Ismail Shariff, who visited Kazakhstan for a conference on Snow Leopard recently, pours out his heart to Dr. Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui about the efforts needed to conserve wildlife on the planet earth.
Hyderabad, the southern Indian city is not just popular for Charminar, Biryani, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal and P. V Sindhu but Hyderabad is also famous for internationally acclaimed wildlife photographer Ismail Shariff.
Sharif with Kazakh people
In this candid conversation for The Maravi Express, Ismail Shariff exhibits his passion for the wildlife and nature. He predicts good times for wildlife conservation in the Republic of Marawi.
Before the actual conversation with Ismail Shariff, it is essential to know the background about wildlife in Malawi.
Let me take our readers through the wildlife scene. The Republic of Malawi took necessary strong measures to stop wildlife crime in 2014. The campaign was re-branded in 2018.
This helps in curbing wildlife crime like poaching, trafficking and illegal trade. A great success for the Malawi Police Service was the arrest of Malawi’s most wanted alleged wildlife trafficker Yunhua Lin, 46, a Chinese national on 16 August 2019.
This was after a three month–long manhunt. Lin was allegedly involved in smuggling of elephant ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, hippo teeth etc.
It may be recalled that Malawi’s first Wildlife Detection Dog Unit (WDDU) was launched on 9th August 2019 at Lilongwe’s Kamuzu International Airport to sniff out illicit wildlife products at the airport and border posts.
These dogs have a sense of smell 40 times that of humans. They can detect even the smallest amounts of contraband ivory or rhino horn dust.
Snow leopard
Thus, Malawi has opened a new glorious chapter in the conservation of the country’s wildlife.
Now, let me take you through the actual conversation with Ismail Shariff.
Excerpts from the conversation:
*Mr. Ismail Shariff, welcome to this conservation with The Maravi Express! Could you tell us about the wildlife in the Republic of Malawi?
”It gives me immense pleasure to speak to you, Dr. Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui. Please convey my best wishes to all your fellow journalists at The Maravi Express.
“Thomson’s Gazelle is the national animal of Malawi. It is also called Tommie. Elephants, leopards, lions, rhinos, hippos and buffaloes are found here.
“There are many jackals, spotted hyenas, African wild cats, Carocal and servals. Elephants have been disappearing from Africa in general at an alarming rate due to poaching for ivory.
“Hundreds of elephants have been poached in Malawi in the past decade. Leopard, my favourite animal, is listed species under the Wildlife Act 2017 in Malawi. I have great hopes that Malawi will be able to protect and conserve its wildlife.
*You were the only wildlife photographer to represent India at the Kazakhstan conference on Snow Leopard, recently. Could you narrate your experiences?
“It was a pleasant surprise to get this message from Mr. Yerzhan Yerkinbayev, asking me to join them for a conference on Snow Leopards.
“Initially it was just that much that I knew. Close to the event, on agreeing to go, I got more details about the conference, and I was very glad to have accepted the invitation.
“The Kazakhstan conference was about, of course, the conservation of Snow Leopards, but was to be attended by all 12 country representatives and officials working on Snow Leopards from where the Snow Leopards are found.
“Kazakhstan is making necessary efforts for conservation of the Snow Leopard. The holding of the conference itself is ample evidence about the commitment of the Kazakh government and the people to save the Snow Leopard, their national animal. It was about sharing the best practices from each country and see if and how that might this benefit the other countries.
“Also, about the cross-border cooperation, as borders are only for humans, and not for beings who roam the free world without a visa.
“Many a times, one country has some trap cameras which photograph a Snow Leopard and then it disappears for days, weeks and sometimes months. Where do these Snow Leopards go, what do they do, why do they travel that far or close?
“Who do they follow, if at all? So many questions need to be answered to better prepare and take care of their habitat, and prey base. This conference, even though not the first of its kind, was very enriching and full of knowledge and ‘data’ to help each of us attending, understand and try to build on it to achieve the main goal – survival and growth in the numbers of Snow Leopards.
“One of the most interesting and informative and possibly a game-changer of a solution, was the help that Microsoft (MS) was extending to the Snow Leopard Trust. They developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) software which would reduce the time in going through all the camera trap footage.
“Typically, if each camera trap produces about 1,000 images, then the time to go through all of them and find out only 4-5 images of Snow Leopards in those 1000 is a huge time consuming process.
“This is where MS has come forward to help go through all those images, and come back with only those pictures which have Snow Leopards in them, in the least amount of time. This will surely be a game-changer in how conservation data is looked at and used.
“Most fortunately, I was the only international wildlife photographer from India to be invited to this conference, based on my dedicated work on photographing and learning about Snow Leopards and trying my bit in conservation through photography and knowledge sharing; from across the world.
“Henceforth, I will be working with the Snow Leopard Foundation, Kazakhstan, to track and document them, and create pictures and videos which will help the locals understand their National Animal better, and in turn, help in conserving them.
*What is the wildlife scene in India regarding conservation?
“Taking into account the amount of wildlife and protected areas that we have in India, and adding to it, the numerous NGOs that are working in India on various issues and species; I feel we are doing quite well in terms of conservation.
“For the lack of a better phrase, I’d say we are doing much better than some countries but have enough areas to improve on as well.
*What efforts are made by the governments and Non-Govermental Organizations (NGOs) to preserve wildlife worldwide?
*There are a lot of programs that are being run by the NGOs with the help of the Forest dept. If we are to believe the hear-say on the internet about the Government of India then they have actually given clearances to chop off over 1 crore (10 million) trees in the last 5 years.
