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Wild And Wilful
A profound truth of the wild, and the world at large, is that we are a part of it, not owners of it.
Is there any animal we love and hate as much as the Royal Bengal Tiger? Tigers are feared and poached, but they also endure, becoming pin-ups for candlelight marches. Indian elephants are trapped by railway lines and fences, but are reclaiming their bodies and colonizing new areas in central India. And in our dirty cities, the sparkling Plain Tiger Butterfly flourishes as one of our last links to wildlife.
Wild animals exist beyond our control. They are harmless, only occasionally dangerous. They live with us, or in spite of us. Those who know them understand that wild animals require acceptance for what they are, not enslavement for what we want them to be.
In this book, we meet fifteen iconic Indian species in need of conservation and heart. The author explores what these creatures need, and how they exert agency and decision-making. With an equal emphasis on human and animal, science and skilled prose, Wild and Wilful reveals the magic of the wild in our daily lives. It will take you from fear to wonder.
Is there any animal we love and hate as much as the Royal Bengal Tiger? Tigers are feared and poached, but they also endure, becoming pin-ups for candlelight marches. Indian elephants are trapped by railway lines and fences, but are reclaiming their bodies and colonizing new areas in central India. And in our dirty cities, the sparkling Plain Tiger Butterfly flourishes as one of our last links to wildlife.
Wild animals exist beyond our control. They are harmless, only occasionally dangerous. They live with us, or in spite of us. Those who know them understand that wild animals require acceptance for what they are, not enslavement for what we want them to be.
In this book, we meet fifteen iconic Indian species in need of conservation and heart. The author explores what these creatures need, and how they exert agency and decision-making. With an equal emphasis on human and animal, science and skilled prose, Wild and Wilful reveals the magic of the wild in our daily lives. It will take you from fear to wonder.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
11 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Neha Sinha
13 books7 followersNeha Sinha is an award-winning conservation biologist, author and columnist. Wild and Wilful, (HarperCollinsIndia, February 2021) is her first book, and tells the stories of fifteen iconic Indian species.
Neha lives in Delhi, India and is partial to common birds which are considered ugly.
Neha lives in Delhi, India and is partial to common birds which are considered ugly.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 9, 2022
Wild and Wilful is a timely book about the tragedy of wildlife we witness around us. The author has managed to convey the nuances of the wildlife conservation in a very lucid way. I really liked how the book focuses not only about the animals but other stakeholders involved too. Although the central theme of the book is very simple and that's showing the mirror to humanity. We often describe animals as intruders to habitats occupied by us. We tend to easily forget about the real intruders.
I specially like the way author also tends to convey some profound messages in between the stories of iconic species. Wild animals exist beyond our control. Those who know wild animals most intimately understand a wild animal requires acceptance for what it is, not enslavement for what we want it to be. This is part of the most profound truth of the wild, and world at large - that we are a part of it , not its owners.
I specially like the way author also tends to convey some profound messages in between the stories of iconic species. Wild animals exist beyond our control. Those who know wild animals most intimately understand a wild animal requires acceptance for what it is, not enslavement for what we want it to be. This is part of the most profound truth of the wild, and world at large - that we are a part of it , not its owners.
June 17, 2022
A tiger once lived in a dense forest, but not in the forest where humans wanted it to live. It was killed.
There once lived an elephant who came a little close to humans. The elephant and its calf were welcomed with fireballs.
There once lived a harmless dolphin in the Ganges. It became deaf and sunk deep into somewhere in the deep waters where the cacophony of boats rattling the water can't be heard.
There lived countless other wild and wilful species whose stories we may never come to know.
Wild and Wilful is a dangerous book, just like the wildlife, it is talking about. Dangerous because it shows a mirror to the evil face of humanity. Wildlife is merely wild and wilful for existence. Mankind is evil because we want to progress by taming or even by razing wildlife and forestry to our convenience.
It is ironic that we label wildlife as wild and untamed, while we humans are the ones who are behaving like barbarians who claim total ownership of everything.
Wildlife never chose to come close to us humans. We encroached into their habitats, into their living rooms, destroying their playgrounds, blocking their walking corridors blowing our trumpets of progress.
If any animal dared stood in the path, or even merely existed, we chose to eliminate them. Because we are the superior predator with the superpower of intelligence.
But the wild is wilful. It will put up a fight before dying down. And the loss is for humanity whether we acknowledge it or not.
There once lived an elephant who came a little close to humans. The elephant and its calf were welcomed with fireballs.
There once lived a harmless dolphin in the Ganges. It became deaf and sunk deep into somewhere in the deep waters where the cacophony of boats rattling the water can't be heard.
There lived countless other wild and wilful species whose stories we may never come to know.
