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The Age of Endlings: Wildlife from a journo’s point of view
Jay Mazoomdaar’s recent book, The Age of Endlings, raises questions on our view on wildlife. Neither a travelogue nor a coffee-table eye-soothing showpiece, this book is a curious report from an investigative journalist’s point of view.
Many people complain about not seeing ‘anything’ during their jungle trip.But is this true? Didn’t they see those grandfatherly trees — rooted, timeless! Or enjoy the smell of Earth or rain? Why are they always fascinated about tiger sightings or only clicking anything that moves? Jay Mazoomdaar’s recent book,The Age of Endlings, questions our view on wildlife.
From tiger conservation to a mythical story of a desert snake that breathes death, the author narrates both and more. His understanding comes from the core of the relationship between humans and the nature.
Our romanticism blinds us to the lessons we should have learnt by now, he writes in his book. And, also mentions clearly that wildlife conservation has nothing to do with helping an injured animal, because in the process we break a cardinal rule of conservation by interrupting nature’s mechanism of working.
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This book gives a different view on wildlife conservation by Indian government, where money is used only on tiger conservation, but hardly any initiative for other critically-endangered species. He also writes in detail about the Vedanta aluminium project in Odisha, because of which the entire sustainable livelihood and culture was destroyed. His investigative study on Dongria Kondhs — people of Niyamgiri hills in Odisha — is a deep understanding of the human ecosystem around it.
Neither a travelogue nor a coffee-table eye soothing showpiece, this book is a curious report from an investigative journalist’s point of view.
Title: The Age of Endlings
Author: Jay Mazoomdaar
Publisher: Harper Litmus
Price: Rs 399
