He can mimic over 100 birds
Naturalist, writer, and ornithologist Kiran Purandare shares his experience of staying in the forest for 14 long months
While most of us love to spend our lives in civilised cities, surrounded by skyscrapers, shopping malls and other human beings, Pune-based environmentalist Kiran Purandhare chooses to live a solitary existence in the wilderness. Repulsed by the urban chaos, he spent 14 months in the Nagzira forest without taking any break.
He approached the state forest department with a project. His plan was to observe every facet of the forest closely and submit a report. After a lot of convincing, he was put up in a forest guard’s cabin in the heart of the jungle and was later moved to a slightly better accommodation. Amidst all this Kiran was always under the risk of attacks from scorpions, sloth bears, tigers and leopards. During this period, he cycled over 1500 kms and walked over 1,200 km in the forest. “I wanted to take a deeper look at all facets of nature. Forests are dynamic and they constantly change. The overall experience was very rewarding,” he says.
Throughout his stay, he photographed and documented everything he could. He wrote more than 150 diaries, came back and compiled it all into a book titled Sakha Nagzira.
During his escapade, he recalls an experience that will remain etched in his mind. “It was a regular Thursday morning and I was cycling and talking over the phone, when suddenly I saw an animal nearing me. I couldn’t recognise what it was and I stood there frozen. It suddenly ran towards me and stood right in front of me. It was a tigress. But thankfully I was successfully rescued by the guards,” he shares.
Kiran is so passionate about birds that using his observation and dedication he learned to mimic the calls of more than 100 bird species, including the Common Iora, White-throated Fantail, Crested Serpent Eagle and the Coppersmith Barbet. “I was always fond of birds and went birding as a child. Those days, it was just an aimless wandering for me. But my inclination towards birds grew with every passing day,” he says.
He started imitating sounds of birds after his friends complimented him for his whistling prowess. After that, whenever he saw a bird he tried to mimic its sound. “After a lot of observation, I realised that the birds were responding to my call. I understand their signals, like their call for food, or when there is danger around,” he explains.
He is a self-taught ornithologist, but he almost never uses the skills in the forest though. “Birds respond to my calls but I would rather not disturb or confuse them,” he says.
He now has pledged to spend a month or two in the forest every year. He is currently researching on tribal communities and their association with the forest, while also working towards creating
artificial, ecofriendly water holes.
Originally published on The Golden Sparrow