Wild and Wilful is a dangerous book, just like the wildlife, it is talking about. Dangerous because it shows a mirror to the evil face of humanity. Wildlife is merely wild and wilful for existence. Mankind is evil because we want to progress by taming or even by razing wildlife and forestry to our convenience.
It is ironic that we label wildlife as wild and untamed, while we humans are the ones who are behaving like barbarians who claim total ownership of everything.
Wildlife never chose to come close to us humans. We encroached into their habitats, into their living rooms, destroying their playgrounds, blocking their walking corridors blowing our trumpets of progress.
If any animal dared stood in the path, or even merely existed, we chose to eliminate them. Because we are the superior predator with the superpower of intelligence.
But the wild is wilful. It will put up a fight before dying down. And the loss is for humanity whether we acknowledge it or not.
May 22, 2021
A beautiful book. This is a book for someone looking for a fresh perspective on wild animals around us. It is important for us to understand that without the wild there won’t be any of us.
As Sir David Attenborough Said: “The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?"
This may not be a famous quote, but it is a sad reality for the future generations. We have inherited a broken planet but it’s up to us to make it a livable place for all of life.
The book highlights the local problems and solutions for specific species with an Indian perspective. The problems and solutions having larger impact on the world. I specifically liked the Amur falcon story, where a decision made by a Nagaland village towards conservation of this majestic bird, lead to community building and world recognition for the village. It earned my respect. And it requires these local solutions to make people aware of how we can save this planet from ourselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and urge everyone to read this to better understand the value of the wild.
I thank the author for this book, and would eagerly wait for more.
As Sir David Attenborough Said: “The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?"
This may not be a famous quote, but it is a sad reality for the future generations. We have inherited a broken planet but it’s up to us to make it a livable place for all of life.
The book highlights the local problems and solutions for specific species with an Indian perspective. The problems and solutions having larger impact on the world. I specifically liked the Amur falcon story, where a decision made by a Nagaland village towards conservation of this majestic bird, lead to community building and world recognition for the village. It earned my respect. And it requires these local solutions to make people aware of how we can save this planet from ourselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and urge everyone to read this to better understand the value of the wild.
I thank the author for this book, and would eagerly wait for more.
January 14, 2022
Mostly, when we talk about anything related to the environment and conservation, there is a litany of clinical reports and studies that come up immediately in our minds. The world of IPCC reports and IUCN Red Lists is very daunting and it is this mechanical and often inaccessible narrative that makes us believe that all the threats and catastrophes are existent but very far from us and even if we want to know more and take action, how do we grasp something so beyond our reach? Wild and Wilful not only dismantles this distance but transforms it into a language of tenderness and learning.
This book really, really spoke to me. It educated, angered, inspired and shamed. Neha Sinha writes about fifteen iconic and endangered species but moves away from treating them as objects of our fascination and dispassionate scientific studies. Instead she writes about each of them in their most routine glory. She expands on the concept of how humans aren't the messiahs here but rather the usurpers and the least we can do while co-existing is to give these species the dignity they always had.
It is also a very nuanced and unique take on conservation. The issue of tiger conservation in Deori was located very rightfully within the spaces that women occupied in the village and the larger dichotomy of veneration and denial of autonomy. It moves from there to the calumny and stigma that people from the North-East face on account of their dietary and cultural practices through the story on the Amur Falcons. The effusion of varied landscapes and ecosystems doesn't stop here but extends into the surreal mountains of central Asia, home of our yearly guests, the Rosy Starlings.
While going into remote corners of the world to look for lives so bewitching, it is easy to fall into the habit of exoticisation, something very common in all our Attenborough documentaries (I love watching those too!!). This often gives us a false sense of calm that there are areas completely untouched, shorn of any trace of human civilisation. Areas that are pristine serve as an assurance that not all is lost. But Wild and Wilful doesn't sugarcoat when it declares- 'There is no wilderness anymore. There are only places with varying amounts of human impact.'
There is a subtle nudge for the reader in this book. Conservation like all things is driven by optics. We revel in the opulence of the Tiger or the sensibility of the Dolphin and decide that fine, these are creatures we have to conserve. But often this assigning of virtues and vices strips a vital group of animals from any protection. Even those within the much adored categories are constrained by it such as Avni, the tigress in whose memory there were candlelight marches and petitions. This was because Avni's case was amplified by the virtue of her being a protective mother. While her cause indeed needed championing, what this narrow high-decibel campaign did was that it took focus away from the core issues of working on tiger conservation, something that would have benefited many Avnis. It made me think a lot about how I perceive not just wildlife but any life around me.
Neha Sinha is not just a supremely talented conservation biologist but also a gifted writer, poet, philosopher (apart from making you really want to be friends with her). She writes beautifully and widely across mountains and steppes and deserts. However, the part which warmed me the most was the chapter on Tiger Butterflies in Delhi. This city with its Semal and Amaltas will welcome you with one hand and with the smog in the other, it will shoo you away. But in the midst of all this chaos, life does exist.
