He loves elephants. He’s pioneered India’s programme in wildlife rehabilitation. Over a three-decade career in conservation, he’s also grown to love rats, bats and birds. Conservationist, environmental commentator, author-photographer, founder of five environmental and conservation organisations in India, including the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), Vivek Menon has launched his book Indian Mammals: A Field Guide. In Bangalore recently for the launch, Vivek, who is regional director, south Asia, for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, CEO and executive director, WTI, spoke, among other things, about why wildlife conservation still remains niche. Excerpts from an interview:

This is the second version of the book, a decade after the first. What is new?

Quiet a few things. The first time around, the publisher was different. In book one, I did not have much information then on sub species. Sub species are geographically distinct things. The same animal in Bengal will look different than in Karnataka, and a field guide should have all these details. In the last 10 years the knowledge base has increased dramatically in India, specially on smaller mammals. There have been a lot more photographs – more than 90 per cent of photos in this book are by Indians. I’m amazed. In my earlier book, more than 50 per cent were from outside. The Clouded Leopard in India hadn’t been photographed by an Indian; now we have it on the cover of the book. In a bid to make it smaller, maps were not done for all species in the earlier book. This book has maps, as well as tracks and signs. You may not always see all animals in forests but this is also important. So it’s a completely new book. I won’t call it an edition.

You pointed out that so many more Indians have done the photography. Does it mean interest in mammals has increased in the last 10 years?

I hope so! Bangalore is the hub of wildlife photography and may have given half the photos in this book . This city has sari sellers, doctors, IT chaps — all doing wildlife photography. I meet them in all corners of the world. I was in the Arctic two weeks ago; thought it was the end of the world. And there was a Bangalore team coming one day up to do photography! (laughs) I was 160 km from North Pole! Bangaloreans are into nature photography. Some are serious, and that’s a good thing. Also, the IT boom and money means big lenses and equipment. But I hope participating in a project like this (book) rather than keeping it in their own collection at home will make them understand conservation value. Many photos that rank amateurs have taken are the first ever pictures we’ve got of certain sub-species in India. People only think species. Look at the common langur; Karnataka has three sub-species.

Only larger more glamorous mammal always get attention, you’ve often rued. Tell us about those we’ve ignored and why we do that.

Why we tend to ignore them is very simple – because the larger ones are closer to us. In conservation, we talk of "forward-facing animals" – with both eyes in the front. The farther the eyes move out, people lose interest. They don’t look like us, they look like a rat. For example: Guinea pigs and rats are both rodents. The Guinea pig has eyes in front; everybody will look at it and say ‘oh so sweet’. Rats? ‘Eeee rats!’ If you feel something is like you — monkeys, cats — forward-facing, you have an immediate attraction. Also smaller things are difficult to see.

There are two bat species found only in Karnataka — the Wroughton Free-Tailed Bats – found near Barepade caves in Belgaum — the only place in the whole world. And the Kolar Leaf Nose Bat – only found in Kolar — these are purely Kannadiga (he briefly pauses and smiles). These should be the state animal; but can you imagine it being done? Only charismatic animals are attractive. But we should not ignore these – I’m giving it as an extreme example. Most of my work has been on elephants. I know the value of larger mammals. In protecting elephants, you also protect a whole lot of species. There is use of charismatic mega-fauna. But the charm in conservation also, like Arundhati Roy said, is in the God of Small Things; big things somehow look after themselves. Personally too I’m getting more attracted to smaller animals. They give me more happiness, maybe because I learn more. Maybe I’m cynical, but I have 30 years in conservation, and all the big things are politicised, even within the conservation community. I did mammals because nobody had done it. But the pure joy of seeing a bird or small mammal amidst nature…. Now I go on vacation with my boys to the forest and look for small things.

We talk of conservation education and awareness. Is it a very urban and elitist thing? When a big cat comes to a farm, it is shot down.

There are several things – and one of the main areas, where I feel even I have failed, is to make conservation mainstream. It’s very niche. This is the reason I’m asking people like Anil Kumble and Dia Mirza to release my book. I’m using people like these. My definition of the new millionaire — and these are the millionaires I’m chasing – not the millionaire who can write me the million dollar cheque. I want the person who has a million followers, be it on Twitter or Facebook or following them in any way. If a million people can follow what a person says, that’s the millionaire I’m looking for. Because they can reach an audience I can’t reach. It’s important to spread this message to those sort of people.

The other thing is that awareness itself is high. But there is a distinct difference between awareness, participation, and involvement. They are three levels of education. Participation is low; involvement is almost not there. That’s where we’ve failed. We need to reach out to people, communicate.

The last thing is we’re strange country where one-third of the world’s poor live here. That’s the crushing reality. But the aspiration is for nine per cent growth. And we’re trying to save all our animals using what our grandmother has taught us — ethics and values; no science. Science is very nascent. Ethically we are protecting everything because we want to. Now one of these three will come into conflict. There’s a disconnect between societal objective in India today, and the ethics.

The wildlife photography and tourism being a ‘cool’ thing. Has it helped in awareness/conservation?

I’m an optimist, so I think it’s a good thing. The more people are interested, the better. More people who use visual media, it’s better because that’s what grabs people’s attention. The visual media is the one that excites and entices. Photography that way is good; it’s a field which needs patience. It takes IT chaps out quite a bit and immerses them in nature; you can’t just go out and get a great photograph in minutes. If projects like these can draw them into more active conservation, it’s good. The negative part, the disturbance caused by photographers, is also often discussed — don’t move nature around; don’t pick up anything. The job of conservationists is to get conservation out of them. Tourism is a double-edged sword. Broadly good, because we don’t utilise wildlife in any other way. Some value for local villagers, as long as that’s the model that’s being followed. If it all goes to the State kitty, it’s not good. It should not become the elite preserve of a few. Put safeguards.

Four problem areas Indian wildlife is facing today…

One is habitat, lack of it. Mark Twain once said "If you see land, grab it. They ain’t making it no more." That’s the problem. If you have children, the first thing you do is leave them a house. One of my big things in my head is land – and therefore creating land corridors for elephants. I started 15 years ago and have secured six or seven corridors; we bought it.

Second is poaching and illegal trade. Today one of the biggest hit animals in India is the pangolin; people don’t even know what it is. Ask the average wildlifer how many times he sees it; I’ve seen it once in my life. But hundreds are confiscated at the border. Where is it coming from? Their scales are used in Oriental medicine. Which is the single biggest reason for all poaching – Oriental medicine. I go every year to China and Japan to give lectures; they don’t understand.

Third is the "nine per cent growth" problem. The political need for rapid capital without thinking of natural capital. With the new government I’m particularly concerned.

Fourth thing is ignorance – we are an encyclopaedia of ignorance. Out of 427 mammals in the book, we may know about 25 of them. The text in my book is in three colours; one is what I’ve quoted from somebody else. One is what research has said, and then what I have observed. We’re still quoting what some Britishers have said many years ago; nobody has done enough research. Even with large mammals — it’s 50 years since M. Krishnan did the large mammals survey of India. Why have we not done one after that? We do tigers, we do elephants. What about the others? What about the four-horned antelope? This is just numbers and where they are found. We need to go to the next level – behaviour, what threatens them, etc.