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Remember the photographer who captured ‘eternal couple’ Saaya and Cleopatra? Here are some of his other magnificent clicks
Born and brought up in the jungles of South India, photographer Mithun Hunugund says that passion for being close to wildlife was embedded in him from a young age.
Photographer Mithun Hunugund always had a passion for wildlife and big cats ever since he could remember. That desire to see the extraordinary and magnificent creatures evoked in him the motivation to pick up a camera to immortalise the moments he saw in the wild. And, the results he got are nothing short of magnificent.
It was back in 2009 when he saw a huge tiger swimming and wading through a flowing river with ease. That was the moment when he decided what he wanted to do for the rest of his life – capturing the amazing beauty of wildlife on camera. Thanks to his Instagram profile, now people also get a glimpse of the amazing images he clicks.
Just like this one which captures a leopard climbing up a tree.
Then there is this set of images which shows a black panther climbing down a tree. To say that they’re stunning is an understatement:
Born and brought up in the jungles of South India, Hunugund says that passion for being close to wildlife was embedded in him from a young age. Till now, he has taken several outstanding images and videos and some of them also went crazy viral online. Like the images of the “eternal couple”, Saaya and Cleopatra, a female leopard and a black panther. Hunugund, while speaking to Hindustan Times, said that these are also some of his images that are close to his heart.
“I had waited six days for this in the same spot since I could hear the Black Panther and Cleopatra mating about 100 metre away in the thick undergrowth but could not see them due to limited visibility. They had made a large kill and would not move until it was over. That is where the knowledge and years of experience of following and tracking the panther came in handy. I just had to wait at one of his favourite paths since that was the place he would get her since that was the edge of his territory, and this he did after six days. It was a fruitful wait though. I could wait for six years for a moment like this,” he said.
Or this video which looks like a still image, until the majestic cat captured in the clip does this:
Hunugund still believes that the best capture of his life is yet to come. He also said that one animal he would love to photograph is a Siberian Tiger. “I have always been fascinated by the white snow and the stunning orange coat of this species,” he told HT.
Here are some beautiful images and videos captured by the photographer:
When asked about the challenges involved in wildlife photography, Hunugund said “It is definitely challenging for sure but unlike most other forms of photography it has the element of surprise.”
“You never know what you are going to encounter at the next bend. The woods are mysterious and unveiling them that is my passion. You could be waiting for days and months and years for that perfect shot. But when it happens, those few seconds are magical and to live for after all that time. That is the beauty of wildlife photography,” he added.
