Renowned Birdwatcher and Wildlife Photographer Sunjoy Monga Passes Away at 63
Renowned Birdwatcher and Wildlife Photographer Sunjoy Monga Passes Away at 63
Mumbai, May 30 – Sunjoy Monga, a respected wildlife photographer, bird expert, and nature writer, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 63 after a long nine-year battle with blood cancer. He was widely loved and known for his deep connection with birds and his efforts to protect nature in and around Mumbai.
Monga was an award-winning wildlife photographer and the author of several books on birds and nature. He was also a regular columnist for Hindustan Times, where he wrote the popular “Mumbai Safari” column. His work helped raise awareness about birds and the environment among the public.
One of Monga’s biggest contributions was the launch of the Mumbai Bird Race in 2005. This was a day-long birdwatching event where participants tried to spot as many bird species as possible in a day. The event became popular and spread to 33 cities across India, now known as ‘Wings – Birds of India’. In the first race, about 100 bird lovers spotted 277 bird species around Mumbai.
Monga’s close friend Ravi Vaidyanathan said, “He was supposed to go birdwatching at Lokhandwala this weekend. Sadly, he couldn’t make it.”
Born and raised in Mumbai, Monga began birdwatching with famous experts like Salim Ali and Humayun Abdulali. At a time when very few bird books were available, Monga wrote simple and helpful guides for birdwatchers across the country.
He also worked with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and led nature walks in the 1990s. Dr. Deepak Apte, former head of BNHS, remembered Monga as someone who introduced many to birdwatching and nature studies.
Bittu Sahgal, editor of Sanctuary Asia magazine, remembered Monga as a key part of the team in its early years. “He helped us understand wildlife in a scientific but simple way. He even almost brought Sir David Attenborough to film in India,” he said.
In 2007, Monga started another project called ‘Young Rangers’, a programme to teach schoolchildren about wildlife and the environment. Though the project ended after some years, it is still remembered fondly.
Monga also served as a member of several environmental committees, including the MMRDA Environment Improvement Society, Maharashtra Nature Park Society, and was the honorary warden of Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
His daughter Yuhina Monga shared that even while he was unwell, he would often go to Lokhandwala Lake with his camera to photograph birds. “He especially loved owls and collected owl figurines from around the world.”
Fellow bird lovers praised Monga’s dedication to bird races. Raju Kasambe from The Nature Conservancy recalled, “He would carefully gather bird data from every group and make fun presentations to share the results. Thanks to his work, many people became more aware of birds and nature.”
His friend Pravin Subramanian, who co-organized the bird races with him, said, “A great tree has fallen.”
Sunjoy Monga leaves behind a lasting legacy in the world of birdwatching and environmental conservation.
