Srikanth Mannepuri, a wildlife photographer and conservationist, claims he fell into his line of work entirely by accident. His school was close to Olive Ridley nesting project locations in the coastal Kakinada. He claims that one day he went to one of them out of curiosity and realized right away that he wanted to work for conservation.
“I suppose my family, especially my mother, anticipated it as well. Not images of expensive automobiles or bikes captured my interest as a young lad. The poster of a lion perched majestically in a meadow that hung in our home captivated me more. Later, I became interested in animal films on the Discovery Channel and spent my leisure time viewing them, claims Mannepuri.
Whether it happens by chance or not, the accomplished photographer has a clear vision for what he wants to capture with his camera. He seeks to draw attention to both the problems to Andhra Pradesh’s natural heritage as well as its beauty.
“Many people told me to visit forests and wildlife sanctuaries like Jim Corbett, Ranthambore, and Bandipur while I was thinking about making wildlife photography and conservation my career. There was no discussion of Andhra Pradesh. So I made the decision to photograph these previously undiscovered mangroves and woodlands,” adds Mannepuri.
