Capturing royal tigers in captivating frames

Hunting tigers and other wild animals is his passion. But, don’t’ come to a conclusion about such an activity being illegal and in violation of wildlife act and guidelines. He is a predator with a difference, preying on the majestic tiger and capturing its eloquent expression and the royal gait in captivating frames.

Yes, you have now got it right! He shoots with cameras and not Meet RV Swetha Kumar Rangarao (Baby Naina) aka Yuvaraja of Bobbili Samsthanam, a scion of the royal family for whom wildlife photography is not just a hobby, but an obsession. In the past, hunting down tigers, tigers, lions, leopards, wild boars – with guns - was considered as a sport and a status symbol. There is seldom a royal gallery without the photograph of Rajah in a hunting gear proud posing with his prize catch – the tiger - lying dead at his feet.

Swetha Kumar has given a new and more aesthetic meaning to this legacy. He is totally against hunting animals and on the contrary he wants to spend more time with animals and nature. He frequently visits several national parks, animal sanctuaries and captures the behaviour of leopards, Cheetahs, and tigers.

He has an amazing repertoire of photographs which were taken in sundarbans in West Bengal, Tadoba in Maharashtra, Kanha national park in Madhya Pradesh, Bandipur in Karnataka, Jim Corbett national park in Uttarakhand, Kaziranga national park in Assam, Nandankanan in Odisha.

After visiting these parks and sanctuaries he waits there for the arrival of his favorite animal and captures the different moods and movements of the tiger – striding roaring and bathing - with his high-end camera. Sometimes he has to wait for more than two, three hours for the tiger or the leopard to come close enough for him to shoot the pictures.

Swetha Kumar is also involved in promoting wildlife and environment protection too. He distributes plants, saplings to the farmers near Bobbili, free of cost. In addition, he also gives donations for the welfare of the workers and care takers of the sanctuary. Recently, Swetha Kumar donated new clothes and bags to the guides and drivers of Tadoba tiger sanctuary in Maharashtra and complimented them for protecting our national wealth. Speaking to The Hans India Swetha Kumar said, “It’s our responsibility to protect our national animal. They will harm us only if we attack them.

There is a notion that they will kill us, but this is just a misconception. Maya, a six feet long tiger in Tadoba sanctuary is my favorite and it even recognizes me. We should watch and enjoy the beauty of Nature, animals, birds, water, but we should not think of controlling or destroying them. I love to see them with my naked eye and like to shoot them with my camera. I have vast collection of photographs.”

By Koppara Gandhi