Check out increasing flora, fauna of Telangana through this wildlife photographer’s lens

Hyderabad: The forest cover in Telangana increasing by 632 square km in two years is not news, but that is not the only change triggered by the State’s flagship Telanganaku Haritha Haram campaign. According to Munna Mandalapu, a wildlife photographer on assignments with the Forest Department to document the flora and fauna of the State, […]

Hyderabad: The forest cover in Telangana increasing by 632 square km in two years is not news, but that is not the only change triggered by the State’s flagship Telanganaku Haritha Haram campaign.

According to Munna Mandalapu, a wildlife photographer on assignments with the Forest Department to document the flora and fauna of the State, the increase in forest coverage is bringing some rare birds to the State.

Haritha Haram, which so far has planted 241.5 crore saplings at a cost of Rs.8,260 crore and also seen rejuvenation of more than 10.3 lakh acre of forests, is making a number of species become conspicuous and the green cover is also helping birds and animals dodge predators, he says.

For instance, last year he documented the life cycle of Bonelli’s Eagle, a rare bird of prey, also referred to as crestless hawk-eagle, in the ledges of Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR). Forest officials confirmed that this is the first documentation of Bonelli’s Eagle from the two Telugu States. Along with the nesting spot, two parent birds and two chicks were clicked.

The Bonelli’s Eagle is found in hilly or mountainous habitats with wooded land. It feeds on medium-sized birds like turkey, chicken, quail and other fowls, and on mammals like the rabbit. It also takes reptiles, frogs, insects and occasionally carrion also. Its breeding season is from November to September in India.

Mandalapu says he clicked the Bonelli with the kill of a yellow-footed pigeon, also a rare bird in the State. In Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, about 50 km from Warangal, he clicked the Dusky Eagle-Owl, which is not native to Telangana and thrives in North and North-Eastern parts of India.

Currently, he is in Adilabad on a similar project, which aims to capture the trends for the full year. Some migratory birds come only in the winters but native species stay through the year. The Forest department assists him reach the interiors of the forests.

“Sometimes we walk about 15 to 20 km,” he says. Trekking, clicking, sorting, editing and organising the pictures keep him busy. Some of his pictures have found their way to coffee table books and education centres of the Forest Department.

“The green cover was patchy before 2014. The species count did not increase as they fell prey to predators. Now, the green cover is increasing and as a result, the number of species is also increasing. The increasing tree covers have ensured that water sources are not going dry. There are also water holes provided in the forests, mainly useful in summers. The number of water birds too is increasing,” says Mandalapu, who has clicked about 350 bird species, 45 mammals, 10 amphibians, 65 butterflies, 10 reptiles and several landscapes. He earlier used a Nikon D-500 with a 200- 500 lens and later, a Nikon D6.

“It is not very often that we find birds and animals coming in front of the lens. We have to be patient. I visit the same place multiple times as I focus on studying their lifecycles. Every day brings new possibilities as there are many species in Telangana,” he adds.

When asked about his favourites, he picks a frame of a purple sunbird clicked at Amrabad Tiger Reserve. Flowers in the frame indicate the season. The Bonelli’s Eagle called for an extra effort from him.

“We took two days to study its behavior. They are good parents – they come back to the nest frequently to check on the chicks. While it is not uncommon to see spotted deer in wild areas, I also got to see a herd of 250-300 deer moving at a tremendous speed,” says Mandalapu.

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