Happy Diwali. I’m Lalitha Krishnan, and you’re listening to Ep #40 of the Heart of Conservation podcast. I bring you stories from the wild that keep us all connected to our natural world.. Firstly, I need to apologise to my listeners as I have been missing from the podcast scene for a while. That’s because I have been working on my memoir. My first ever book, which I self-published earlier this year. It’s called the Stray Dogs of Landour Network. A true story by a Failed Dog Trainer. The Foreword is written by travel writer Bill Aitken.
One of the many reasons I started podcasting is my insatiable curiosity and love for nature. And you will find this wild side of mine ever-present in my book. The setting in the story is a magical mixed forest in Landour, where the deodar and oaks vie for space with the rhodendrons and the kaphal. It is here where Pretty, a miserable wretch of a stray dog, appeared out of thin air. What are stray dogs doing in a forest, you ask? She and her pack live secret lives that slowly unravelled as I got to know them and the hillside caregivers better
Pretty’s appearance was perfectly timed. I was going through a difficult spell physically, and the pandemic had more or paralysed our lives. My two mountain dogs had passed on. I was attending an online follow-up to a dog training course I had attended earlier. Then Pretty arrived and changed my life forever. Over a period of time, I gained her trust. We started training in earnest; she brought home her pup, and then, one by one, her pack. My training goals were soon overidden by a pack of dogs that came out of the woods like clockwork and giving me a whole lot more to do than I bargained for.
They also had so much to share. They introduced me to the true meaning of Ubuntu: I am because we are, giving me insight into their social behaviour and intelligence. The action takes place in an international school campus where some of the caregivers spoke to their regular stray wards in their own languages. That wasn’t an issue at all for the bright mutts. They had it all figured out. They sniffed out the dog lovers from the haters, knew when to arrive or disappear and recognised the biggest succour on the block. Viz me. But I am happier for it.
This is a story of forgiveness, resilience, survival and love. It's the perfect Diwali gift for a dog lover. Do grab yourself a copy if you are one. The Stray Dogs of Landour Network is available in e-format and print. In India, you can buy it from Pothi.com, Amazon and Flipkart.
Also, check out the reviews on Amazon and add yours. You can also read up on a separate review and my article on my blog, Earthy Matters, in the ‘Published’ page.
A heads up. I will be introducing my book to Bangalore on 23rd November at 4 pm at ‘Attagallata, the Bookstore’ in Indira Nagar. Do come if you can. I would love to meet you there. Bye for now.
I'm speaking with Vikhar Ahmed, an experienced journalist at Frontline magazine (India). We discuss some of his conservation-based articles that reflect his love for history as well as his unique understanding of the complexities of researching and writing about wildlife and human-related stories honestly. There is so much about Karnataka's conservation history that most folks wouldn't associate with the state. Have you heard of the Jim Corbett of the South? Do you know who also inspired current-day conservationist, Ullas Karanth? Find out about the factory that processed tigers, leopards, and elephants in the thousands. Listen to amazing insights about Jane Goodall and GerryMartin's simple solutions for snake bite prevention. Don't miss out. Show notes coming soon on my blog. Earthy Matters.
#KennethAnderson #JaneGoodall #GerryMartin #UllassKaranth #JimCorbett #SnakeHumanConflict #TigerConservation #ElephantHumanConflict #StoriesfromtheWild #wildlifeconservation #WildlifeInstituteofIndia #MillionDeathStudy #India #Journalism #SnakeBiteDeath #NaturePodcast #KarnatakForestDepartment #Mysore #SouthIndia #Karnataka #CubbonPark #VanIngen #Taxidermy #AsianJournalismFellowship #TheManEaterofMalgudi #RKNarayan
In episode #38 I am speaking with Dipankar Ghose, Senior Director: Biodiversity Conservation at WWF-India, also Interim Head of TRAFFIC’s India Office. As a conservator with three decades in the field, he shares rare insights about the poaching of tigers to pangolins, to the exotic pet trade in India. Find out which technology is employed to fight the poaching of rhinos and how partner organisations fight wildlife trade. Discover the first line of defence and community efforts that deter poachers. Dipankar explains the Wildlife Trade Chain with the example of India’s most notorious: Sansar Chand and Veerappan. Find out what you can report a wildlife crime if you have witnessed it. There are so many more stories here… Listen. Show notes coming soon on #earthymattersblog #DipankarGhose #WWF_INDIA #TRAFFIC #IUCN #Tigers #Rhino #Poaching #IllegalWildlifeTrade #Veerappan #CITIES #WildlifeLawEnforcement #ExoticPets #SAWEN #Pangolin #SansarChand #SmugglingSpecies #wildlifeproducts #exoticplants #rhinohorns #tigerskin #pangolinscales #LalithaKrishnan #HeartofConservation #critically_endangered #storiesfromthewild #podcast
Pangolin photo:Rajesh Kumar Mohapatra Podcast cover art created by Lalitha Krishnan
Disclaimer: Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the podcast and show notes belong solely to the guest/guests featured in the episode, and not to the host of this podcast/blog or the guest’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.
