Meet Our Team
Narayana
Wildlife Expedition Leader
Narayana comes from the tiny village of Belathur, which adjoins the famous Nagarahole National Park. Having grown up around the elephant paradise of Kabini, which forms part of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, his early inspiration to observe nature came from studying the birds around his home. As he grew, so did his fondness for them and the other denizens that share their space, drawing him to his current profession as a naturalist.
Narayana
With two decades of experience in his chosen field, Narayana’s first full-time stint as a naturalist was in Kabini. He spent over five years with various wildlife lodges in Karnataka, particularly around Kabini and Coorg. His love for travel and the desire to explore the wildlife that lay beyond the boundaries of Karnataka brought him to central India and Taj Safaris, a company he chose for its reputation as the foremost name in luxury wildlife experiences in India. Arriving in Madhya Pradesh in 2010, he was one among a few people handpicked and trained by expert &Beyond trainers. His desire to explore central India’s wilderness has so far taken him to Pench, Bandhavgarh, Panna and Kanha. He rapidly grew in the company to become the Head Naturalist at Banjaar Tola lodge and the Chief Trainer for Taj Safaris.
As an independent expedition guide, Nara has led wildlife expeditions to Ladakh in the Himalayas for Snow Leopard, North-Eastern India for wildlife including Red Panda. He has also led customised tours in Kaziranga, Dudhwa, and Ranthambhore, as well as sanctuaries in Southern India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
He hopes to inspire youngsters back home to dream big and work hard to make what they want out of life!
Shreenidhi K Jayadeva
Wildlife Expedition Leader
Having grown up in the city of Bangalore, Shree’s first taste for wildlife came in the form of snakes! The campus he grew up on was a small patch of urban forest in the middle of the city. It’s here that he encountered his first snake. The intrigue of knowing how snakes survive without legs is what started him on his journey to be a wild lifer.
Shreenidhi K Jayadeva
Taking the first opportunity to come his way, Shree took off to the Western Ghats to spend the next 6 months in the lap of nature learning about the creatures of the wild in an ecotourism course. He also volunteered with an organization here which was working on King Cobras.
Having heard about Taj Safaris in central India he decided the time was ripe to try and change his passion for the wild into a career (at the young age of 19).
After a gruelling training cum selection process by expert trainers of &Beyond with Taj Safaris, Shree became one of the youngest Naturalists to ever join the company.
It is in his tenure with Taj Safaris that Shree actually fell in love with the aspect of meeting people from around the world and guiding them. His love for the wild went beyond snakes to encompass birds. Since joining Taj Safaris, he has done many trips to different parts of the country exclusively looking for bird species he has not seen. He also likes to get his guests interested in birds as it is one aspect of wildlife that can be pursued even in the cities from the comfort of one’s home.
In the last 17 Years that he has been guiding, Shree has been part of many programs that focus at community development around the parks in central India. He also finds that his interest lies in training. Over the years he has played a key role in training new recruits at Taj Safaris and has been instrumental in training over 60 local guides who accompany guests into the park.
When asked about the best aspect of his job, Shree says, beating the Sun every single day and guiding guests from around the world takes the cake.
Kopal Thakur
Wildlife Expedition Leader
Safari specialist trained by Taj Safaris and beyond Africa, with a proven track record of guiding international & domestic guests through challenging and diverse landscapes of central India & Himachal Pradesh. Skilled in wilderness navigation, risk management, and outdoor survival. I possess deep respect for diverse cultures and environments, fostering a collaborative and respectful approach to expeditionary travel.
The Gosumbe Team
We are passionate naturalists trained by global experts with over two decades of experience in guiding wildlife enthusiasts from across the world.