'And the enchanted butterflies had shown me their enchanted places, and these places were always there, right infront of me. They were in the embrace and armpits of the great capital of India, the world's most polluted place, a city as beautiful as butterfly wing, and as ugly as the concrete where a butterfly could find no nourishment.
If Delhi broke my heart on a particular day, I wished for a butterfly to fly out from that crack.'
This book really, really spoke to me. It educated, angered, inspired and shamed. Neha Sinha writes about fifteen iconic and endangered species but moves away from treating them as objects of our fascination and dispassionate scientific studies. Instead she writes about each of them in their most routine glory. She expands on the concept of how humans aren't the messiahs here but rather the usurpers and the least we can do while co-existing is to give these species the dignity they always had.
It is also a very nuanced and unique take on conservation. The issue of tiger conservation in Deori was located very rightfully within the spaces that women occupied in the village and the larger dichotomy of veneration and denial of autonomy. It moves from there to the calumny and stigma that people from the North-East face on account of their dietary and cultural practices through the story on the Amur Falcons. The effusion of varied landscapes and ecosystems doesn't stop here but extends into the surreal mountains of central Asia, home of our yearly guests, the Rosy Starlings.
While going into remote corners of the world to look for lives so bewitching, it is easy to fall into the habit of exoticisation, something very common in all our Attenborough documentaries (I love watching those too!!). This often gives us a false sense of calm that there are areas completely untouched, shorn of any trace of human civilisation. Areas that are pristine serve as an assurance that not all is lost. But Wild and Wilful doesn't sugarcoat when it declares- 'There is no wilderness anymore. There are only places with varying amounts of human impact.'
There is a subtle nudge for the reader in this book. Conservation like all things is driven by optics. We revel in the opulence of the Tiger or the sensibility of the Dolphin and decide that fine, these are creatures we have to conserve. But often this assigning of virtues and vices strips a vital group of animals from any protection. Even those within the much adored categories are constrained by it such as Avni, the tigress in whose memory there were candlelight marches and petitions. This was because Avni's case was amplified by the virtue of her being a protective mother. While her cause indeed needed championing, what this narrow high-decibel campaign did was that it took focus away from the core issues of working on tiger conservation, something that would have benefited many Avnis. It made me think a lot about how I perceive not just wildlife but any life around me.
Neha Sinha is not just a supremely talented conservation biologist but also a gifted writer, poet, philosopher (apart from making you really want to be friends with her). She writes beautifully and widely across mountains and steppes and deserts. However, the part which warmed me the most was the chapter on Tiger Butterflies in Delhi. This city with its Semal and Amaltas will welcome you with one hand and with the smog in the other, it will shoo you away. But in the midst of all this chaos, life does exist.
'And the enchanted butterflies had shown me their enchanted places, and these places were always there, right infront of me. They were in the embrace and armpits of the great capital of India, the world's most polluted place, a city as beautiful as butterfly wing, and as ugly as the concrete where a butterfly could find no nourishment.
If Delhi broke my heart on a particular day, I wished for a butterfly to fly out from that crack.'
September 19, 2022
The book describes the current conditions of some of the most majestic animals in the Indian subcontinent in an involved, holistic way - woven through personal anecdotes, policy decisions, conservation efforts and natural history notes regarding each animal.
January 11, 2026
A wonderful book.
Every chapter makes one cry out "How inhuman can humans be?" We will destroy nature, the way we are going.
Every animal that is listed in the book is facing some kind of thread or even extinction from humans.
1. Leopard is compared to the cockroach and the comparison although it appears strange, it is reality. Humans cut down jungles or cut through jungles and then blame the leopard to come back to what was its home. They scare it, traumatise it, hunt it and either catch and deport it, very much like ICE against whoever they think are "illegal immigrants", to what they decide is its home. Literally treat it like a cockroach.
2. Rhesus Macaque Monkey's are practically omnipresent in India, including in big urban cities. They are considered a menace to the humans. No one wishes to understand the root cause of why this is the situation. Humans remove the natural sources of its diet by cutting trees and harvesting whatever is left. We then try to transplant them to wherever we think they belong. Sad.
3. The Great Indian Bustard is the is the saddest of the lot. Only about 100 are left in the wild and while conservationists are trying to revive the population others are continuing to string electricity wire and are eager to tap the solar energy which unfortunately lies in the habitat of the GIB. One hopes the conservationist succeed in reviving them.
4. Probably one of the most hated species, the snake suffers at the hands of humans just like all others. Most (including me) do not know to identify between a venomous and non-venomous snake and assume all snakes to be venomous and we jump out of our skins (just like a moulting snake) when we see any of this species. They are despised and killed most of the times they come across a human. They ideally like to stay away from humans and attack only when disturbed or troubled, but what do human's care.
