Text and Photographs By Shivaram Subramaniam
After nearly three decades of navigating the intricacies of financial markets, I embarked on a transformative journey to embrace my deepest passions: wildlife photography and travel. Through a decade of capturing ephemeral moments with my lens, I have discovered a calling that transcends mere recreation – it is a profoundly enriching exploration of life, nature, and the intricate connections that define them. My work has earned recognition both in India and on global platforms. Among the most cherished milestones of my journey is the honour of having my images displayed at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London. Equally significant is the selection of my tiger photographs for the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) commemorative book celebrating 50 years of Project Tiger, with one image proudly adorning its cover. Over the years, many leading wildlife and travel publications have showcased my work, amplifying its reach and impact. Wildlife photography, for me, is far more than an artistic pursuit – it is a profound communion with the wilderness, an unspoken dialogue with the untamed. This passion has not only deepened my connection with nature but has also afforded me the privilege of collaborating with fellow enthusiasts and contributing to vital conservation efforts that protect our planet’s fragile ecosystems. Each frame I capture is a heartfelt tribute to the mesmerising beauty, enduring mystery, and indomitable spirit of the wild. This journey continues to inspire, challenge, and fulfil me in ways I never imagined possible.
A snow leopard Panthera uncia is dwarfed by an overhanging wall of ice and stone in Kibber village, Himachal Pradesh. Spotted early in the morning, it spent the entire day resting, only moving late in the evening. My eyes fell on a cave adorned with delicate icicles. I remember silently willing the snow leopard to walk beneath them – hoping for that perfect, almost surreal frame. And to my amazement, it did.
A fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus looks unreal as light is reflected from the brackish water of a creek in Amta village near Kolkata. Primarily nocturnal, the fishing cat chiefly thrives on fish and is, predictably, an excellent swimmer, capable of covering long distances, sometimes diving underwater in pursuit of its prey.
In a striking moment captured in Dhikala, Corbett National Park, an Asian elephant Elephas maximus unleashes its power on a termite mound. Drawn to the nutrient-rich soil, the elephant tears it open with dramatic force. This was the infamous makhana elephant in full fury – charging with intensity and smashing through the mounds in a display of raw strength and dominance.
Swinging effortlessly from an areca nut palm in Assam, the Western hoolock gibbon – India’s only native ape – offers a rare glimpse into life in the shrinking forests of the Northeast. With no tail and unmatched agility, these endangered primates are losing ground as agriculture and ‘development’ projects steadily encroach on their fragile habitat.
With wings outspread, a Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus lifts off from the seasonal salt marsh of the Little Rann of Kutchh, clutching a beheaded Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis in its talons. The falcon had struck with deadly precision – its attack swift, ruthless, and final. In a stark display of nature’s raw brutality, it decapitated its prey before soaring away. This was nature at its most primal – unfiltered and unforgiving.
Bathed in the golden light of dawn, a tiger strides through the breathtaking Dhikala landscape of the Corbett National Park. Beyond its majestic vistas, Corbett teems with life – home to over 50 mammal species, 580 birds, and 25 reptiles, making it one of India’s richest wildlife sanctuaries.
Caught between shadow and sunlight, a young leopard Panthera pardus perches gracefully on a tree in Dhikala, Corbett National Park. They have a mobile backbone, and free front limbs that are attached to the body by ligaments and muscles instead of the collarbone, which allows free movement. A true master of stealth and agility, spotting this elusive predator in the wild is even rarer than encountering a tiger.
A golden flash in the Dhikala canopy, the yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula makes a rare and striking appearance. Bold, agile, and highly adaptable, this omnivorous mustelid is Asia’s largest marten species. With a powerful bite and the prowess to take down prey larger than itself, it thrives as both, a formidable predator and an important seed disperser, playing a key role in forest ecosystems.
With its talons gripping a slippery catch, the Pallas’s Fish Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus stands tall – a masterful hunter of India’s riverbanks. Classified as vulnerable, this elusive raptor is a striking symbol of the fragile harmony between freshwater ecosystems and the life they sustain. Witnessing one in action in Dhikala, Corbett National Park was a rare thrill and a powerful call for conservation.
