"It was a wonderful experience interacting with you and appreciate the way you have planned and executed the whole publication process within the agreed timelines.”
Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh Pal
‘Photographic Field Guide – Wildlife of South India’ is the first-of-its-kind comprehensive field guide covering all the mammals, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and amphibians of the six states (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) of south India.
The book is a must have for wilderness enthusiasts as it is a true ambassador to the biodiversity of south India in its own right. It is sure to transform wilderness walks and safaris and even the way people perceive urban wilderness, starting from one’s own balconies and gardens. The book, which has 360 pages, covers 1920 species belonging to the six taxa using 1850 photographs contributed by around 280 photographers from India and beyond. The information presented in various sections of ‘Photographic Field Guide – Wildlife of South India’ has been vetted and added to by experts from the scientific world.
Surya Ramachandran, David Raju
Both David Raju and Surya Ramachandran abandoned the life-paths mandated by their formal education (English Literature for David and Electrical Engineering for Surya) to carve out careers in the wilderness of India, working as naturalist guides and enthusing people with their own enjoyment of nature. Nothing satisfies these two as much as being an ambassador for the forest by making the wilderness more interesting and less daunting for people from all walks of life. Their first book, ‘The Photographic Field Guide – Wildlife of Central India’ was published in 2016 for the very same purpose. It aimed at shifting the focus of visitors and local guides towards the wilderness as an entity, and not just the mega species. The difference brought about by that book encouraged them to write more to bring about similar awareness and change in other regions of India as well.
Both the authors have travelled to almost every region and habitat of India, and are constantly updating their knowledge with relentless field trips and expeditions. During the monsoons, David and Surya spend their time combing the Western Ghats along with researchers for new discoveries. David continues to work in Central India as a naturalist. He has authored a well-regarded field guide on his first love, the dragonflies and damselflies of Kerala. Surya transitioned from being a documentary producer to a full-time naturalist. He is currently an ambassador for Swarovski Optik Birding and runs a conservation tourism outfit focussed on snow leopards and other trans-Himalayan fauna in the mountains of Ladakh.
Over the years, the two of them have been invited to conduct many training sessions for local guides, naturalists, wilderness lodges and the various forest departments.
