Wild Madhya Pradesh – Edited by Shri Bittu Sehgal & Ms. Lakshmy Raman (ISBN: 81-935496-4-3)
Published in 2018; Collaborative effort with leading Wildlife Conservationists of India
172 Pages; 300+ Photographs; Hardbound
Inception | This is completely a brainchild of Shri Bittu Sehgal and Ms. Lakshmy Raman who wanted a book to highlight the real beauty of wild Madhya Pradesh. One day I received a call from Gaurav Shirodkar of Sanctuary Asia asking about my willingness to contribute towards a book on wildlife of Madhya Pradesh. It was a mixed feeling; super excited at the thought of collaborating with the leading conservationist of India; and equally surprised as how Gaurav came to know about me. Later, I was informed that it was Shri Rajnish Kumar Singh (Dy. Conservator of Forest), who immensely liked my book – Wild Escapades around Central India – had talked eloquently and proposed my name as a prospective contributor. I attribute this inclusion of my name in the towering list of conservationists and wildlife photographers solely to the appreciative words of Shri Singh.
Roles & Responsibilities | Initially I was offered to write four full-chapters on lesser known parks of Madhya Pradesh but I ended with penning one main chapter on Ratapani WLS and three short summaries on Ken, Veerangana Durgawati and Singhori WLS. I also contributed few of my photographs from captures during travels through the wooded vistas of Madhya Pradesh.
Objectives |Madhya Pradesh is home to 6 tiger reserves, 10 national parks, 25 wildlife sanctuaries but only a handful of these natural heavens are known and celebrated. Many unknown yet equally beautiful sanctuaries await discovery and exploration. The book not only brings together the natural charms of the famous and the lesser known protected areas of Madhya Pradesh but also makes the reader aware about the ever-growing threats posed by human proliferation.
Coverage | The book covers whole of Madhya Pradesh focusing on the natural state of its many parks and sanctuaries. With contributors like the legendary conservationist Dr. M. K. Ranjitsinh, Late Shri Kailash Sankhala, Shri Bittu Sehgal, Dr. Anish Andheria, Ms. Lakshmy Raman, Shri Pushp Jain and ace photographers like Steve Winter, Joanna Van Gruisen, Thomas Vijayan, Sanjay Shukla and others, the book is a delight. The book has check-lists for Birds, Butterflies, Odonata, Mammals, Herpetofauna, and Plants of Madhya Pradesh.
Response | The book has been hugely acclaimed and widely accepted in India and the world over.
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