Life in the urban jungle: Three environmentalists bring Mumbai’s wild rhythms to the heart of Lower Parel

Kartik Chandramouli (right) documents wildlife in Manipur. PIC COURTESY/Kartik Chandramouli

Tuk tuk, click click," environment journalist Kartik Chandramouli talks in a Morse code-ish tongue these days. While environmentalists might as well develop their own code language, given how tough it's getting for them to be heard these days, Chandramouli is only gearing up for his upcoming session on sounds from the wild. The avid naturalist will be joined by fellow nature lovers, Sejal Mehta and Sahir Doshi in a two-part series that leads up to a musical culmination at the Echoes of Earth green festival.

Porpita porpita. PICS COURTESY/SACHIN RANE; WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

"Our idea is to raise awareness about conservation through sounds. A majority of our perception of wildlife is through visuals, but when you start listening, it opens a whole different world. We want people to attune themselves to that untapped dimension," Chandramouli says. The sonic exploration doesn't stop at birds, he assures us. "Did you know even insects emit their own calls? There are mammals like the bat, that communicate in ultrasonic frequencies that we cannot hear," he adds.

We've heard that the popular Lower Parel venue, antiSocial, can get pretty wild on busy nights, but Chandramouli, joined by Mehta, might be the first ones to prove the rumours right. The duo will play sounds recorded from animal habitats for an interactive quiz session for the attendees (see box). "We'll have a few giveaways for winners as well," he reveals. We're all ears.

Sahir Doshi performs a rap at a marine walk. PICS COURTESY/SAHIR DOSHI on Instagram

The idea of listening to these sounds has much more utility than for recreation, he says. "Animals often exhibit specialised sounds for specific purposes. Mating calls, social contact calls, calls to hunt, all help us understand how an animal behaves in a changing ecosystem," he adds.

Marine conservation communicator Sahir Doshi has a slightly tougher job; his favourite animals - the intertidal marine creatures of Mumbai - can't talk to him. "Trying to understand what's going on with these creatures is really difficult because we do not share any senses," he says. Rest assured, Doshi will give them words, rhyming ones at that, at the event. Rap songs dedicated to species like the Blue Buttons and barnacles will give participants a virtual marine walk experience.

Coppersmith Barbet

"These animals cannot talk, but their behaviour speaks volumes about Mumbai's ecosystem. Just last week, the Porpita porpita species washed ashore in Mumbai. These are organisms that usually signal the impending onset of monsoon in Mumbai. The sighting helped us understand how climate change is affecting marine life cycles. In that sense, they are constantly speaking to us," Doshi reveals.

The nature educator's rap performance, which he calls "an extremely simplified version of a science lecture to spark an interest among young audiences", will be followed by a neo jazz electronic fusion performance by the Shigeto Live Ensemble. We don't know about you, but it sounds like a plan to us.

Guess who?

Coppersmith Barbet: Voted as the official bird of Mumbai in 2011 by a public poll organised by the Bombay Natural History Society, this bird is named after the sound a coppersmith makes when striking metal. The "tuk tuk" sound that makes the background score for evenings in Mumbai is courtesy this bird. "People hardly see it because of how tiny it is, but if you look closely, you can see a splash of green and red. Participants are always surprised to finally have a visual reference to the sound that is so familiar," says Kartik.

Female Koel and Male Koel

Koel: The Koel finds itself in quite a similar quandary. While most people have heard, or at least heard of, the Koel's "kuhu" through popular media, very few recognise the bird when they see it. The male and female Koel look distinct from each other. Keep an eye out for this sweet songbird at the quiz.

Indian Ocean Dolphin: Creatures like dolphins are constantly communicating with each other through clicks and whistles. There are naturalists in Mumbai who are studying these creatures closely. It requires heading underwater and using listening devices to catch their ultrasound calls.

ON November 15; 6.30 pm onwards
AT antisocial, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
LOG ON TO district.in
ENTRY R1,179 onwards