Hi I’m Lalitha Krishnan and you’re listening to #HeartofConservation. I bring you #storiesfromthewild that keep us all connected with the natural world. Experience the intersection of conservation and technology with Nandini Mehrotra from Technology for Wildlife Foundation, an NGO based out of Goa. Technology for Wildlife Foundation is the brainchild of Founder, #ShashankSrinivasan Discover how drones, ROVs, and spatial technology are revolutionizing wildlife conservation efforts. Dive into innovative projects like riverine wildlife studies and land restoration. Uncover the legacy of ethical and collaborative tech use for impactful grassroots action. Join me, as I delve into the incredible work and thoughtful approach of Technology for Wildlife Foundation.
#conservationgeographer #robotoperator. #MResEcology #EnvironmentalManagement #UniversityofYork #ConservationLeadership #Universityof Cambridge. #NationalGeographicExplorer #CheveningScholar #KinshipConservationFellow #MongabayIndia #WWF #TerraConscious #GoaFoundation #HAI #BNHS #CurrentConservation #SanctuaryAsia #CoastalImpact #WildOtters #WCT #Dakshin #ScienceGallery #ATree #FishCurryandRice #Goa #Mapping #resortation #dolphinstudy
HI, I'm Lalitha Krishnan I bring you stories that connect us with the natural world. On Earth day especially, we can't ignore our reckless mis-mangement of waste. I’m speaking to two young, & amazing Clean Tech innovators, Rahul Nainani (Founder) and Gurashish Singh (Co-Founder & COO), at ReCircle, who converted bio-mining waste into a booming business. It’s not every day we hear of such success stories for positive change. Listen to how they convert waste into a resource, rebranded waste workers by empowering them. How they have top brands on their side and create awareness creatively.
Hi, I’m speaking to the most passionate, naturalist/researcher/herpetologist-on-ground in the Andamans - Nariman Vazifdar. We discuss the biodiversity of the archipelago – which is mostly unexplored islands with individual unique species. He speaks about the rainforest of the islands and he enlightens us about the hardwood Bullet wood tree and the Superior wood; and the historical connection involving British rule and the Japanese and their impact on the local indigenous tribes, flora and fauna. Nariman also speaks of invasive/introduced species like stray dogs which are now a threat to the local species like the turtles. He tells us how animals from the mainland change their behaviour to survive in island habitats e.g. frogs trying to eat snakes rather than the other way around.
He discusses the serious business of snake rescues including current dangerous trends and how to ethically release them. We also discuss his co-written book on Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins post his sojourn with Turtle Survival Alliance. We talk about the impact of construction and lack of sustainable tourism on the ecology of the island the depletion of groundwater and the increase in garbage. Even if you don’t ever visit the islands, this episode with Nariman is a #mustlisten.
#island_conservation #snake_rescue_release #island_ecology #island_biodiversity #king_cobra #turtles #terrapins #tortoises #author #naturalist #researcher #ecological_damage #reptiles #nariman_vazifdar #invasive_species #island #animal_behaviour #conservation #endemic_fauna #endemic_flora #bronze_back #wolf_snake #research_papers #andamans #tribes #british #japanese #rainforests #development #littorial_forest #groundwater #heart_of_conservation #nature_podcast #stories_from_the_wild #earthymatters_blog
