Books
Curated excerpts from books on wildlife
74 Books
The Solitary and Secretive Tibetan Lynx
Little is known about this wildcat due to the remoteness and ruggedness of the terrain it occupies
The Rediscovery of the Jerdon’s or Double-banded Courser
In this anthology, editors Anita Mani and Shashank Dalvi present captivating quests to find India’s rarest birds—including the particularly thrilling search for the elusive Jerdon’s Courser.
Birds, Beasts, and Other Adventures
Asad Rahmani’s memoir Living With Birds is the story of his life. He speaks about studying India’s birds and landscapes, fighting for endangered species and shaping the country’s fledgling conservation movement. Here’s an excerpt.
The Case of the Missing Turtles
A poor fisherman is wrongly accused of smuggling turtles. Now it is up to the M4 – three children and a dog – to come to his rescue
A Python, an Anaconda, and the Dream of Starting a Snake Park in India
Romulus Whitaker has had a lifelong love affair with snakes and other wild reptiles. His latest book ‘Snakes, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll: My Early Years’, authored by Janaki Lenin, is a candid and wild memoir of his younger days
The Scientist Who Speaks to Elephants
In her latest book for kids Planet Protectors: Stories of Green Heroes, author Bahar Dutt takes the reader on an adventure to meet real-life heroes of nature conservation
Recollections of Sambelong
The southern islands in the Nicobar archipelago are home to numerous endemic species, which thrive in the secrecy of dark forests. If this rich ecosystem is disturbed, we stand to lose diverse species, some of which may not even have been recorded.
My Old Friend, the Pipal Pani Tiger
An account of how hunter-naturalist Jim Corbett killed a tiger under the misapprehension that it could become a man-eater
The Making of Delhi’s First Bird Lists and Birdwatching Clubs
Sudhir Vyas’ new book ‘The Birds of Delhi Area’ is an essential guide for city birders. Learn how to identify birds, read about the people that documented them and the threats the birds face today. Here’s an excerpt
Along the Chambal
In The Cobra’s Gaze, writer Stephen Alter takes us on a journey of discovery through the wild places of India
Admiring the Perfect Blade of Grass
An enchanting short book about a little boy and the relationship he built with nature living in Dehradun under the watchful eye of his granny. Were the seeds of Ruskin Bond’s plentiful oeuvre of inspiring nature writing planted in those early days?
Hit by the Climate Crisis, Fairy Tales Just Got Real
In this rollicking (and thought-provoking) read, Fairyland meets the modern world. Enchanted forests and oceans are transformed by social media, smog, and climate change and happily ever after is no longer a sure deal. How do the beloved characters of our childhood stories rise to the challenge?
A Sister’s Recollections of Jim Corbett
An account of the famous hunter’s early life as dictated by his devoted sister and lifelong companion Margaret Winifred Corbett, better known as ‘Maggie’, to a close friend
Birding with a ‘Superstar’ Uncle
In this delightful portrait of childhood, Zai Whitaker recounts her early birding woes and how she winged it
Celebrating the Sacred Trees of India
Trees that villages are named after, trees that give birth to idioms, trees that inspire poetry - trees resonate in every aspect of our lives. In this handy reckoner, delve into the stories of 27 such trees.
The Invasive Four
India is home to many introduced plant species that have arrived as guests from different parts of the world. Here are four examples of familiar invasive alien plants, their impacts and how to manage them.
Jewels from the Intertidal
Like the intertidal zone it describes – a space that is both land and sea – Yuvan Aves’s genre-bending book is both observation and contemplation, meditation and a call to action. It is a testament to the rewards of prolonged observation and nurturing a relationship with the natural world.
Look out, the Trash is Alive!
A fun, pacy read with author Shweta Taneja’s imaginative take on a world where the trash is in charge. There are piles of stinking garbage, no one bathes, and Trash Rajah has declared cleaning illegal. Can the children save their only playground from the garbage monsters?
The Thar Desert: A Landscape of Loss
Writer, photographer and environmentalist Arati Kumar-Rao travels to India’s wild landscapes on the edge, to tell stories of loss and hope. Here’s an excerpt
A Crocodile in the Matla River
'Writings from the Sundarbans’ is a new anthology that translates literary narratives composed in Bangla, in English. Here’s an excerpt from the short story ‘A Crocodile’
The Song of the Iora
Aasheesh Pittie, one of India’s premier birders, reveals why the common iora creates upheavals of emotion within him
Woken Up by the Whistling Schoolboy
Dehradun-based naturalist Sanjay Sondhi writes about his first encounter with the blue whistling thrush
Garden Wonders and Roadside Marvels
Anisha Jayadevan and Ishika Ramakrishna write about life forms found around us in the city
Finding a Tranquilised Wild Tiger
Wildlife biologist K Ullas Karanth shares an adventurous real-life story from the emerald jungle of Nagarahole
Nature and Rhyme: Poems for Wild Things
In her recent book Barefoot in the Wild, poet Tara Sandhu writes about endangered animals, their homeland, and her yearning for a life close to nature. Here is a selection of a few poems
Two Baby Bears Up a Tree
What do a team of forest guards do when they find two bear cubs on a tree?
