The many hats of a wildlife naturalist

David Raju

We can learn a lot by observing animals in their natural environment. The groundwork for this journey often starts with observing, cataloguing and documenting species: The work of a naturalist.

Recently, naturalists and guides David Raju and Surya Ramachandran released their book Photographic Field Guide – Wildlife of South India which covers 1,920 species belonging to 6 taxa; it also features over 240 frogs.

The diversity of the South can be gauged by comparing the numbers in the book with the previous one from the duo, Photographic Field Guide – Wildlife of Central India, which has covered over 850 species including 20 frogs.

David, who enjoys putting information together, says that they are entitled to a 3-month holiday from work in Central India and during this time, he and Surya would visit various wildlife parks in the Western Ghats, documenting and observing animals.

David visits the picturesque Munnar not to take in the fresh air but to look out for frogs, snakes and birds.

"We go there, study these animals, observe them and take pictures. And the fun part is learning about the species" he says

Surya, who has worked in Ladakh and Trans Himalaya with snow leopards and Kutch among other places, says, "we wanted to build a bridge between the scientific community and commoners, who are curious but always daunted by the understanding and exploring the wilderness."

The work of a guide

The work that David and Surya do involves going through journals and engaging in conversation with scientists to understand a species so that they can communicate what they learn to the general public.

"The day we are not doing our job well, we are pushing someone away from their connect with nature," says Surya, who also freelances in Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

Though they are employed by lodges in wildlife areas, their work, apart from guiding people and observing their subject, also involves designing tours and working with wilderness agents and specialists. They are also consulted by the forest department too.

Surya says that guiding is an art and depends on how one connects with people and puts across information, which can pique curiosity in the one uninitiated in the ways of the wild.

Documenting nature

This art's major tools are documentation and learning, so guides and naturalists invariably have to don the hat of a wildlife photographer too.

"When we spot a subject, we have to think about how to take the picture so that it helps in identification. Consider a dragonfly. I would want a clear picture of its head, the tail-tip, its dorsal and ventral side but for a wildlife photographer, other things like the background matter too," he says.

Apart from this on also needs to know some software. Surya suggests Adobe Lightroom for cataloguing pictures and photoshop, which they minimally use, to correct the white balance error.

"Our photos are for documentation and we take pictures keeping simple ideas in mind. We make sure light is perfect and shadows are limited," Surya says

Asked about the equipment, which at times is a deterrent because of the cost factor, David underlines that equipment carries little importance.

"Being the naturalist is the same as any other career. If you are good at it you can go places. If you do it without a heart for it, care for nature and for the people you are guiding, you will get nowhere. Money becomes good only when you become good," Surya answers.

"First be curious and go out. Ask questions and learn. There are communities on Instagram and Facebook and discussion forums. This job is a lifestyle involving constant search, learning, travelling and exploring. Also, there are sleepless nights, hard beds and open bush toilets. You need to have the thirst to know things and enjoy it", Surya tells those aspiring for a career in the field.