5. Elephants seem invulnerable, but in the name of "development" humans literally run them down. They are run down by trains hurtling through their path, high walls to protect "premium golf courses" in the elephant path kill calves. What more can one say. On the one hand they are revered as an embodiment of Ganapathy and on the other hand we care two hoots when are mowed down by trains. Add to this the elephants captured and tamed for patrolling whatever is left of the jungles in India and for ceremonies for the temples, one will realise that there are hardly any elephants left in the wild free to lead their lives. If one reads the book https://vishnupuram.wordpress.com/201... by Jeymohan (a work of fiction based on the real life story of Dr. Krishnamurthy) one will definitely cry one's heart out for the gentle giant that roams the sub-continent. She very aptly titles the chapter "Obituary that will not be written".
6. Tiger, the national animal of India, the pride of India, revered as the vehicle of Goddess Durga (Sherawali), the vehicle of Lord Ayyappa was on the verge of extinction. Thanks to some initiatives taken by the government it had probably just begun a recovery. Now in the name of "development" we cut through the forests where the tigers roam, we cut the forests for cultivation, we displace the tribals that worship and revere the tiger in their own way and have learnt to live with it in almost harmony. We are now speaking of doing away with the jungles and establishing zoos in its place to showcase our national animal. Wonder how can humans be so selfish?
7. Another tiger, the tiger butterfly is the topic of the next chapter. In this author writes how we often ignore the butterflies flitting in the small gardens, how one tends to miss them completely. They make no noise, they disturb no one, just go about flitting around living their lives. We in fact malign them by referring to "socialites" as "butterflies" flitting from one flower to another. She speaks of surprising discoveries of varieties of butterflies in unexpected, battered corners of our country, in the Naxalite territories.
8. Amur Falcons have now become a symbol of conservation. Once hunted in 1000s, today Amur falcons have become a pride of Nagaland and they host festivals to highlight the coming of the Amur falcons as they pass through Nagaland in their incredible migration from Siberia and China to Southern Africa. The worry is that the tourists who come are not even amateur bird watchers. They come their with their mobile phones for a selfie. One hopes and prays that they do not damage the ecology and environment in their overzealousness for likes on social media.
9. Dolphins are famous for rescuing humans in trouble in high seas. They are known to be friendly and playful. However the river dolphins of Ganga and Yamuna are increasingly being threatened thanks to the filth and garbage that we dump into these rivers and make matters worse the government in the name of "development" has declared these rivers to be leveraged as water ways. This will mean a lot of dredging and digging and disturbance in form of noise of the passing boats and ships to the habitat of the dolphins. They have already mutated and have become blind and their only form of communication is through sound which humans cannot hear. The noise pollution that will come from the boats plying along this "waterways" will complete befuddle them. The dams built across these rivers also tamper with their habitat. One prays to Ma Ganga that it does not come to a situation where we are staring at the extinction of these friendly creatures.
10. While most of us will consider a crocodile to be disgusting and to be feared there are villages like Komti Sonar where people have learnt to live with crocodiles. While they may not worship it, they let it live in their ponds undisturbed. Some of them even go out and feed them. Here is what she has to say of the villagers living with the crocodiles "Not all villagers of Komti Sonar live with the crocodiles because they live them. They do so because they can. They show that it is possible to thrive alongside something that is marketdly non-human. They do so with minimum fuss and with an easy, deeply felt understanding. There is no need, in their eyes, to justify the worth of the animals. Conservation is not a thing to be 'done', it is just to be lived through. Their kind of conservation requires no funding, no speeches, no bells, no whistles. All it requires is value for a community's considered experience." This highlights the empathy and some simple humans have for nature and its creatures, unlike the "literate, urban, rich" humans who wish to do away with even dogs and pigeons as they feel they are irksome and are pests and need to be eliminated. Sadly the government and even the courts support this expectations.
11. In the last chapter the author talks about the rosy starlings which are famous for their startling murmuration. She waits every spring for the rosy starlings to come to the Semal trees which are at flowering at its peak.
It is a hard reminder to the inhuman side of humanity.
Every chapter makes one cry out "How inhuman can humans be?" We will destroy nature, the way we are going.
Every animal that is listed in the book is facing some kind of thread or even extinction from humans.
1. Leopard is compared to the cockroach and the comparison although it appears strange, it is reality. Humans cut down jungles or cut through jungles and then blame the leopard to come back to what was its home. They scare it, traumatise it, hunt it and either catch and deport it, very much like ICE against whoever they think are "illegal immigrants", to what they decide is its home. Literally treat it like a cockroach.
