Himanshu Rathore

"I feel like I'm nothing without wildlife. They are the stars. I feel awkward without them." – This quote by Bindi Irwin truly expresses what I feel for wildlife. I grew up in the desert state of Rajasthan and in an environment teeming with passion for wildlife; since early years I accompanied my father and brother to experience life in the jungle. At Mayo College, where I attained my early education, I was a member of the natural history society and actively volunteered for several field trips. After school, I went on to pursue graduation studies, history majors, in Mumbai. To supplement my passion for wildlife I trained as a naturalist with Taj Safaris at Bandhavgarh National Park. Trainers - Graham Vercuil and Sarath Champati – helped nurture me into a fine naturalist. As part of Taj Safaris I not only travelled across jungles in India but also in South Africa. As of date I have over 7years of jungle experience under my belt and presently work as a freelance naturalist and alongside own and manage this boutique home stay called Pratap Bhawan, with a wildlife theme, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.Me and my wife Deepti personally take care of the guests at the home stay and in case I am out on a tour Deepti is always around to look after the guests, she is an avid interior designer and one can notice her effort in doing up the interiors of Pratap Bhawan. The camera only complements my drive for wildlife and I ensure that it is always ready to capture the jungle, which extends an array of experiences and encapsulates them as memories in form of pictures. It is this drive for wildlife photography that has enabled me to contribute to leading wildlife publications in India. Photography is just an extension of my passion which is wildlife.