Tatini was an important character as she was successful in mending the broken relationships of the family members. However, Tanmay remained unconvinced and treated the lady as a total stranger.
Birdwatching is a great sport. How were you attracted to it?
My grandmother is from Assam and my mother’s family lived in the heart of a forest. My grandfather was an elephant catcher. So, from a very young age I was interested to know about the forests. I grew up in north-India, and during vacations we used to go on tours to the hills. It was only then that I developed interest in birdwatching.
Birdwatching has become a trend these days. The youth take up the sport with great enthusiasm only to click pictures and post them on Facebook. What is your reaction to that?
Surely, there is lot of enthusiasm among young people about the sport. But, the sad part is that the true sense of birdwatching is disappearing. They take pictures without knowing the species of the bird and then put it on the internet and ask people to identify it. Birdwatching also means observing the minute details of the bird.
You have worked with various governments and private organisations to promote eco-tourism. Are you planning on doing something similar in Orissa?
I have worked in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh among others. I’d be happy if the state government asks me to promote eco-tourism here. But, I am not sure if they need my help at all. Some of the states I worked with get a major part of their income through eco-tourism.
How was your experience in Orissa after your several visits?
Orissa is an interesting place for birdwatching, but people here don’t realise it. It has a list of over 500 species of birds. In Bhubaneswar, I once saw a Pale-capped pigeon, which is a rare species and is found only in Orissa. The government should do something about it.
House sparrows are rarely seen in the city. Vultures are nowhere to be found. Is it possible to revive their numbers?
Unfortunately, there are no studies that talks about the reason for the decline in the number of house sparrows. However, there are lots of speculations and theories for their disappearance. As for vultures, their situation is slightly recovering. Few vultures were seen in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. But, it is not enough to increase their population.
In your vast experience, did you ever find an opportunity to discover new species?
Unfortunately, I have never discovered any species. There are about 1400 variety of species of birds that can be found in India. I am lucky enough to have seen 1300 of them. The most interesting ones are found in the north-eastern region because they belong to a different geological zone there.
