It must have been the first day of 6th or 7th grade when customarily the teacher asked us to introduce ourselves and share our future aspirations. When it came to my turn, I nervously mumbled- “Animal Scientist, Ma’am!”. The teacher appeared a bit confused, among the plethora of aspiring Doctors, Police officers, prime ministers, soldiers, and pilots hearing something rather odd she again asked-What does that mean? Do you want to be an Animal Doctor i.e. Veterinarian? Honestly, I wasn’t very sure what the term ‘Animal Scientist’ exactly meant but I had heard many a times my wildlife heroes like Jeff Corwin, Nigel Marvel, and others referring to themselves as “Pashu Vigyanik” at the start of the famous 2000s wildlife Tv Shows.
“No Ma’am, I want to be an animal scientist like the ones who feature on Discovery and Nat Geo …who follow wild animals in their jeeps and study them” I replied with a sense of satisfaction. “Okay! Great” said the teacher, still looking a bit unsure what I wanted to be.
But I was pretty sure what I wanted to be. Ever since childhood, nothing provided me as much happiness and joy as watching the animals. I was absolutely fascinated by them. It was not just their aesthetics and quirkiness that caught my attention but I was filled with an innate desire and curiosity to understand the animals, observe their behavior, and know their life stories, their struggle, and their joy. Much of the day was spent personifying animals around me. Also, the thrilling scenes of wildlife heroes like Austin Stevens and Steve Irwin… (always flaunting khaki shorts) fearlessly running and jumping into dangerous murky waters to catch hold of an alligator or a python, all to showcase the majestic beasts; fueled my obsession of being out in the wild and explore the wonders of natural world.
It was almost natural for me to get drawn to nature and other creatures, as is well captured by Erich Fromm, via the term biophilia, describing it as ‘the passionate love of life and all that is alive’. As a child, exposure to nature and wildlife didn’t only provide me a treasure trove of memories but it also had a profound impact upon me as a growing individual. Watching the life stories of animals helps develop a deep sense of empathy and early maturity. Beyond fostering patience, keen observation skills, and an open mind; nature education can also spark creativity and a sense of spirituality. Inspired by what I saw, I even started mimicking the TV wildlife researchers in the way they named their study subject based on physical attributes or behavioral characteristics, followed and observed them from a distance while making notes, the difference being they were observing the beasts of Serengeti while I spied the pack of dogs in our locality or the ant colony in the balcony.
But all was not rosy, very soon I was acquainted with the grim reality that the precious wildlife was in great danger and utter neglect. I just couldn’t reconcile the amount of cruelty inflicted upon these magnificent creatures. They were being poached for their beauty, and their homes and habitats were being destroyed globally. Humans, the smartest species, had quite conveniently normalized a stepmotherly attitude towards fellow inhabitants of the earth. Horrific tales like that of Maharaja of Surguja who is reported to have killed around 1700 tigers and 2000 leopards as well as the last three Cheetahs of India, disappointed and cautioned me of the immense capacity of human brutality and greed. This categorical injustice and impunity of humans greatly disturbed me and an inner resolve to fight against it ignited in me. Hope wasn’t hard to find as I recall reading a Prose chapter in school on how with the introduction of cameras in the wild, a big-time trophy hunter transformed into someone later shooting wildlife with a camera instead of a gun. Also, the Save the Tigers TV campaign of the 2000s did much to leave a lasting imprint on the minds of young nature lovers like me.
Growing up as I delved deeper into the academic domains of environment and ecology, I could better understand the intricate connections between wildlife, forests, human existence, and the health of the planet. Finally, it all started to make sense, what did the iconic phrase ‘Agar bagh nahi rahenge toh van bhi nahi rahenge’ actually mean, why conservation of wild flora and fauna wasn’t just an ethical issue but a question of our very own survival. Once one gets a basic sense of the timelessness of Earth’s past wherein human existence represents a mere 0.007% of the entire history of the planet, it’s not difficult to understand that it’s us, humans, who need saving. Earth has seen it all and in one stroke it can restore any imbalance caused by any species (no matter how smart) it’s just that in that calamitic restoration other species will also be imperiled. I had already been deeply in love with nature’s beauty and wonder but now I had a deep respect and gratitude to the natural world and its manifold intricate processes that made it possible for us to relish the gift of life.
The story of Jane Goodall, who was chosen for the groundbreaking Chimp Project because she was unbiased by academic learning, and had uncommon patience and dedication, greatly inspired me as I decided to make a career-switch. Fortunately, I got an opportunity to be associated with a Livelihood Project of WWF@ Corbett. It was again a great learning experience that helped me realize that Species research and documentation is just one aspect in the broader domain of Environmental Conservation and Sustainability. There were other vital aspects like Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation, Livelihood Intervention for forest-dwelling communities, Eco-Tourism, and Environmental Policy and advocacy. A successful Conservation effort requires coordinated intervention in all these aspects wherein the role of Forest bureaucracy comes in. Therein the idea to become a Forest Officer was conceived to make a bigger impact from within the system. Although with an Engineering background, I undertook a challenging yet exciting academic journey meandering through realms of natural and earth sciences which further ameliorated my understanding of the earth and its living system. Sadly, even after giving multiple attempts I couldn’t make it to the list. Could never comprehend why future forest bureaucrats were not only being evaluated via the same entrance exam as civil servants but they are also supposed to be top scorers in preliminary exam. But in the end, the reality was that I couldn’t make it.
This period of continuous failure and health hardships harmed my mental health. Once you have risked it all for a pressing dream, for something you genuinely believed in but couldn’t cross the final frontier, it breaks your spirit, your optimism, your soul. I had hit rock bottom but the worst was still yet to come as I struggled to land a decent job in the domain of conservation mostly because I didn’t have a degree in life sciences. It acquainted me with the final realization of the plight of a wildlife enthusiast in India. But the lessons from all those wildlife documentaries didn’t go in vain. Resilience and grit are part and parcel of the life in wilderness. After every tragedy and injury, animals have a habit of making a miraculous comeback, be it the bloody massacre of their young litter or a fatal injury leaving flesh hanging out of their bones, these wild animals show tremendous ability to recover and move on with their lives. Misfit the weak, ignored lion cub defied all odds to turn into a majestic and handsome lion king. The fiercest lion ever known Mr. T, even during his final moments, though outnumbered and severely injured, fought till the very end like the true warrior and king that he was.
I still dream of an Education of Nature, to be surrounded by an indefinite forest, documenting the wild souls. I am not giving up. Likewise, I find hope for the future of depreciating wildlife, this very hope is echoed in the ending scenes of Planet Earth II, wherein out of the whole wide world it is in a temple premises of Jodhpur that the BBC team could find an extraordinary relationship between humans and animals. They found people so tolerant and generous towards langurs that the birth rate was twice as compared to their forest counterparts. They were so well fed that a very rare sight was captured, a mother langur with her rich milk supporting twins. Hope just doubled for The Wild Wild Dream.
