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Conservation Photography: Documenting India's Wildlife Challenges

byKaran SolankiBased in Mumbai; Travels across India for wildlife shootsStarts from₹3,000 per module (3 hours)View full gallery

I believe photography is more than just capturing beauty. Here, I share the unseen, often harsh realities of human-wildlife interaction to spark respect and change.

"Speed thrills, but it also kills." A heartbreaking scene of a female Fan-throated Lizard, a victim of a speeding vehicle, her eggs scattered beside her. This is not just one life lost, but an entire generation.

A Hook-nosed Sea Snake, killed by fishermen out of fear and hung on a boat. This tragic sight highlights the urgent need for awareness about the role these animals play in our coastal ecosystems.

A non-venomous File Sea Snake, another victim of human fear and misunderstanding. Every life in the ocean matters, and these killings disrupt the delicate balance of the marine world.

A Bamboo Shark washed ashore, likely discarded as bycatch. This black and white image is a stark reminder of the impact of fishing on non-target species.

A beautiful grassland habitat, home to incredible wildlife, with factories and industries looming on its edges. This photo shows the constant pressure of development on our natural spaces.

An Indian Spectacled Cobra, photographed for Nag Panchami. While many worship these snakes, they are also killed out of fear. They don't need worship, just our respect and space.

About Conservation: A Frame for Change

Photography is a tool for advocacy, and my camera is often the only witness to the challenges wildlife faces in our urban spaces. When you see images like the fan-throated lizard or the sea snakes on this page, remember these are not staged or polished for aesthetics. I document these moments, from roadkill to habitat encroachment, because awareness is the first step toward changing how we share space with animals.

10+ years of wildlife rescue experience. — Approved by the tribe
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Karan Solanki

Based in Mumbai; Travels across India for wildlife shootsStarts from ₹3,000 per module (3 hours)

I am Karan. Wildlife photography for me is about bridging the gap between us and the natural world, even when the story is difficult. Whether I am rescuing snakes or documenting the impact of urban development, my goal is always to shift our collective mindset from fear to respect.

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On a wintry day near Jaipur, I witnessed this grim chase. A pack of feral dogs had cornered a Nilgai, India’s largest antelope. This is a difficult but necessary story to tell, highlighting the rising threat that free-ranging dogs pose to our native wildlife, a conflict often overlooked.9
The chase continues. The pack of dogs relentlessly pursues the female Nilgai along the edge of the wetland. Such events are becoming increasingly common at the interface of human settlements and wild spaces.
The Nilgai runs for its life, with the pack of dogs in hot pursuit. The next morning, she was found dead. Precise data on this threat is not clearly realized, but it is huge and rising.
The terrified Nilgai plunges into the water to escape, scattering the waterfowl. The dogs, however, are undeterred and follow her into the wetland.

Conservation Chronicles: Stories from the Wild

S
Sunjoy MongaAvailable online; takes projects across India
A forest guard holds a "GO SLOW" sign as an endangered Lion-tailed Macaque crosses the road in Valparai. This powerful image captures the direct intervention needed to protect wildlife from traffic in fragmented habitats.6
An elephant forages in a tea plantation next to a busy road in South India. This scene is a daily reality in many parts of Asia, highlighting the increasing overlap between human activity and wildlife habitats.
A Sambar deer navigates a busy road, with tourists offering it food. While it may seem harmless, feeding wildlife is dangerous for both the animals and people, leading to habituation and conflict.
The same Sambar deer, captured with a fisheye lens to create a distorted, surreal perspective. This shot emphasizes how out of place the wild animal is in this man-made environment of traffic and tourists.

Human-Wildlife Coexistence Photography for Conservation Projects

H
HemaBased in Mumbai; travels across India for photography assignments
A male leopard quenches its thirst at an artificial waterhole, its intense gaze reflected perfectly on the water's surface. The symmetry and clarity of this camera trap image create a powerful and mesmerizing portrait.5
While tracking tigers, my camera trap captured this beautiful leopard in a dense forest setting. This serves as a reminder that these two large predators often share the same territory, a complex dynamic of coexistence and competition.
It seems taking selfies is not just for humans. A pair of curious langur monkeys triggered my camera trap over 3000 times in a single day, resulting in this amusing and unexpected 'self-portrait' from the jungle.
A Greater one-horned rhino emerges from the darkness in Assam, on its way to a nightly wallow. The dramatic lighting from my off-camera flash highlights the incredible, armor-like texture of its skin.

Wildlife Portraits and Behavior Studies

N
Nayan KhanolkarTakes photography projects across India
A beautiful Indian Pitta, shared to celebrate National Wildlife Day and the importance of conservation.44
A Watercock near a barbed-wire fence, a poignant image for National Wildlife Day, highlighting human-wildlife conflict.
A Great White Pelican landing, part of my National Wildlife Day series to showcase the diversity of our natural world.
A Flameback Woodpecker, another beautiful species shared to raise awareness on National Wildlife Day.

A Photographer's Journal: Conservation and Nature Stories

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PGahlot PhotographyShoots across India
A mother elephant and her calf share a playful moment in the muddy waters of Jim Corbett. Capturing these unscripted displays of affection in the wild is what my wildlife photography is all about.64
The baby elephant reaches its trunk up to its mother in a touching gesture. These are the intimate moments I look for while documenting elephant family life.
An elephant calf rests its head near its mother in the water. This quiet moment shows the strong, protective bond within an elephant herd.
A full elephant family, including a tiny calf, standing at the edge of the forest in Jim Corbett National Park. A perfect example of a wild animal family portrait.

Raw Wildlife Photography & Animal Portraits

M
Manya UpadhyayTravels for documentary projects across India
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My feature in Mid-Day India, bringing attention to the "killer carpet of green" suffocating the Juhu lake. Media coverage is crucial for raising public awareness and pressuring authorities to act.

Photography with Purpose: Ethical Nature & Pet Portraits

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Saloni TirodkarPet portraits in Mumbai; Travels across India for wildlife shoots

More from Wildlife Photography by Karan Solanki

FeaturedMy Passion: Reptiles & AmphibiansThe Avian WorldMumbai's Coastal SecretsA Closer Look: Macro PhotographyWildlife in Their World: Habitat StoriesThe Art of Light: Silhouettes & MonochromeBehind the LensAdditional Work

More services by Karan Solanki

Wildlife & Conservation FilmmakingUrban Wildlife Rescue & Management
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