“Each and every animal on earth has as much right to be here as you and me.” Anthony Douglas Williams
On February 4, 2025, the students of classes 7 and 8 of The Indian School had the wonderful opportunity to participate in an engaging and enlightening discussion about ‘Forests and Wildlife’, with wildlife photographer Mr Tarun Walecha. Though Mr Walecha is a professional architect, he has a deep passion for wildlife photography. His architectural projects also attempt to assimilated the elements of nature.
We often associate wildlife with formidable creatures, which offer threat to us. However, we frequently ignore the more compassionate qualities of wildlife. Even the powerful lion displays a gentle side.
Mr Walecha provided us with examples highlighting the nurturing aspects of certain animals. The lion is an animal with pride and defends it at all costs. Similarly, we humans strive to protect our families.
Another illustration is the behaviour of female elephants, which form a herd with the young ones in the middle, shielded thus, from potential predators. In the same manner, our mothers safeguard us from various dangers in childhood. There are numerous parallels between animals and humans, but we often overlook them.
The speaker presented some of his award-winning photographs and turned the session extremely interesting with stories associated with each. The session was also highly interactive, with students asking insightful questions about the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, deforestation, habitat loss, climate change and other related topics.
We must all remember that respect for nature and wildlife is essential to ensure it does not pose a threat to us. He also shared many interesting facts, such as India being home to a total of 573 wildlife sanctuaries! Additionally, he discussed various ways in which we can contribute to the preservation of nature.
We felt fortunate to have Mr Walecha make the time to share his insights about the wonders of wildlife. The session left a lasting impact on the students, encouraging them to think about wildlife from a different viewpoint.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Vice Principal, Dr Anu Singh. Overall, it was an informative and engaging experience for everyone, and inspired all to continue to embrace and promote the the spirit of coexistence!
Wildlife photography “…combines knowledge of natural history, biodiversity, development, man-animal conflict, conservation policies, and so on”..
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