The
Bharatpur Inheritance
Protecting a people’s legacy
This book celebrates wetlands and acknowledges a debt of gratitude
to those large-hearted men and women who demanded protection
for wild animals at a time when powerful people considered
it their human right to kill birds and animals, write Bittu
Sahgal and Bikram Grewal.
Wings of Destiny
Bharatpur’s wetland wealth
Bittu Sahgal writes here of his love for and appreciation
of the Keoladeo bird swamps – readily identified by
birders the world over as just ‘Bharatpur’ –
one of the world’s most celebrated, and troubled, bird
havens.
Back to the Future
The history and culture of Bharatpur
Bharatpur’s chequered history has shaped the dynamic
wetland ecosystem of this avian paradise, writes Shivani Shah
who takes a closer look at its past to help us understand
the influences that will determine its future.
Dr. Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali
The grand old bird man of India
Dr. Sálim Ali was one of the architects of the modern
Keoladeo National Park. Bittu Sahgal writes affectionately
of his close association with the world-famous ornithologist,
whose sense of humour, charisma and vision gave India’s
fledgling conservation movement soul and solidity.
Waterworld
Understanding Bharatpur’s marsh ecology
Using good science, we must understand what makes ecosystems
tick if we are to have any real, long-term chance of protecting
wild nature. This is why Dr. V.S. Vijayan and Dr. Lalita Vijayan
dedicated 10 years of their lives to Bharatpur between 1981
and 1991. This is
their story.
In Praise of Plants
A kaleidoscope of colours
Plants are the foundation of life... the success formula for
the planet. Lakshmy Raman writes in appreciation of the plants
of Bharatpur and explores some of the critical relationships
between plants and animals that together comprise the Bharatpur
inheritance.
A Bharatpur Transition
The swamps through rain and shine
Belinda Wright and Stanley Breeden documented the bird sanctuary
on film between 1979-80. This vignette from them provides
a glimpse of the transition from rain to shine, the result
of “a conspiracy of intense heat, trade winds, and mountain
ranges that mould the monsoon.”
Seasons in the Sun
A birding calendar
The Keoladeo Ghana was once best known as the only wintering
habitat of the rare Siberian Crane in India. The cranes have
stopped arriving since 2002, but come October, every eye still
scans the sky in the forlorn hope that the winged giants will
return to their winter home in the heart of Rajasthan. Bikram
Grewal, who has made several trips each year to Bharatpur
for over two decades, amalgamates notes written through the
years to take you through seasons of splendour and despair.
The Saga of the Sibes
The Siberian Cranes in Bharatpur
Winter counts of Siberian Cranes at Bharatpur in the 1960s
revealed hundreds of birds, but their numbers continued to
decline till the last pair disappeared in 2002. George Archibald
examines the migration saga of these beautiful and mysterious
‘angels’ that vanished.
Creatures Great and Small
Bharatpur’s lesser-known animals
Bharatpur, famous for its birds, is also an amazing showcase
for lesser-known animals whose role in maintaining the Keoladeo
swamps is not as well acknowledged writes, Bidisha Basu.
Down Memory Lane
A Bharatpur aficionado remembers
Siberian Cranes, Ring-tailed Fishing Eagles, Shanti Kutir,
Dr. Sálim Ali, bird photography... Peter Jackson, an
old India hand and one of the world’s most respected
wildlife experts, takes a trip down memory lane to bring us
this nostalgic account of Bharatpur in better days.
The Keeper of the Swamps
Speaks his truth
An institution in Bharatpur, Bholu Abrar Khan is the ‘keeper
of the swamps’. He probably knows more about the birds
of Bharatpur than anyone else on Earth, having lived in Keoladeo
virtually all his life. He speaks with feeling of days gone
by and worries about the days to come.
The Wilderness Trail
Welcoming visitors, sending back supporters
Bharatpur, renowned the world over for its avian visitors,
attracts lakhs of visitors every year. Lakshmy Raman writes
about what makes Bharatpur so special and about “welcoming
visitors and sending back supporters.”
The Bird Ambassador
Profile of a rickshaw-puller
Bharatpur’s cycle rickshaw-pullers do more than merely
transport tourists. They are the eyes and ears of both the
novice and the seasoned birder. What is more, writes Bidisha
Basu, they ensure that visitors to Bharatpur are made aware
of the need to support the Park.
Securing the Future
Protecting the Bharatpur inheritance
“
Species generally become rare before they become
extinct – to feel no surprise at the rarity of a species,
and yet to marvel greatly when the species ceases to exist,
is much the same as to feel no surprise at sickness, but,
when the sick man dies, to wonder and to suspect that he died
by some deed of violence.” – Charles Darwin
‘On Extinction’ in The Origin of Species
Voices from the Past
Memories of a lifetime
A Bharatpur Checklist
Birds, mammals, fish
Faces Behind the Book
Photographers and writers
Acknowledgements
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