2. Rhesus Macaque Monkey's are practically omnipresent in India, including in big urban cities. They are considered a menace to the humans. No one wishes to understand the root cause of why this is the situation. Humans remove the natural sources of its diet by cutting trees and harvesting whatever is left. We then try to transplant them to wherever we think they belong. Sad.
3. The Great Indian Bustard is the is the saddest of the lot. Only about 100 are left in the wild and while conservationists are trying to revive the population others are continuing to string electricity wire and are eager to tap the solar energy which unfortunately lies in the habitat of the GIB. One hopes the conservationist succeed in reviving them.
4. Probably one of the most hated species, the snake suffers at the hands of humans just like all others. Most (including me) do not know to identify between a venomous and non-venomous snake and assume all snakes to be venomous and we jump out of our skins (just like a moulting snake) when we see any of this species. They are despised and killed most of the times they come across a human. They ideally like to stay away from humans and attack only when disturbed or troubled, but what do human's care.
5. Elephants seem invulnerable, but in the name of "development" humans literally run them down. They are run down by trains hurtling through their path, high walls to protect "premium golf courses" in the elephant path kill calves. What more can one say. On the one hand they are revered as an embodiment of Ganapathy and on the other hand we care two hoots when are mowed down by trains. Add to this the elephants captured and tamed for patrolling whatever is left of the jungles in India and for ceremonies for the temples, one will realise that there are hardly any elephants left in the wild free to lead their lives. If one reads the book https://vishnupuram.wordpress.com/201... by Jeymohan (a work of fiction based on the real life story of Dr. Krishnamurthy) one will definitely cry one's heart out for the gentle giant that roams the sub-continent. She very aptly titles the chapter "Obituary that will not be written".
6. Tiger, the national animal of India, the pride of India, revered as the vehicle of Goddess Durga (Sherawali), the vehicle of Lord Ayyappa was on the verge of extinction. Thanks to some initiatives taken by the government it had probably just begun a recovery. Now in the name of "development" we cut through the forests where the tigers roam, we cut the forests for cultivation, we displace the tribals that worship and revere the tiger in their own way and have learnt to live with it in almost harmony. We are now speaking of doing away with the jungles and establishing zoos in its place to showcase our national animal. Wonder how can humans be so selfish?
7. Another tiger, the tiger butterfly is the topic of the next chapter. In this author writes how we often ignore the butterflies flitting in the small gardens, how one tends to miss them completely. They make no noise, they disturb no one, just go about flitting around living their lives. We in fact malign them by referring to "socialites" as "butterflies" flitting from one flower to another. She speaks of surprising discoveries of varieties of butterflies in unexpected, battered corners of our country, in the Naxalite territories.
8. Amur Falcons have now become a symbol of conservation. Once hunted in 1000s, today Amur falcons have become a pride of Nagaland and they host festivals to highlight the coming of the Amur falcons as they pass through Nagaland in their incredible migration from Siberia and China to Southern Africa. The worry is that the tourists who come are not even amateur bird watchers. They come their with their mobile phones for a selfie. One hopes and prays that they do not damage the ecology and environment in their overzealousness for likes on social media.
9. Dolphins are famous for rescuing humans in trouble in high seas. They are known to be friendly and playful. However the river dolphins of Ganga and Yamuna are increasingly being threatened thanks to the filth and garbage that we dump into these rivers and make matters worse the government in the name of "development" has declared these rivers to be leveraged as water ways. This will mean a lot of dredging and digging and disturbance in form of noise of the passing boats and ships to the habitat of the dolphins. They have already mutated and have become blind and their only form of communication is through sound which humans cannot hear. The noise pollution that will come from the boats plying along this "waterways" will complete befuddle them. The dams built across these rivers also tamper with their habitat. One prays to Ma Ganga that it does not come to a situation where we are staring at the extinction of these friendly creatures.
10. While most of us will consider a crocodile to be disgusting and to be feared there are villages like Komti Sonar where people have learnt to live with crocodiles. While they may not worship it, they let it live in their ponds undisturbed. Some of them even go out and feed them. Here is what she has to say of the villagers living with the crocodiles "Not all villagers of Komti Sonar live with the crocodiles because they live them. They do so because they can. They show that it is possible to thrive alongside something that is marketdly non-human. They do so with minimum fuss and with an easy, deeply felt understanding. There is no need, in their eyes, to justify the worth of the animals. Conservation is not a thing to be 'done', it is just to be lived through. Their kind of conservation requires no funding, no speeches, no bells, no whistles. All it requires is value for a community's considered experience." This highlights the empathy and some simple humans have for nature and its creatures, unlike the "literate, urban, rich" humans who wish to do away with even dogs and pigeons as they feel they are irksome and are pests and need to be eliminated. Sadly the government and even the courts support this expectations.
