HASEEB SHAIKH

THE MENTOR - PRIDE OF GIR (Late M. A. Rashid, Chief Conservator Of Forest, Wildlife, Gujarat) Being a keen wildlife and nature enthusiast for more than 30 years no, I work as a Professional Naturalist & Wildlife Consultant. My profession as a Naturalist and Guide is by choice and is cherished by me as it is no less than being on a vacation every single day. This profession has provided me plenty of opportunities to visit various destinations across the country and has educated me with the fact that India is a veritable storehouse of nature’s bounties with majestic snow-capped mountains, lush, green valleys and vast, fertile plains which makes it a kaleidoscope of tropical, temperate, alpine, desert, savannah, riparian and estuarine vegetation. It has 500 species of mammals and 2000 species of birds, which is about 1/10 of avian species known to inhabit planet earth. It takes one inspirational person, an unforgettable experience, , a life changing event or a thrilling chapter in lif

 A DEPENDABLE RESCUE MATE ( Dr. Yassar Rafique to my left in blue, Me in red) Wildlife Rescue is all about trust and blind faith, especially, when a rescue call is attended in tandem with a team mate. Here, it is necessary that you know your team mate as well as the back of your palm. ‘Trust’ here needs to be so deep, as if a razor sharp, sparking sword hangs on a wily thin thread right above your head and yet you feel confident of walking out of the situation on your own legs. That’s the level of trust which I dare say is quite reminiscent of bond that was between Jim Corbett and Ibboston on their ventures to locate the man eater tigers. I’ve been rescuing birds, animals and reptiles for about three decades now and some of my most memorable rescue ventures have been with a good friend and close aide Dr. Yasser Rafique, who by profession is a Dentist. A common friend introduced me to Dr. Yasser In year 2011 when I moved to Ahmedabad from Baroda city, a call that was related to my pro