Varun Thakkar

Varun was born and brought up at Nagpur, a city blessed with pristine wildlife habitats all around. Based at Nagpur, Maharashtra, the ‘call of the wild’ for Varun was 17 years back and since then there has been no looking back for him.

His work has received widespread appreciation and several National and International awards, Some of his awards and recognitions are :

• Awarded 1st prize in a National level competition organized by VED and PANCAN in 2012.
• Awarded 2nd prize in a National level competition organized by J B College Wardha in 2012.
• Awarded 2nd prize competition organized by Maharashtra State forest department in 2012.
• Awarded 1st prize at an international wildlife photography competition at Germany in 2011.
• Awarded as best viewers choice picture at a wildlife photography competition in France in 2013.
• Awarded 2nd prize competition organized by Maharashtra State Government and forest department in 2014.
• Calendar Cover for Sanctuary Asia magazine.
• A 10 Page cover story published in the October 2014 issue of Sanctuary Asia magazine\.
• Winner in Nature in Focus Photography Awards, Banglore. 2015
• Runner up in Nature in Focus Photography Awards, Banglore 2015
• BBC Photo journalism, Finalist 2016
• Multiple awards in Online competitions organised by various organizations.
• Awarded as a Runner Up in Nature In Focus Photography Awards, Banglore 2017.
• Felicitated for excellence in wildlife photography on World photography day in 2018 in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.
• Official contributor for Discovery Channels social Media Pages in 2019.
• Awarded as a Special Mention in NiF Photography Awards, Banglore 2020.
• Reached the final round of The Greatest Masai Mara Photographer of the year in 2021.
• Awarded 1st prize by “WILDLIFE INSTITUTE OF INDIA” in 2021

He escapes to the jungles whenever he can! Varun has travelled far and wide covering most of the National Parks of the country capturing the magic of the Indian jungles. He has travelled to the wild lands of Africa capturing the African wildlife though his lens. He has widely documented the big cats, their behaviour and their habitat. Apart from the jungles of India and Africa, he has spent days documenting the stunning landscapes and the incredible biodiversity of the Himalayas and has shot some rarely sighted animals like the Red Panda, The Himalayan Monal in their habitat at high altitudes. Talking of the recognitions, He is the contributor of the Social media pages for the Discovery Channel and his work has been showcased by several Governmental and non Governmental agencies across India and outside. Though he personally dislikes being appreciated but his photography speaks for itself and undoubtedly makes him one of the most awarded wildlife photographer the country has today. Varun strongly believes that photography is not merely his passion but an attempt to help conserve the wild by spreading awareness about our jungles, its flora and fauna. By his photography he strives to bring forth the wild-raw and uncut as also to inspire young minds to take a moment and think about nature and wildlife. He has been an active member of the NGO Srushti Paryavaran Mandal, Nagpur for the cause of betterment of the wildlife and environment in central India. He has worked closely with the Forest Department and the Sanctuary Asia Magazine highlighting the challenges faced by the Forest Department and their efforts to conserve the forests. Off the work and jungle tours he spends his time resolving the queries of the young minds about wildlife and wildlife photography.