In the wild, wild Andaman Islands

The Andaman Islands number 572 in all, with most but a few under the administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Union Territory of India. Being far removed from the Indian subcontinent, these islands – the largest among them being North Andaman Island, Middle Andaman and Little Andaman – have evolved a unique biodiversity. The islands are also home to five unique ethnic people – the Great Andamanese, the Jarawa, the extinct Jangil, the Onge and the isolated Sentinelese – whose numbers are fast diminishing. The Andamans and its wildlife also draw naturalists, bird-watchers and photographers. Natural history enthusiast and wildlife photographer M V SHREERAM returned from the islands with a treasure of photographs, which he eagerly shared with us along with notes from his diary.