The poisoning of an Indian tigress has led a wildlife presenter to launch a daily virtual safari from MP presented to viewers in real time
A tiger clicked at Bandhavgarh National Park. Pic/Suyash Keshari
It’s got to be true blue passion driving a young turk who decides to quit his political advocacy job in Washington DC to pursue wildlife. In 2019, Suyash Keshari, 27, moved lock, stock, barrel to India to become a wildlife presenter. After leading safaris and photography tours across India and Africa, he has now launched the world’s first wildlife OTT platform, Safari with Suyash-TV that brings the national park safari into the living room.
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The safari is shot every Sunday in Bandhavgarh National Park of Madhya Pradesh, and lasts for two hours. Subscribers can log in to virtually participate in the morning or evening safari, live. In each episode, the team explores a different zone of the three core zones of the park — Tala, Magadhi and Khitauli. “What sets [these safaris] apart is that they have been shot in real-time as the occurrences unfold before the camera crew unlike most wildlife shows, where different footage is compiled,” says Keshari. The small on-field team consists of two cameramen, the guide and Keshari, who is host and driver. Shot in POV format, it is a simulation of how one would look around upon a sighting. The focus is not only on tigers, but on all wildlife and nature in general, ranging from small birds to even trees.
Keshari shoots rhinos. The small on-field team consists of two cameramen, the guide and Keshari, who is host and driver
Upon a sighting, an infographic card pops up to give virtual guests key information regarding the species on-screen. “Not everyone has the time or resources to visit a national park, pay for a safari and explore the gifts of wilderness,” he says of his virtual format choice. “The pandemic has shown how important it is for us to connect with nature and have a deeper, more meaningful understanding of wildlife which can lead to better conservation measures.”
Quite naturally, every visit has yielded rich experiences. He remembers the time when, while on an evening safari, the team heard a tiger growl. “We were waiting for the animal to appear. We heard another growl from the opposite direction. It was thrilling to witness two tigers communicating with each other. Soon enough, one of them stepped into the open with a cub! Male tigers are known not to parent cubs, but here was one right in front of us.” Another time, they spotted a porcupine running across the road on an overcast morning. The spiky rodents are nocturnal and rarely seen in daylight. “I have been to some of the most out of bounds places in Africa and India, but this was the first time I had seen a porcupine.”
Suyash Keshari
Incidentally, it was a tigress named Solo who inspired Keshari to make conservation the thrust of his show. “I had tracked her for eight years, from when she was a few months old till the day she was poisoned. It was one of the most catastrophic losses I had experienced. They even poisoned one of her cubs; we don’t know what happened to the remaining three. Losing her made me determined to work harder to protect these fantastic animals.”
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