Deep in the bowels of Mumbai’s Lower Parel suburb, printing presses clack and whirr relentlessly in Pragati Industrial Estate. Here, another machine purrs gently through the day in a small, windowless room owned by Sanctuary Nature Foundation. This is the home and heart of Sanctuary’s Natural History Photo Library, a diskstation containing tens of thousands of images of biodiversity from across the subcontinent. These images have been collected, categorised and published over four decades, and comprise a visual narrative of the country’s conservation history.
My colleague Prachi Galange, a graceful naturalist, manages this library. From the constant flow of images, and new ones coming in each day, she and I discern trends: a slew of images draws our attention to the growing threat to wildlife posed by expansion of roads, railways, and canals; a burst of pictures of snow leopards raises the question of sustainable tourism; dozens of photos of free-ranging dogs chasing wild species compels us to consider their impact and raise a red flag to the Animal Welfare Board of India, and so on.
In 2020, Prachi and I began to notice an influx in images of wild animals foraging in heavily polluted habitats. These images challenged the conventional representation of wildlife in India existing only in pristine wildernesses, far from the impact of humans. They revealed the appalling reality of wild animals forced to live and feed, quite literally, in our filth.
We launched the #InOurFilth campaign to document and disseminate this reality and to underscore the “one health” concept — “an approach that recognises that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and our shared environment”. In the short term, we hope this series will inspire introspection and action from wildlife enthusiasts. In the long term, we hope to take our burgeoning database of images to concerned ministries to catalyse better decision-making on plastic production and waste management in India.
This selection of images depicts our wild neighbours encountering the waste we generate.
(Left) This disconcerting image is from Corbett Tiger Reserve, one of India’s best-known tiger destinations. Thousands of tourists from across the world flock here each year to observe tigers and other wild species in their natural habitat. Despite its reputation and fame, Corbett is not immune to anthropogenic pressures and controversy. This tiger (Panthera tigris) was spotted on an evening safari in the popular Bijrani zone in 2016. In a sighting that lasted almost an hour, the big cat was seen chewing on a discarded shoe, possibly dropped by a careless tourist.
(Right) A tiger cub frolics in the grasslands of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve with an empty packet of chips clenched in its jaws. Though a heavily regulated Protected Area, even Tadoba has not escaped the consequences of humanity’s addiction to littering. Photos: Ranjith Kumar (left), Saurabh Sawant (right)
On the outskirts of Jaipur city, an Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis) picks up a plastic cup. This dainty canid that is endemic to the subcontinent is known for wide range of vocalisations and an omnivorous diet that includes everything from termites to ber fruit and partridge. Despite its dietary range, it shouldn’t be chewing on plastic! Photo: Vishwas Thakker
(Left) In Kavrem, Goa, an adorable long-tailed tree mouse (Vandeleuria oleracea) roosts inside a discarded polythene bag caught on a bush. While this plastic palace may momentarily shield it from the elements, it is a dangerous home that could suffocate or poison its resident, and will eventually pollute the land/water.
(Right) In remote Ladakh, a Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) gathers nesting material including discarded plastic waste. While Ladakh is a dream travel destination, unregulated tourism has wreaked havoc on its landscapes. India’s highest landfill now lies just a kilometre from Leh city. In Mike Pandey’s video “Ladakh Tourism’s Dirty Secret” (The Mike Pandey Channel on Youtube), we see where our chocolate wrappers and plastic bottles end up. Garbage dumps don’t just pollute land and water; they also serve as breeding grounds for free-ranging dogs that increasingly threaten wild animals, and sometimes, people as well. Photos: Omkar Dharwadkar (left), Prajwal KM (right)
On the scenic hike to the Mahalaxmi Mata temple in Dahanu, Maharashtra, a striped keelback (Amphiesma stolatum) enters a callously discarded beer bottle. India’s numerous sacred sites are tucked away in forests, on mountain tops, along rivers, and in places of natural beauty. The sites welcome millions of pilgrims each year but also suffer neglect. From bottles to used diapers, all kinds of garbage litters pilgrim routes. Waste management and reduction ought to be the mandate of each temple committee and the responsibility of individual pilgrims. Else we will soon find these once breathtaking spots buried under the debris of our devotion. Photo: Sagar Patel
A checkered keelback (Fowlea piscator) nabs a meal in a filthy waterbody in Dharwad, Karnataka. The unmissable plastic water bottle nearby is just the tip of the garbage iceberg. According to NITI Aayog, the government’s policy think tank, 70 per cent of India’s water is contaminated, and 600 million people face high to extreme water stress. From sewage to industrial effluents and trash, our thoroughly abused waterways are choking. Water wars are the current reality, but they need not be. Innumerable lake revival and water conservation projects across the country have created blueprints for success. Photo: Vaidehi Gunjal
(Left) Near Kotagiri in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris District, a black-and-orange flycatcher (Ficedula nigrorufa) inspects empty bottles left by revellers. While we enjoy picnicking in beautiful wild places, we must also respect them. This endemic resident bird lives exclusively in the higher elevation shola landscapes of the Western Ghats. Rare as it is, one would hope to see it in an unspoiled natural habitat.
(Right) A cattle egret’s (Bubulcus ibis) ivory feathers gleam in stark contrast to the fetid waters in which it searches for food. The bird’s resilience in such a toxic habitat may be astonishing, but more shocking is our capacity to destroy pristine habitats and waterbodies. Although designer Manini Bansal took this photograph in Malvan, Maharashtra, it could easily be from almost any city, town or village in India. Contaminated waters impact us as much as they do wild animals. Industrial effluents, raw sewage and unsegregated garbage poison our waterbodies, cause diseases, enter our food supply chain; they upturn once healthy ecosystems to the detriment of all life forms. Photos: Chandrasekar Das (left), Manini Bansal (right)
No landscape seems spared from unsightly, toxic litter. In the vast expanse of the Little Rann of Kutch, a Eurasian hobby (Falco subbuteo) perches on a discarded slipper. While the Little Rann teems with wildlife, it is increasingly threatened by unnatural changes in its upstream hydrology, pressure from the salt industry, and the effects of unregulated tourism. Photo: Suketukumar Purohit
Photographers are welcome to submit images of wild animals #InOurFilth to images@sanctuaryasia.com. All relevant pictures are added to the campaign database, while a select few are published on social media and other online platforms.
About the contributor
Cara Tejpal
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