11. In the last chapter the author talks about the rosy starlings which are famous for their startling murmuration. She waits every spring for the rosy starlings to come to the Semal trees which are at flowering at its peak.
It is a hard reminder to the inhuman side of humanity.
April 15, 2021
First up, I expected a heavy book, lamenting the loss of wildlife around us.
What Neha gives instead, is a no-nonsense book detailing first what is needed for different species, and how we are not doing things right. The not doing things right range from the comically absurd when it comes to dealing with species like Rhesus Macaques, to the tragic, like with elephants.
But the treatment stays with the system, how we are failing them and also, how what we are seeing is a result of flawed processes- be it a leopard seen near Delhi, or crocodiles in Gujarat near a famous tourist spot.
And while keeping an eye on the bigger draws, Neha also doesn't fail to talk about the wildlife around us - the butterflies and the migratory birds - and at all points makes the case for giving wildlife a chance to live with us. Yes, there are bigger issues like mining, deforestation that are the principal stressors. But the hope is that we will be able to see the stronger processes in place, which can eventually address the bigger issues.
(But this is where I (probably) disagree: bigger corporations are a bigger threat and need their own wars. Everything else is small battles on the way to losing the war.)
What Neha gives instead, is a no-nonsense book detailing first what is needed for different species, and how we are not doing things right. The not doing things right range from the comically absurd when it comes to dealing with species like Rhesus Macaques, to the tragic, like with elephants.
But the treatment stays with the system, how we are failing them and also, how what we are seeing is a result of flawed processes- be it a leopard seen near Delhi, or crocodiles in Gujarat near a famous tourist spot.
And while keeping an eye on the bigger draws, Neha also doesn't fail to talk about the wildlife around us - the butterflies and the migratory birds - and at all points makes the case for giving wildlife a chance to live with us. Yes, there are bigger issues like mining, deforestation that are the principal stressors. But the hope is that we will be able to see the stronger processes in place, which can eventually address the bigger issues.
(But this is where I (probably) disagree: bigger corporations are a bigger threat and need their own wars. Everything else is small battles on the way to losing the war.)
July 18, 2021
My review here:
http://shankarraman.in/2021/06/28/the...
http://shankarraman.in/2021/06/28/the...
December 18, 2023
Living in a world where conflicts of ecological nature are commonplace, 'Wild and Wilful' elaborates on these conflicts in a soulful and empathetic manner. The author expands her empathy to include those whose language we cannot comprehend. At times, anthropomorphizing some of the wild species, the author lends a considerate perspective to the hardships faced by the wild species due to human-mediated changes in land, sky, and water. As the author highlights, the most striking change is the change in our hearts, as we as a species have closed our hearts to the fates of others around us.
Deeply personal and fiercely courageous, the author invites the reader to look at some of the conflicts at a humane level. She narrates the stories of few of the iconic species in the Indian subcontinent, enriching the text with her encounters and experiences. To Indians who are interested in wildlife and nature, this book is a delightful take on familiar landscapes and biodiversity. In the final chapter, the author shares an epiphany of spiritual nature that she experiences through her deep connection and observation of life around her.
The book is interspersed with profoundly poetic analogies and has a soothing tone despite the grim nature of the subject. The author notes how human perception of a particular species is driven by varying emotions rather than objectivity. However, the wild species do not care about human perception or human will, and continue living with resilience and wilfulness.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone as it offers an opportunity to open our hearts a little bit more to the truly wild!
Deeply personal and fiercely courageous, the author invites the reader to look at some of the conflicts at a humane level. She narrates the stories of few of the iconic species in the Indian subcontinent, enriching the text with her encounters and experiences. To Indians who are interested in wildlife and nature, this book is a delightful take on familiar landscapes and biodiversity. In the final chapter, the author shares an epiphany of spiritual nature that she experiences through her deep connection and observation of life around her.
The book is interspersed with profoundly poetic analogies and has a soothing tone despite the grim nature of the subject. The author notes how human perception of a particular species is driven by varying emotions rather than objectivity. However, the wild species do not care about human perception or human will, and continue living with resilience and wilfulness.
I would highly recommend this book to everyone as it offers an opportunity to open our hearts a little bit more to the truly wild!
August 16, 2025
Wild and Wilful is a timely book that talks about the relationship between humans and their surroundings, particularly the wildlife that we co-exist with. It is an exploration of India's diverse wildlife through close portraits of some iconic species of India. From the Leopard to the Great Indian Bustard, the Tiger Butterfly to the Ganges Dolphin and lastly the Rosy Starling, the book is divided into Earth, Sky, Water and Heart. The thought behind this connects with the Captain Planet cartoon series and that is something that connected with me at a personal level.
