Bengaluru : The annual wildlife week celebrations in Karnataka took off informally on Thursday with the opening of a wildlife photo exhibition by former additional principal chief conservator of forests MN Jayakumar, in association with the forest department, at Chitrakala Parishath here. The event, coinciding with the golden jubilee celebrations of Project Tiger, also witnessed the screening of TOI ’s Tiger Anthem in Kannada, composed by Shantanu Moitra and shot by globally acclaimed wildlife filmmaker S Nallamuthu.

Displaying over 230 wildlife photos shot in captivating jungle landscapes of India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Americas, the ‘Encounters in the Wild 2.0’ exhibition celebrates global biodiversity. “The first exhibition was done during the silver jubilee celebration of Project Tiger in 1998 and the latest coincides with the golden jubilee celebrations. It stands as a testament to the paramount importance of wildlife conservation and the resounding success of Project Tiger in India,” said Jayakumar.

Along with the solo exhibition, the forest department also held a statewide photo competition on the theme of ‘biodiversity of Karnataka’, and the 40 best entries have been put on display at the D Devaraj Urs Gallery of Chitrakala Parishath as part of the exhibition, which will be on till October 8. The exhibition, entry to which is free, is open every day from 10am to 7.30pm. The photographs come with specially designed QR codes giving insights into the life of the animal and the story behind the image.

Chanting TOI’s anthem

The event also marked the screening of TOI’s Tiger Anthem in Kannada, produced in association with National Geographic. Tiger Anthem has clocked more than 100 million views in less than a fortnight since its launch. The Kannada version, sung by Rashi Harmalkar, has become a huge hit.
Nallamuthu said all his work on tigers is the result of consistent effort spanning 15-20 years in the wild. “I’ve been following this tigress shot in the anthem for several years. The only cub featured in the anthem was the third litter of the tigress and unfortunately, we lost that cub also. Filming on wildlife requires a lot of patience and investment. I was fortunate that TOI supported this,” he said.

Rajeev Ranjan, PCCF (head of the forest force), Karnataka, said: “The forest department has been proactive in involving all stakeholders for creating awareness about the conservation of forests in Karnataka. Project Tiger has been a big success in Karnataka, and we stand second in the country in terms of population of tigers. The Tiger Anthem has been a huge hit and is appreciated by all as it drives home the message of conservation. I request everyone to visit the exhibition.”