About Across the Map

Anand T. M. fondly called as ATM is from Thiruvananthapuram. An ancient port city which boasts India's first deep water container transhipment port as well as the mysterious wealth and unimaginable treasure rich subterranean vaults of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Growing up between the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve of Western Ghats Mountains and the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean was an exposure for him to the rich culture and biodiversity of his location.

Wonders of nature always caught his attention and the observation skill was a practice from forever. Best known among his wildlife circle with his genuine smile and realistic approach to nature guiding, Anand is a trained and qualified professional individual Naturalist in this field.

In the last decade, when Anand without any pressure of a curriculum started his own academic pursuit on Nature and the visible subset of wildlife and their conservation, it eventually ended up him being an excellent naturalist or nature guide for people who wished to sense wonders of this planet.

The student in him learns first and then educates his group with the whole essence of the topic, and it would be a never ending continuous process.

When Passion met Purpose, Anand joined hands with the various forest department bodies in protecting the wildlife and sanctuaries around him. He has worked under the Indian Union State Forest Departments of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. The Field Biologist Fraternity of Tamil Nadu State gave him the best opportunity to work at various assignments and projects inside the Tiger Reserves and National Parks of Tamil Nadu during his initial days itself.

Having worked for the field data collection and implementation of working protocols and management of data from camera traps, He joined in the works for National Tiger Conservation Authority of India also. Those opportunities with immense responsibility and exposure to large areas of forest and people who protect them shaped his viewpoint on conservation.

A call from the IHCL Taj Safaris Lodges and successful qualification of their naturalist training program brought this Law college alumni into wildlife tourism. Driving, guiding and traveling across the Central Indian National Parks and Tiger Reserves were teaching him the right way to track a tiger, interpret the behaviour of wild animals, anticipating the next possible move of birds or animals and expecting the best frames for a lifetime.

If It was Gond and Baiga indigenous communities he explored and befriended as a Naturalist at Taj Safari Lodge and Singinawa Jungle Lodge of Central India, the Tiger Land while working there, It was along with the Rabari community he worked as a Ranger at the SUJAN Tented Camps at the spectacular landscape of Jawai in Rajasthan which is very famous for its amazing leopard density and sightings. This place also made him a snake rescuer as well, Responsible in approach and Responsive in action.

With rich experience and confidence deeply rooted in professional knowledge, traveling across continents, hosting people through independent safaris, walks, expeditions, talk sessions, gazing sky at night, and doing photography through his optical viewfinder, He has redefined and transformed his acronym with a whole new meaning of ACROSS THE MAP.