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Wild Clicks Photographer of the Year Akshita Jain’s photos attempt to provide a visual narrative of the diversity of Rajasthan’s Keoladeo National Park, juxtaposing it with the complex challenges it faces.
A story of the evolution of the Panna landscape over the years and how the wildlife has been correlated with human presence over time. Panna is not just an amalgamation of nature, wildlife, history, and culture; it is also the richest diamond mining area in the country, which boasts one of the most successful wildlife conservation stories in the world: the revival of the tiger. It took an amazing amount of effort by the forest department, local communities, and NGOs to revive the tiger after its extinction from Panna in 2009, while also ensuring that the local communities and hunting communities could thrive alongside it. Tourism in the park has been a blessing to the locals through the employment they have received, and there is still scope for so much more. The national park is also known for its rich vulture population. This diverse forest, which has evolved significantly over time through its struggles, now faces a new challenge. A lot of parts of the forest are going to be submerged with the approved Ken-Betwa river linking project
A railway line slicing through the forest already threatens wildlife. Now, proposed oil and gas drilling could further endanger this fragile ecosystem. Losing Hollongapar would mean losing one of India’s last refuges for this rare species.
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Bishnoi community in Khetolai, Rajasthan teamed up to protect the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard by converting 35 hectares of Bishnoi-owned land into a dedicated grassland reserve in the Thar Desert, providing safe habitat for one of the world’s rarest birds. Rooted in the Bishnois’ long tradition of wildlife protection, elders like Mangli Devi offered their land willingly while younger community members now work with BNHS researchers using modern tools to monitor and conserve the species, highlighting how local dedication and scientific effort are coming together to give the Great Indian Bustard a fighting chance.