Through her prose, Neha shares personal accounts, ecological insights, folklore and various challenges that the animals face in a fast changing world. Something that stood out for me in certain sections of the book was how there are still people who stay close to nature and wildlife and deeply respect it and how the rural and tribal lives are interconnected with the wildlife in the forest areas they live in.
While being a book about nature and wildlife, the real thought behind this book is to get people to care about what we are at the verge of losing. The author through the book makes a successful attempt to get the readers to care about the beautiful wildlife we share this planet with.
Through her prose, Neha shares personal accounts, ecological insights, folklore and various challenges that the animals face in a fast changing world. Something that stood out for me in certain sections of the book was how there are still people who stay close to nature and wildlife and deeply respect it and how the rural and tribal lives are interconnected with the wildlife in the forest areas they live in.
While being a book about nature and wildlife, the real thought behind this book is to get people to care about what we are at the verge of losing. The author through the book makes a successful attempt to get the readers to care about the beautiful wildlife we share this planet with.
May 31, 2021
Given as a birthday gift to me by my wife, wild and wilful is such a beautiful book. Feels like this is the book probably I was waiting for to inspire me to turn towards biodiversity conservation and respect the wild. And the book is not a typical prose explanation format. Every relevant information is explained as an experience. Like we are just allowed to get immersed and discover everything on our own as we sail through the pages as one of the characters in each small story. I loved this to bits. A must read for people who love nature, animals, wild and believe in this beautiful phenomenon called co-existence. Thank you Neha.
November 4, 2021
Thiruvalluvar said centuries ago in a kural "Palluyir Ombuthal"
பகுத்துண்டு பல்லுயிர் ஓம்புதல் நூலோர்
தொகுத்தவற்றுள் எல்லாந் தலை.
English translation: Let those that need partake your meal; guard every-thing that lives;
This the chief and sum of lore that hoarded wisdom gives.
Neha Sinha talks about the 15 animals which are familiar to us and the dangers they face in the name of conservation, pollution, mining etc etc. just like what naga tribes helped Amur falcons or babaji of Kotmi Sonar the government and we can change little. The little is simple "just leave them alone"
This little is just a beginning and it will make wonders.
பகுத்துண்டு பல்லுயிர் ஓம்புதல் நூலோர்
தொகுத்தவற்றுள் எல்லாந் தலை.
English translation: Let those that need partake your meal; guard every-thing that lives;
This the chief and sum of lore that hoarded wisdom gives.
Neha Sinha talks about the 15 animals which are familiar to us and the dangers they face in the name of conservation, pollution, mining etc etc. just like what naga tribes helped Amur falcons or babaji of Kotmi Sonar the government and we can change little. The little is simple "just leave them alone"
This little is just a beginning and it will make wonders.
February 18, 2023
Quite fascinating read and a must one if one is fascinated with Indian wildlife. Neha nicely describes quintessential harmony that exists between humans and the living ones in the wild, and when the relationship is distressed how and why it needs to be preserved.
Her love for them and experiences she had lived takes the reader into a nice journey across each chapter, one dedicated to a species. Neha has a lot of things to share from the all glamorous tiger to a miniscule one as a tiger butterfly.
In the end, the reader wants more to re-live stories in more detail or the ones that are untold, unwritten yet.
Her love for them and experiences she had lived takes the reader into a nice journey across each chapter, one dedicated to a species. Neha has a lot of things to share from the all glamorous tiger to a miniscule one as a tiger butterfly.
In the end, the reader wants more to re-live stories in more detail or the ones that are untold, unwritten yet.
June 3, 2021
"A wild animal requires acceptance for what it is, not enslavement for what we want it to be. This is part of the most profound truth of the wild, and the world at large – that we are a part of it, not its owners."
Engaging and well-researched. The author's passion for conservation shines through her thoughtful narrative. Really appreciated how she interweaved issues such as patriarchal norms, indigenous knowledge, caste system, and most interestingly, the adverse consequences of 'development.'
Engaging and well-researched. The author's passion for conservation shines through her thoughtful narrative. Really appreciated how she interweaved issues such as patriarchal norms, indigenous knowledge, caste system, and most interestingly, the adverse consequences of 'development.'
February 9, 2025
This is a great book on understanding the animals, insects and birds in India. The author has written taking into account the policy gaps, human-wildlife challenges keeping the wildlife at the centre. I would highly recommend reading this book to understand animals in India.
Beautiful black and white images of animals is a plus. Do read and this will take you back to Jim Corbett's world again.
Beautiful black and white images of animals is a plus. Do read and this will take you back to Jim Corbett's world again.
November 1, 2022
I loved this book and it has helped me rediscover the wonders of nature writing ! Thoughtful and empathetic ( to animals and to humans ), this book is so well written and so insightful on the nuances of human-animal conflict, it is heartbreaking yet hopeful in its tone and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the state and future of our wildlife !
