A wildlife tale from Goa for children, wherever they are

Goa is blessed with a beautiful green cover, and it’s during the monsoons that the land is at its scenic best. So, what better time to release a book on Mother Nature and what it holds, than during the most beautiful time of the year?

And, that is what herpetologist Nirmal Kulkarni did -- he unveiled his third book, Eye to I with my First Tiger, last month.

It was his grandfather who exposed Nirmal to the wild to experience nature at its best. From handling his first snake in the wild, to clicking photographs – Nirmal has come a long way to become one with nature, and he has taken his forest experiences and weaved them into a book for kids.

Nirmal says, Eye to I is his first children’s book to be published by a national publishing house, and is a fascinating tale for young readers.

“The story involves two young boys coming face to face with a majestic tigress in the wild. The book has all the right ingredients – a rollercoaster adventure including the taste of Goan spicy masala, wet forest floor aroma and much more,” he says.

Talking about the book, he says that it emerged from a series of personal experiences.

“All these stories occurred while doing camera trap surveys and line transacts in the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka many years ago,” Nirmal recalls. 

ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE

When one has such experiences, one becomes a natural storyteller and that was what Nirmal became.

He started narrating the story to Trisha Niyogi, COO of Niyogi books, when he, along with his wife Assavri Kulkarni, met her. Trisha loved the story and proposed that it should be adapted as a children’s tale.

“Hence, the concept and idea, I credit them both for it,” Nirmal says.  

He adds, “I had the opportunity to work on large cats and their prey density surveys in Karnataka at the beginning of my career under the mentorship of Dr Ulhas Karanth, one of India’s leading tiger experts.”

Dr Samba Kumar and the late AJT Johnsingh also helped shape Nirmal’s scientific outlook while his field skills were honed by forest officers like Prakash Salelkar and others with whom he has walked the forests for over two decades.

He adds, “Collectively, all this helped as I live in these wilds and traverse them even today.” 

THE WRITING PROCESS 

Book writing can be overwhelming, but Nirmal had the best guidance.

He says, “The editorial team at Niyogi books was amazing and hand-held me in every sphere of writing. It was a big learning curve for me. This is a light read book for children, and hence, adventure, awe and a bit of science have been included. This balance was easy to maintain once I knew the target audience.”

He wrote his first book, The Goan Jungle Book, 15 years ago, and the Jewels of Mhadei, a children’s colouring book two years ago. Besides this, he has written several columns, with the one in Gomantak Times being his longest running one.

“I love to write, and hence, this was natural. Eye to I  has been written for children, that was new for me,” he mentions.

Along the way, he had help from his wife and daughter, Naia, who is an avid reader. “I have always shared my wildlife tales with her and she loves them,” says Nirmal.  

KIDS ARE THE FUTURE

He believes that children are the future custodians and conservationists of our wildlands.

He says, “Earlier, I would take nature talks and presentations in schools, which has gradually shifted to nature walks. I enjoy storytelling in a narrative form as it is engaging and elicits a long term positive response. Hence, I’ve invested time and energy in children's literature.”

Talking about what's next, he says he is working on two other books for children -- one based on Goan culture and the other on urban wildlife. “These will see the light of day in 2025,” he says as he laughs.  

Eye to I with my First Tiger, by Nirmal Kulkarni, is available in leading bookstores across Goa.