Wildlife : Curiously Wandering Around & Seeking the True Beauty of Nature

Kyun sochna hai jana kahan jaye vahin le jaye jahan…. besabriyaan. This line of a famous song perfectly describes the life of this wanderer Soul, this time team HFM had a chance to chat with Mr. Kaushik Ghelani, a wildlife photographer and storyteller by passion and by profession.

He calls himself Aaranyak, a Sanskrit word that means a person who roams freely in the forest. That’s what he is and that’s what he does for the past 12 years. An observer at heart he started perceiving nature out of curiosity. Initially, he used to like roaming around farms and having delightful conversations about their Kheater with his father they used to talk about changing seasons and migrating birds and whatnot. from all the family conversations I started growing curious. And that curiosity took me to the jungle.

From Hobby to profession

Kaushik Ghelani started working in an Ad agency, it was an average and ordinary job, and used to visit the jungle in order to take a break from the chaotic city life. That small break always gave ultimate peace, like meditation. When he used to narrate his incredible experiences in the woods people around him doubted if he is telling the truth. That made him capture those stories through his lenses. Then he took to social media to share those experiences beyond boundaries. When he wrote the stories behind every frame, people started loving his narrations and he started getting calls from different print mediums to write for them. And in no time this hobby was self-molded into a profession and this observer and nature lover into a wildlife photographer and storyteller.

The following chapter in his career was commercial trips to the jungles, working with tourism boards of different states, writing books for forest departments, fame trips for boosting tourism documenting for Gujarat Government, and whatnot. “nothing was planned but I followed my heart and I got better than I expected. Today people recognize me, like my writings, and the pictures that I click get sold out at a good price.”

Learning from the woods

He firmly believes that one should learn from the jungle. It is a school. A free school where one can learn for entire life. “I would say for me jungle is a meditation, for me, it’s a university. I still go to school” he believes every small element in nature teaches us something. Trees teach us to give without expecting. Birds teach us to live in today. Mammals teach us to live in unity. Animals like lions and tigers teach us to run and work hard even if we are in a higher position. Jungle or nature we can say teaches us to be down to earth we came from there and will go into it.

Giving back to Mother Nature

“ I don’t think people actually get it but Nature is tomorrow’s luxury. And making people aware of that is all I want to do now.” As a sheer believer in wildlife conservation, Kaushik wants that Everyone should get educated about nature. It should be given from the elementary level. “I want to contribute to this cause, I’ll share my experience, I’ll write books and make informational documentaries.” From this, they will learn to respect nature. Wildlife conservation is only possible if people become aware. “ education is most Important and one who has experience can only give that education. I want to be that one.”

Sharing ways about nature conservation practices he gives straight and simple advice “Just witness nature without interference.” People need to understand that their so-called ways of helping nature (as simple as feeding birds) can result in adversely so it’s better to just stop interfering with it. “ there is a proper food chain that we break when we interfere.” In simpler words, we should not plant trees and relocate animals that are not meant in a particular environment. It is very important to maintain the food chain for coexistence. Nature has given it its place for a reason. “nothing that nature has created is useless if placed in the right place.”

Fitness in the Wild

Like any other aspect of life wildlife photography also needs sound physical and mental fitness. These photographers have to document things at any extreme temperature. ‘be it watching snow leopards in winter in the Himalayas or chasing lions in Gir at 50 degree Celsius.’ “ Our work involves trekking in snow walking on steep cliffs, and dense sand while carrying camera equipment that is at least 12 kg in weight. We have to be physically fit to avoid hampers or we can say anyone doing this work gets fit as a by-product.” Wildlife seekers generally have to follow the creature in order to document the routine that involves kilometers of walking. “ we walk a lot, that easily losses weight.”

To document wildlife one has to be attentive, awake, and instinctive that’s where mental health comes into the picture. “ if you are involved with wildlife either exploring it or documenting it one has to be physically fit.”

For the past 12 years, Mr. Kaushik Ghelani is doing behavioral pattern study of different wildlife and has been to major parts of jungles and National parks across India. He has lived both the environment be it a regular employee city life or being in the most nomadic remote area say somewhere near the Indus River, so when someone like him gives advice on life it’s worth a here;

“People should go to the jungle and witness nature in order to grow, especially those who have kids. Put adventures & challenges more than luxury & leisure on your bucket list.

More than anything you have to understand the law of nature; ‘ Live and let Live’.”