WHAT'S LEFT OF THE JUNGLE: A CONSERVATION STORY

Author: Nitin Sekar Publisher: Bloomsbury India

This book throws light on the complex relationship that rural Indians have with the jungle and the wildlife in it. Nitin Sekar’s prose is simple and his subjects are well-researched. Indian officials estimate that over half a million families lose crops or property to wild elephants a year. In the book, Akshu Atri, who was born and raised in Buxa Tiger Reserve, is one such victim. The elephants have destroyed his kitchen, crop and even killed some of his neighbours. But neither Akshu nor the community folks hate the pachyderms. It's a complex man-animal relationship. The book gives the reader a tour-de-force of how the fate of forests is interlinked with the choices made by humans, and society at large.