Through the biography of Akshu Atri, a villager born and raised in Buxa Tiger Reserve, What's Left of the Jungle captures the core challenges and promise of wildlife conservation in India.
The book has been recommended by Amazon India, Open Magazine, and The Indian Express.
You can find full-length reviews of the book on Scroll.in, Mongabay India, Business Standard, News9 Live, Down to Earth, The Telegraph, and The Hindu.
Excerpts have been published by Scroll.in and Roundglass, and Mid-Day published an interview about the book.
I had the great honor of launching the book with Prerna Singh Bindra, Mahesh Rangarajan, Ruth DeFries, and Sejal Worah. You can see the book launch video here (thanks, WWF India!).
.
You can buy the book at your local bookstore or online at stores such as Sapna Books' online bookstore, Champaca's online bookstore, or on Amazon.in.
Praise for the book
‘Nitin Sekar has given us a tour de force of how the jungle’s fate is interwoven with the myriad choices that individuals—and societies— make. India is for him a place of crisis and challenge, but also hope and renewal. In a land where conservation is so fraught a mission, he finds ideas and endeavours that offer hope and direction.’
Mahesh Rangarajan,
Environmental Historian and Vice Chancellor,
Krea University
‘Nitin Sekar has written a fascinating tale of life in a Bengali village in
the jungle, at the frontline of the human-wildlife conflict. What’s Left
of the Jungle needs to be very widely read, not only in India but by
everyone with an interest in conserving biodiversity.’
Peter Singer,
Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University,
and bestselling author of Animal Liberation
‘Full of intrigue, deception, family loyalty and hardships, What’s Left of
the Jungle offers a glimpse into the daily lives of the people who are the
guardians of India’s remaining wildlife and gives a much-needed dose of
reality. It should be read by every well-meaning conservationist.’
Ruth DeFries,
Recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant and
Professor of Ecology and Sustainable Development,
Columbia University
‘All of us love the idea of saving the world’s last elephants, tigers, lions,
and other dangerous animals, but very few of us have to live with them
in our own backyards. With uncommon grace, wisdom, and wit, Nitin
Sekar explores how villagers in rural India manage to do so. It’s a
touching and important story, beautifully told.’
David Wilcove,
Professor of Ecology, Evolutionary Biology
and Public Affairs, Princeton University
‘What’s Left of the Jungle humanizes the people that sacrifice—
invisibly, often involuntarily and generally without thanks—so that
people around the world can enjoy the continued existence of majestic
elephants and other species. Shining a light on these heroes and heroines
gives their stories the power to inspire and transform conservation at a
time when it is needed most. These are stories of deep empathy for both
animals and the local people that make their continued co-existence
possible.’
Paula Kahumbu,
CEO of WildlifeDirect and Host of Wildlife Warriors,
Winner of the 2021 Whitley Gold Award for Conservation