*NGOs like World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are working towards maintaining the corridors in central India, and trying to educate the locals on the importance of this green cover for the movement of the animals.
*Another NGO that I know of, which is carrying phenomenal work is Tiger Watch from Ranthambore National Park. Headed by Mr. Dharmendra Khandal, in collaboration with the Forest Department they have come up with Village Wildlife Volunteer program, who keep track of wildlife and any suspicious activity around their villages.
“Another NGO which is working very hard for the Tigers, is HyTiCoS. Mr Imran Siddiqui, founder, has been working alongside the forest department in taking account of Tiger movements in Adilabad and Kawal areas in the southern Indian state of Telangana.
“Similarly, there are NGOs for snakes, birds, Great Indian Bustard to be more precise, other mammals, and species too. But why the importance to the Tiger, you may ask?
“Tiger being the keystone species, is a synonym for the conservation and the efforts put in for saving ANY green chunk of land in India. Just the numbers 1411 went viral and crazy making all departments came into action to save them.
“I do not completely agree with the current number of more than 3000 Tigers like most conservationists, but there seems to be some increase, which is good news.
“On the same note, the NGO working for the keystone species of the mountains — the Snow Leopards, are also gaining momentum lately. The long-standing one being WWF, and the Snow Leopard Conservancy and Snow Leopard Trust.
“For the mountains, the well being and growing numbers of Snow Leopards, and/or stopping of killing by poisoning the sheep killed by the Snow Leopards, is a huge win.
“Much has been achieved on that front as well, but considering the area where the Snow Leopards live, it is very difficult to come up with a number, ala Tigers.
“There is a huge scope, and possibility of the numbers growing, but the global warming is also taking a heavy toll on their survival.
*Mention about your most daring or scary moments while clicking pictures of the wild animals.
“There have been a couple of incidents actually. Firstly, when I was swept off my feet in Chopta in Himachal Pradesh, India. I was trying to take a time lapse video of the clouds. While I was setting up, the clouds changed course and came straight at me, throwing my camera and me off my feet for a couple of seconds. I fell on to the barricade of the road, and thankfully, lived to tell the tale!
“Secondly, this was when I was leading an expedition with another friend in Mongolia, to photograph the Pallas Cat. We encountered this sandstorm, which made our huge SUV vehicle look like an Ant in front of it, and it came at us with such a speed, that even though we were metal to pedal, but still we got caught in it for a few minutes. Thankfully, nothing negative happened this time around as well.
*What can the central and state governments do to save the Snow Leopard in India?
“Educate! Educate! Educate!!
That is the key to conserving any species and the greens and our planet. Every individual needs to know about the forests, the mountains, the rivers, the oceans and the global warming.
“Educating the locals about their mountain dwellers, and how their survival effects our own, will be a key in saving the Snow Leopards and the Ibex and the Blue Sheep, and the Tibetan Wolves, and the Pallas Cat, and the Lynx, and everything that survives in those regions.
“By educating them, I do not mean just going through the villages once in a blue moon, tell them about the conservation efforts and why the peaks are melting and moving on, but by educating I mean, having a proper proposed plan of action. Make conservation a mandatory subject in all schools! Make people aware of the killing effects especially of single use plastics.
“Making people realise that plastic straws can do so much harm to the beings who share this planet with us, like that Turtle video, and the Seahorse with the earbud, and the Albatros’.
“It is heartbreaking to see those videos. But at the same time, when we see the efforts in conservation showing positivity, the silver lining of hope re-emerges.
*How do you deter the poachers? Are laws strong enough?
“The single-most and the harshest truth out there, is as long as there is a requirement for it, poaching for animal parts and skins will always continue.
“China being the largest consumer of such parts, the government needs to come down hard on any illegal import and trafficking of such goods. It was wonderful to hear about the success stories from China and the Snow Leopards. Hoping that in due course of time, with so much hard work going on for the survival of each and every species, eventually poaching will come down.
“As humans, we believe in hope and have faith in the good side of humans, and love the thought that one day we might not have to worry about poachers, and that all of us humans understand, that respecting wildlife and nature, means respecting ourselves.
*What are the challenges in wildlife photography?
“There are too many challenges and also none. There are too many challenges being having access to places, money and equipment. To go and do what you want to accomplish your aims.
“To be able to learn and make the best use of the equipment and resources that you have or might be given access to and most of all, to be creatively different in your output, especially if you are photographing the likes of Tigers, who have been photographed enough and more. None, because, where there is a will, there is a way!
*What do you do in your free time?
“I try to make money to sponsor my trips through Fine Art printing. I am a certified Fine Art Printmaker, by two companies, and I am super proud of it, as I am told I am the only such person in India. (to be certified by two companies – Hahnemuhle and Breathing Color).
*What do you aspire for to take your photographic skills to the next level?
“Personally, I do not have any equipment, so I rely on what the camera companies give, so that I can write about it or give them my feedback about that particular gear.
“Hopefully, someday, someone will gift me all that to take better footages of all of the other beautiful beings created by the Almighty, and share that footage with the world, so that they can not only appreciate those lovely creations, but hopefully feel enough for them, to help in their conservation and survival. Insha Allah!
Editor’s Note: Ismail Shariff’s website – ismailshariff.com and his instagram account: @ismailshariff takes us through his photographic marvels.
* Dr. Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui is a felicitated senior journalist, political analyst and columnist based in Oman.