Into the Wilds of Namdapha National Park
Conservationist Aparajita Datta writes about the years she spent researching and camping in Namdapha, and why the forest still remains close to her heart
Helping a Sister Out of a Pit
A herd of elephants demonstrate their love and dedication towards a family member at SAI Sanctuary
A History of Conservation: 50 Years of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972
This collection of essays by conservationists, academicians, and policymakers on India’s 50-year journey in wildlife conservation is a deep dive into what we have achieved, what more we can do, and what the future holds
The Arrival of the Citizen Scientist
Based on research conducted over a year and a half, this book documents, maps and analyses the rapidly growing field of citizen science in ecology in India
The King’s Treasure, its Sinister Protector, and a Bottle of Milk
A fast-paced adventure for young readers that weaves together history, ecology, and a joy in the diversity of India
Through the Magic Portal, to a World of Marine Superheroes
This book about a parallel universe that hides in plain sight, right at the shore, has a secret message: Everybody can be a scientist or an explorer
Loving Birds in a Time of War
An American ornithologist’s research becomes the cover for forays into restricted border regions and the secrets their jungles hold, both winged and armed
The Thirty-Year Long Battle to Save a Wetland in Calcutta
A new book ‘Once Upon a City’ tells stories of how citizen action in Kolkata inspired change, including a fight for a wetland that stretched for almost three decades
The Woody Wonders of Arunachal Pradesh and How to Identify Them
‘Trees of Arunachal Pradesh’, a new field guide by NCF, chronicles over two hundred tree species found in the state with easy-to-follow keys on how to identify them. Here’s an excerpt
When an Elephant Joins a Livestock Herd
Akshu and his companion are stumped as a makhna decides to accompany their cattle herd in Buxa Reserve
To the Point: Wild Things and their Beaks, Teeth, Claws
Wild creatures have a bewildering variety of pointy appendages. Ever wonder why?
A Purple Frog on her Heart
Coping with loss, a teenager finds the language to express her grief and the ability to process it in the natural world
Meet Naturalist Ruddy: Adventurer, Sleuth, Mongoose
Cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty’s graphic novel stars a detective mongoose on a quest. Here’s an episode from his adventures
An Incident at Dundubhi
The wolves of Mahovann are up to mischief and the emperor must act
Midnight Miracle: Waiting for Mother Turtles by the Beach
Samrat and his mother, a sea turtle researcher, are headed to Tarmugli Island to spot nesting turtles. Will the turtles come? Read an excerpt from the book 'Waiting for Turtles’
How to Behave While Birdwatching
A set of guidelines for respectful, thoughtful, and yet enjoyable birding
The Striped Sibling of the Idu Mishmi
The people of the Mishmi Hills in Arunachal Pradesh share a sacred kinship with the tiger
An Encounter with the Grey Ghost of Ladakh
What do an eight-year-old and 14-year-old do when a snow leopard takes one of the goats they were herding?
The Nitty-gritty of Releasing a Leopard
When a leopard is captured near Chalamasandra village, a team assembles to release it in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
Finding a ‘Star’ Among Frogs
When a team of ecologists discovered a frog with constellation-like markings on its back, they knew just what to name it!
When the King Doesn’t Strike
Capable of immense restraint, the world's longest venomous snake is way more intelligent than we think
Snakes Can Be Friends Too
Wildlife cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty collaborates with the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust for a book that asks children to make friends with snakes, but from a safe distance
The Wild Stars of South India
A smattering of creatures large and small that make an appearance in the latest field guide by the authors
Mowgli Encounters a Pack of Dholes
A human child raised by an elephant matriarch in an Indian jungle learns the ways of the wild
Two Sloth Bears and their Human Family
Spending a day with a kalander family leads the author to re-examine her understanding of animal cruelty
Why Do These Starry-eyed Frogs Disappear into Bamboos?