April 10, 2023
I would strongly recommend that everyone read this book, period. If you are a casual reader who has become curious after watching The Elephant Whisperers, this book will take into into the lives and times of other wild animals in India. If you are interested in conservation, this book will fill you with hope that change is possible and is already happening around us.
March 27, 2025
I liked the pop culture, cultural references she used to describe the context in which a particular species is imagined in terms of wildlife conservation. I think it's an excellent starter book for somebody who has never read too much much about wildlife.
It's cleverly written, the chapterisation keeps it easy to read and digest!
It's cleverly written, the chapterisation keeps it easy to read and digest!
September 7, 2021
A compassionate look at 15 of the common Indian animal, bird and reptile species and the wild-human interactions that are creating a havoc in the ecological balance.
June 15, 2022
Soul stirring, and soothing.
February 26, 2023
Thought provoking . A very good read
September 7, 2023
Even in this they can't help but put cow, BJP, low caste and what not.
February 23, 2024
The book highlights the behavior of humans and wild animals in conflict in India.
It is the animals who seem civilised. And ironically humans are the ones that have gone wild!
It is the animals who seem civilised. And ironically humans are the ones that have gone wild!
July 1, 2022
A hard-hitting reality of India’s wildlife. Neha not only talks from a scientific point but also adds a humane angle to the whole human-animal conflict. She talks about animals with empathy and kindness. This is what we need if we wish to save wildlife in a true sense and not just on paper.
The book covers various aspects ranging from laws and policies on paper to the ground reality that tribal and rural people have to face. It constantly reiterates that wild animals are living things that have feelings. It talks about how humans are deliberately causing their extinction are are yet to wake up to this.
For the author, animals are not a subject of study but a form of life. She elaborates on each aspect of their life. She also talks to fellow conservationists and researchers to bring out the facts and curb the myths about so-called cruel animals.
Neha also sheds light on the ingrained gender bias in wildlife research. Our idea of a wildlife rescuer is a strong man. People are often surprised seeing a woman being able to deal with wild animals and understand them. Her fellow women face the same too. When she went to rural areas as a part of her work, it only intensified.
All I can say is, we need more people to read, write and be like her to save animals because it is already too late.
The book covers various aspects ranging from laws and policies on paper to the ground reality that tribal and rural people have to face. It constantly reiterates that wild animals are living things that have feelings. It talks about how humans are deliberately causing their extinction are are yet to wake up to this.
For the author, animals are not a subject of study but a form of life. She elaborates on each aspect of their life. She also talks to fellow conservationists and researchers to bring out the facts and curb the myths about so-called cruel animals.
Neha also sheds light on the ingrained gender bias in wildlife research. Our idea of a wildlife rescuer is a strong man. People are often surprised seeing a woman being able to deal with wild animals and understand them. Her fellow women face the same too. When she went to rural areas as a part of her work, it only intensified.
All I can say is, we need more people to read, write and be like her to save animals because it is already too late.
October 1, 2022
Why are we moved by the plight of individual tigers, but don't care too much about the leopards in our midst? Solar power seems like a miracle from the sustainability standpoint, but what does it do to the habitat of the Great Indian Bustard? What made a tribe in Nagaland give up hunting the Amur falcons and now conserve them? Which is the creature that looks fragile and delicate but flits from one eco-zone to another with gay abandon?
The book has answers to all these questions and more.
Neha Sinha doesn't just study wildlife, she loves all creatures great and small. Her empathetic heart and lyrical prose draw you into the stories, and you can almost visualise what she describes. The book is divided into four sections- Earth, Sky, Water, Heart.
Heart! The Rosy Starlings. The iconic image of them with their head buried in a silk cotton flower- a feathered Thumbelina if you will. The Rosy Starlings that the author waited for during the desolate weeks of Lockdown. The Rosy Starlings which came late, but when they came chased the loneliness away and filled the heart with joy.
If you haven't read the book yet, please do. You will fall in love, forever.
The book has answers to all these questions and more.
Neha Sinha doesn't just study wildlife, she loves all creatures great and small. Her empathetic heart and lyrical prose draw you into the stories, and you can almost visualise what she describes. The book is divided into four sections- Earth, Sky, Water, Heart.
Heart! The Rosy Starlings. The iconic image of them with their head buried in a silk cotton flower- a feathered Thumbelina if you will. The Rosy Starlings that the author waited for during the desolate weeks of Lockdown. The Rosy Starlings which came late, but when they came chased the loneliness away and filled the heart with joy.
If you haven't read the book yet, please do. You will fall in love, forever.
July 23, 2021
Neha Sinha's wisdom & insight into conservation interspersed with politics, patriarchy and at times, helplessness is pixie dusted with stories brimming with hope & faith in the natural world, its power & its protectors. 'Wild and Wilful' was an absolute treat to read!
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