Kushal Mukherjee

He’s crazy about snakes and fish, birds and butterflies, trees and flowers and anything that contributes to the biodiversity on this planet, or in his small corner.

Kushal Mukherjee is a crusader, campaigner, photographer and researcher, but only when it comes to wildlife. His interest in animals and plants began early for the ex-student of South Point, who, as a child, had several pets of different species at home — mynahs, koels, shaliks and Himalayan magpies to mongoose, jungle cats, dogs and house cats.

“But I wanted to see creatures in the wild,” explains the 46-year-old. So he took up zoology at Asutosh College, and started exploring the countryside. The resident of Golf Club Road expanded his knowledge by working in organisations and journals on nature. Although better known as a bird-watcher, his interests are wide-ranging. “I even raised non-venomous snakes.”

Mukherjee’s passion for photography started with capturing images of his sightings. One of the 10 founder members of the 25-year-old Prakriti Sansad, he has participated in the BBC’s wildlife photography competition, and even had a picture published in the annual collection. His photographs have travelled around the country for exhibitions.

Judging contests, however, is Mukherjee’s forte, beginning with an international wildlife photography salon organised by the Agri-Horticulture Society some years ago. But he spends most of his time on consultancy.

His credits include a survey on lesser cats in north Bengal and Sikkim for the World Wildlife Fund (now the Worldwide Fund for Nature India), bird studies in the Sunderbans and Lava Lolegaon and work on biodiversity in the Purulia hills. Now he’s working on a University Grants Commission project with Bangabasi College, on biodiversity in Calcutta.

“I am proud that the concerted efforts of Prakriti Sansad and other organisations got the government to declare the Narendrapur Wildlife Sanctuary a protected area. And after 23 years, the state is finally taking some steps. But my most memorable achievement is coming up with the photo trapping procedure, during the lesser cats survey, in 1984. It involves keeping a camera on the field and setting a trap that makes the camera click when an animal is nearby.”

It’s the danger that is the addiction, explains Mukherjee. “Most of my lucky escapes have been from elephants, although the risks were because of my own foolishness. But people are the worst threat. The insurgency in parts of India will ultimately destroy the wildlife there,” he warns.