A peculiar behaviour exhibited by white-spotted bush frogs prompted a researcher and his colleagues to unravel a mystery that’s stranger than fiction
The Story Behind the ‘Hardship Allowance’ for Karnataka’s Frontline Forest Staff
An account of the behind-the-scenes struggle to give forest guards and watchers protecting some of India’s best tiger landscapes their due
Hidden Kingdom: Fantastic Plants and Where to Find Them
The book Hidden Kingdom champions the mystical plants of Western Ghats through sensuous, powerful illustrations set to enchanting rhyme
The Sundarbans Inheritance: Protecting a People’s Legacy
One of India’s leading wildlife voices speaks of his love affair with the Sundarbans, in an excerpt from 'Wild Treasures' — a collection of stories from Asia’s most incredible natural UNESCO World Heritage sites
Of Sacred Streams and Groves
The authors explore how community attitudes towards conservation is helping protect two ecosystems in Maharashtra
Bringing a Forest Back from the Brink
Researcher-illustrator duo Nandini Velho and Anjora Noronha explore how community attitudes towards logging have changed in Arunachal Pradesh's Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, thanks to nature-based tourism
Tracking the Untraceable Sundarbans Tiger
The tiger of Sundarbans is unlike the tigers in rest of the country. In this excerpt from the book ‘Spell of the Tiger’, Sy Montgomery talks about why it is hard to track the mysterious, mythical ruler of the Sundarbans mangrove forest
Najafgarh – Wetland or Wasteland?
In this chapter from Nature Conservation in the New Economy, Neha Sinha tries to unravel the curious conservation case of the Najafgarh drain in the National Capital Region
Growing Older, and Wiser, With a Cherry Tree
A cherry tree that Rakesh planted as a child, grows tall and broad, welcoming a whole new world of birds and bees in his backyard, writes Ruskin Bond, in a heartwarming story from the chilly Himalayas
The Strategic Strangler of the Forest
How a fig tree goes about playing its unique role in a forest ecosystem is a natural history case study unlike any other
Myths, Folklore and the Blood Pheasant of Kanchenjunga
In ‘Wild Himalaya’, author Stephen Alter weaves folklore with flora and fauna to tell stories of the greatest mountain range on Earth
Recommended Reads for Those in Love with our Planet
A roundup of books that span climate science and conservation, ecological concerns and vanishing biodiversity, as well as environment fiction
Breaking News! A Brown Cloud Descends on Mumbai
A Cloud Called Bhura by Bijal Vachharajani is a rib-tickling, teen mystery on climate change set in Mumbai. Here’s an sneak peek
Listen! The Forest Has Something to Say
Inspired by true stories around India, ‘People and Wildlife’ talks about the deep bonds that some communities share with the natural world around them
Behind the Revival of Panna’s Tigers
Conservation biologist Raghu Chundawat guided a spectacular revival of the tiger population in Panna National Park. The Rise and Fall of the Emerald Tigers is a detailed account of the effort
How a Group of Men Saved Elephants by Talking to Them
In The Vanishing, wildlife writer and conservationist, Prerna Singh Bindra speaks of critical challenges that confront India’s wildlife, interspersed with a few stories of resistance and hope
Ruskin Bond’s Search for Wilderness in Delhi
It is easier to spot birds in dusty cities than deep, dense forests, writes the author in Friends in Wild Places
The Owlet Who Craved the Sun
This fascinating Odia tale is from Animalia Indica, edited by Sumana Roy, which is a collection of the finest fiction short stories centred around animals
The Fellowship of the Grove
In Cities and Canopies, authors Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli delve into the science of urban trees, made even more fascinating with snippets of history, folk tale, recipe, and art
The Teeming Wildlife of a Garbage Dump
In The Wild Heart of India, biologist and writer TR Shankar Raman points out that what we consider wild is not just found in faraway forests, but also in our backyards, or even in a stinking dumping ground on the fringes of a city
An Illustrated Guide to the Daily Lives of Birds
How does the Bengal florican woo its mate? Does the black kite like fast food? Artist Rohan Chakravarty’s graphic novel 'Bird Business' is an insight into the fascinating behaviour of birds
Kokkare Bellur: The Blessed Bird Village of Karnataka
In A Tigress Called Machhli, Supriya Sehgal shares fascinating stories of various animals that inhabit our forests, cities, and backyards — including a curious tale of a village in Karnataka that is taken over by cackling storks
A Wild Life: Rauf Ali’s Forest Adventures
Following leatherback sea turtles, tree shrews, and crab-eating macaques — in Running Away From Elephants readers get a rare glimpse into celebrated wildlife biologist Rauf Ali’s wild adventures