The majestic savanna comes alive amidst our wilds

To coincide with the launch of his book 'A Moment in Nature -Yala to the Maasai Mara', Dr. Athula Dissanayake will hold an exhibition of wild life photography at the National Art Gallery on March 4 and 5 from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.

From Yala to the home of the Maasai in Kenya, the images are interspersed. Right next to elephants grazing lazily at sunset at Wasgamuwa is a panoramic image of two African elephants against the savanna. Leaf through a few more pages and you'll come across rosy-hued Lesser Flamingos at Kenya's Lake Nakura side by side with a flock of Greater Flamingos at Bundala.

Animals that today we associate with Africa, the lion, the rhino and even the hippo once inhabited Sri Lanka way back in the Pleistocene era according to fossil records, the author says. That we need to conserve the treasures we have left with us before they too disappear is the message he is hoping to convey through the book he will launch next month to coincide with his exhibition of photographs.

Wildlife may seem an unlikely passion for a busy medical professional, but Consultant Neurologist of the Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Dr. Athula Dissanayake has long been drawn to Sri Lanka's rich biodiversity. His book, "A Moment in Nature- Yala to the Maasai Mara' presents images of local wildlife alongside the rugged splendour of the Kenyan game reserves and the end result is a volume that any nature lover will enjoy.

If his favourite spot in Sri Lanka is Horton Plains for its desolate wilderness, he says he was awed by the scale of the Maasai Mara. "Multiply Horton Plains by 50 and you have some idea of what it's like," he says. Aware that not many wildlife enthusiasts would be able to experience the thrill of a Kenyan safari, he hopes that through the book he can share some aspects. The spotted land of the Maasai is what the name Maasai Mara means and they still live in parts of the reserve in harmonious co-existence with the wildlife, he says.

The book and exhibition are the culmination of 14 months of work, from August 2005 to September 2006, with the trip to Kenya in 2006, the timely realization of a dream. Once the photos were in place, he began planning, placing and laying out the photographs and writing the captions on three big drawing books before calling in a designer to help with the final presentation.

As a boy, living often in the rural areas where his doctor father was posted, Athula Dissanayake recalls being given all manner of exotic birds by their domestic aides, eager to keep the youngster occupied. This was the awakening of his interest in wildlife, he believes. By the age of 14, he was into bird watching, taking down notes and recording his own observations.

His first article on the Scops owl was published in the Loris when he was around 17 or 18, followed by two more a few years later, with one of them on the Ceylon tailorbird being chosen for the Best of Loris centenary volume published in 1994.

Bird watching had by necessity to be somewhat neglected through his days at Medical College, but the interest never left him and after passing out as a doctor and specializing in neurology, he took every opportunity to explore Sri Lanka's forests and wildlife reserves during holidays.

An unexpected gift of a camera from an uncle in London while he was attending the World Congress of Neurologists in 2001 got him started on wildlife photography. Not being familiar with the subject, Dr. Athula did what he had done with bird watching too; he read extensively and taught himself the finer points of wildlife photography.

"It's not just about having a good camera, he says, adding that though now possessing a Canon 350D Digital SLR camera given to him again by the same uncle has proved a major boon, it is in paying attention to the technique that one can get quality photographs. He prefers to use a tripod or rest the camera on a beanbag to minimize any element of camera shake and even operates the shutter via remote control.

Lighting is the other key, he explains, for even though you have to grab a shot whenever it presents itself, the light at dawn and late evening he feels are the most conducive to good photography.

His depth of knowledge of local wildlife is illustrated in the short but descriptive captions to the photographs which give the reader solid nuggets of information.

How one wonders does a busy neurologist also involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching find time to indulge in his hobby. "I make the time," he says, adding that it's all a matter of finding your priorities in life. Having opted not to do private practice over the weekends, he occasionally takes a few days off in the middle of the week to head for the wilds. His love for wildlife has enriched him, he says, "it has given me a good balance in life."