Book Review: Women in Wild

~ edited by Anita Mani

We all have that one moment with nature which is defining for us. Sometimes it’s the Mitthu in a cage at Nani’s house, sometimes a fabled crow who eats the morsels left by us. An owl spotting from the balcony in the wee hours while we are studying for an exam, or taking home a turtle or rabbit as a part of Nature’s club at school. Nature impacts all children equally. Even bringing your first pet home. Yet few carry the impulse and have that incubatory environment for the germination of the idea of a career in the wild.

Women in wild is a treasure trove of numerous such women. Their challenges were as daunting as that of the next woman. Some were called over empathetic, others were called witches and so on. Yet, these ornithologists, silviculturists, herpetologists, marine biologists, moth biologists and wild life ecologists to name a few, went into the unchartered territories. The call of the wild was real. For some it was found in the middle of jungle away from home, where there no bed, no proper toilets or basic amenities. They were away from the comforts of a safe family life. For others it was counting the nests in their townships. Jamal Ara and J. Vijaya’s stories as the first woman ornithologist and the turtle girl respectively are mysterious stories whose ending leave you gaping. Jamal Ara taught herself field science and was possibly the first woman ornithologist of India. Vidya Athreya spots her first leopard while studying the canopy of a giant fig tree from morning to evening, noting the frugivorous birds. Dhanusha studies the morphology of 100 plus caves of Andaman Islands looking for edible-nest swiftlets.

This is a beautiful anthology of these amazing adventurous women. There is never a dull moment in their lives. I thought that the stories were told well in a crisp manner. This small book of 250 odd pages packs a punch with vast information. Never before have women in wild been celebrated so passionately. It only makes me wonder of more such untold stories lying around to be penned down and shared. Love that something like Indian Pitta Books exists. This first imprint of bird books by Juggernaut is a dream come true for amateur birders like me. Read it for the love of nature to get behind the scenes glimpse in the tough and hugely satisfying lives of Indian women in Indian wild.