Growing up in the city of Bangalore, India, Harsha had the invaluable opportunity of learning about animals rather intimately due to his involvement with a local animal rescue center. Together with the team, he treated, cared for and rehabilitated a wide range of Indian wildlife, including birds, reptiles and mammals. Regular visits to his ancestral village during school holidays also gave him the opportunity to observe various kinds of birds from a young age.

This background, combined with his inquisitive nature and enthusiasm for learning, makes Harsha a phenomenal naturalist guide who knows how to captivate guests' interest and keep them spellbound with stories of his wilderness experiences. He enjoys sharing his comprehensive knowledge and wildlife identification skills—he and his wife have conducted many training programs for new naturalist guides in different parts of India.

Harsha started photography as a teenager using an SLR camera, shooting with slide films. Later, he moved to a digital SLR camera and began to experiment with different natural light conditions and compositions. While he acknowledges that the technical aspects of photography are important, he also thinks it's helpful to have a deep understanding of wild animal habits and behaviors. Harsha strongly believes that having sophisticated camera equipment is not a prerequisite to getting a great picture that tells a story. Harsha has worked as an assistant and camera person on wildlife documentary films for BBC, Animal Planet and more. You can view some of Harsha's photography portfolio on Instagram at @kaadupapa. 

Widely traveled and an explorer by nature, Harsha believes there’s no better education than the school of travel. When not leading nature expeditions, he spends his time exploring new wilderness places.