Around the World in 1,000 Mammals

Having met nearly one-fifth of all the warmblooded species on earth, a wildlife conservationist looks back on six of his most memorable encounters

-  Vivek Menon

UNLIKE BIRDWATCHING, which has become fashionable and almost ubiquitous, mammal-watching is yet to achieve large-scale popularity. Most countries have their twitchers, tickers, photographers and voyeurs of the avian world. Mammalwatching, on the other hand, usually means going on safari and there are not too many people who travel with the intention of seeing all the world's mammals.

I am one of the lucky few to have met some of the most fascinating fauna inhabiting our planet, on and off, for over 35 years. Not that I was trying to hit a particular tally, but looking back, I've been fortunate enough to have encountered 1,000 mammal species and 3,500 species of birds. That's nearly a fifth of all the mammals and almost a third of all the birds that exist!

Given those numbers, and the fact that I am the author of Indian Mammals the field guide first published nearly a decade ago, which is now out in a brand-new edition-I've often been asked what my favourite mammal is. But that's like asking a parent to name their favourite child. Instead, for you, my reader, I'll pick six experiences I've had on six different continents of our amazing planet.