Capturing rare species on camera
K Puttaraju is unlike other officers serving at the Kaiga Nuclear Power plant near Karwar. Though he is a specialist in information science and works as a scientific officer, his passion is wildlife and conservation.
Because the nuclear power plant is situated in the dense forests of the Western Ghats, the zone around it is rich in wildlife. Puttaraju has spent several years documenting this pristine habitat on his own. He first got interested in nature when he was in the seventh standard and happened to stay on the banks of the Tunga river attending a Veda Patha Shale. “The natural beauty of the place captured my imagination and from then I started to appreciate nature more,” he says.
Among the lifeforms he has documented include the rare and threatened species such as the Malabar Giant Squirrel, Giant Pied Hornbills, tiger, flying lizards etc.
He has listed almost 300 species of butterflies and photographed many of them including the world’s tiniest grass butterfly to the largest birdwing. Puttaraju takes a deep interest in raising awareness about wildlife and its conservation. He is not only actively engaged in collecting baseline data on birds, insects and plants, but also accompanies visitors and officers into the forests to enhance their levels of appreciation.
He believes that it is important to educate young minds as they can take up larger conservation causes later. Puttaraju also visits schools and villages in and around the nuclear power plant to talk to them about conservation and training them in identifying wildlife.
He also conducts several wildlife photography exhibitions in schools. Apart from being a mountaineer, he also serves as vice-president of the Anshi Naturalist Society. Puttaraju points out that monitoring the population of wildlife on a regular basis is important to understand if there are changes in numbers and to determine causes for such a change.
K Puttaraju is unlike other officers serving at the Kaiga Nuclear Power plant near Karwar. Though he is a specialist in information science and works as a scientific officer, his passion is wildlife and conservation. Because the nuclear power plant is situated in the dense forests of the Western Ghats, the zone around it is rich in wildlife. Puttaraju has spent several years documenting this pristine habitat on his own. He first got interested in nature when he was in the seventh standard and happened to stay on the banks of the Tunga river attending a Veda Patha Shale. “The natural beauty of the place captured my imagination and from then I started to appreciate nature more,” he says.
Among the lifeforms he has documented include the rare and threatened species such as the Malabar Giant Squirrel, Giant Pied Hornbills, tiger, flying lizards etc.
He has listed almost 300 species of butterflies and photographed many of them including the world’s tiniest grass butterfly to the largest birdwing. Puttaraju takes a deep interest in raising awareness about wildlife and its conservation. He is not only actively engaged in collecting baseline data on birds, insects and plants, but also accompanies visitors and officers into the forests to enhance their levels of appreciation.
He believes that it is important to educate young minds as they can take up larger conservation causes later. Puttaraju also visits schools and villages in and around the nuclear power plant to talk to them about conservation and training them in identifying wildlife.
He also conducts several wildlife photography exhibitions in schools. Apart from being a mountaineer, he also serves as vice-president of the Anshi Naturalist Society. Puttaraju points out that monitoring the population of wildlife on a regular basis is important to understand if there are changes in numbers and to determine causes for such a change.
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