered him to the railway station of Sawai Madhopur near Ranthambore. There, after spending a sleepless night in the only hotel there (festooned with cobwebs), he awoke and went to the Project Tiger office, where he met Fateh Singh Rathore.
This impromptu meeting, along with a drive through the forests around the old forts, led to seeing a tiger in his searchlights at night. That sighting gave rise to more than ten books extolling the greatness of this predator.
I don’t want to give you a list of his achievements. But I do want to impress upon you the impact of his work. There are many who credit their fascination for Indian wildlife back to Valmik Thapar, and I’m first in line. I can proudly say that I’ve read most of his works. In fact, even though I’ve not visited Ranthambore yet, I already have a sense of the place and its geography, having mentally explored it through his books.
Having lived on in Ranthambore for many years after that sighting, Valmik Thapar would document the lives of several generations of tigers. He would come to see how individualistic tigers could be. There were some tigers that didn’t like the lakes, while there were some who would chase deer into the water as a hunting technique. He documented cases ofmale tigers spending time with cubs, a hitherto unknown behaviour. Once, he even saw a tigress share her nilgai carcass with several offspring over different generations, culminating in 9 different tigers eating the same animal at some point. All these events flew in the face of what people initially believed: that these were solitary cats.
I cannot understate the impact of his books, especially on me. I think a book, whatever the genre, that finds you at the right time can be life-changing. Valmik Thapar’s books have all found me at the right time, and they have had a lasting impression on me.
So that’s what I wanted to dedicate this week’s issue to. If you are looking for new reading material and are open to trying something in this genre, pick up a book by Valmik Thapar.
Honestly, you could pick up any book, but if you’re looking for a specific recommendation, then consider “Living with Tigers.”
Postcard
A Malabar Trogon, one of the most exquisite birds from the Western Ghats of India. I photographed this a few weeks ago.
Favourite Quote
Here’s a line from Barack Obama’s presidential memoir - A Promised Land. Regardless of your politics, this is an inspiring read, because it is fundamentally a story of someone who wanted to change the world, and what that journey actually entailed.
"But who knows?" I said, looking around the table. "There's no guarantee we can pull it off. Here's one thing I know for sure, though. I know that the day I raise my right hand and take the oath to be president of the United States, the world will start looking at America differently. I know that kids all around this country-Black kids, Hispanic kids, kids who don't fit in-they'll see themselves differently, too, their horizons lifted, their possibilities expanded. And that alone... that would be worth" - Barack Obama
Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!
If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.
Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.
I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)
What I appreciate most about your description of this author is how passion for a subject led him to study it directly and freshly instead through the filters of anyone else's expectations or past assumption, leading to new insights and discoveries. That inspires me to move toward my own passionate explorations with confidence, knowing I'll be helping to break new ground by following my natural affinity.
"There are many who credit their fascination for Indian wildlife back to Valmik Thapar, and I’m first in line."
This week I wrote about the power of our words to move others (offering new writers an incentive to hit publish). Here you so beautifully illustrate the impact of words and observations shared.