Conversations between humans and the wildlife

Latika Nath emphasises that India is the only real wildlife alternative to Africa but the country hasn’t capitalised on it enough. “We speak about Indian culture, temples, palaces, etc but not many come here for the wildlife,” says the conservation ecologist and wildlife photographer, who is the first Indian, especially a woman, with a PhD on tigers. She is now presenting this unexplored aspect of the country in her book Hidden India, which has been written by her cousin, journalist and writer, Shloka Nath. “I’ve tried to present our relationship with nature and made Latika’s images more evocative. Also, the book is about hidden pieces within us,” the author says.

A TRIBUTE

The book is a tribute to Shloka’s brother Kaveesh Nath, who tragically died in a car accident five years ago. She and Latika, who is called the Tiger Princess, wanted to do something in the late wildlife enthusiast’s memory. The latter came up with the idea of Hidden India. “As a reaction to her brother’s demise, Shloka had stopped writing. I told her that I would do the book only if she wrote it,” Latika says. While it took her only three months to collate the photographs from her travels over two years, for the writer it took eight. “The first time, the content was textbook-like. I told Shloka, ‘I don’t want descriptions... I want ‘you’ and asked her to rewrite it,” Latika states. And thus began a journey of introspection and tapping into emotions for the writer who, as a journalist, was tuned to being objective and not put her personal self into her works. “Writing to me was never unfamiliar but having to reach within was. Also, I thought she wanted a literal text for her photos. So, while Latika went outward with nature and photography, I went inward,” Shloka explains.

A COMPLETE WILDLIFE PICTURE

The book is a complete picture of the Indian wilderness — animals and birds to marine diversity. Whether it’s photographing two leopards in the dark or climbing 7,000 steps to click a double-deck bridge in pouring rain, each picture is a story in itself. “These are not just photographs but conversations between humans and the wildlife,” Latika avers. “There are two ways in which you can bring attention to wildlife conservation — focus on the horrors of destruction and poaching, or show how beautiful the planet is and inspire people to preserve it. We have done the latter,” Shloka adds. However, for her, it was also about rediscovering her voice after suffering from grief. “The book is a culmination of that journey and realising that we’ve been blessed with beauty in the world, which needs to be protected,” says Shloka, who leads the climate change and environment portfolio at Tata Trust.

OTHER WORKS

Post Hidden India, Latika’s next book is about her drive in the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. After that, there are books on the big cats of India, the Great Rift Valley in Africa, and the Arctic and Antarctic poles. As for Shloka, she is all set to write her own book. “It will be a personal memoir about grief, love and loss,” she says.