Saving Moira

Photographer David de Souza’s book of the plant and animal life seen in this quaint village in North Goa encourages you to protect this tiny state’s biodiversity

Did you know the female Indian Bank Mantis will sometimes eat her suitor during copulation? Or that the presence of the pretty yellow flowers of Rattle pod ( crotalaria quinquefolia) indicate a very high water table in the area?

These are just a couple of interesting facts about the variety of flora and fauna found in Moira, a quaint village in North Goa.

All these tidbits, with some amazing images of moths, butterflies, spiders, caterpillars, birds, wild plants, grasses, flowers are part of a photo book,  Moira Diversity. The book, by Goa-based photographer David de Souza, is supported by scientific and intriguing information by writer Karen Tewari. It, in many ways, celebrates the biodiversity mainly found in the backyards of Goan villages and cities.

Herpetologist and wildlife photographer, Nirmal Kulkarni in his foreword says, “Goa is blessed with an astonishingly vast array of biodiversity that is both mind-boggling and intriguing. There is enchanted natural drama happening in every Goan backyard, even today!”

Sixty-nine year-old de Souza, who is not a wildlife photographer, started photo-documenting his gardens and backyard simply for the joy of it when he moved here seven years ago with his wife. He never intended to publish a book until 2020. “In essence, it took me four and a half monsoons to record most of these creatures. However during the first bout of Covid, a feeling of mortality made me organise the work,” says de Souza.

The book lists 137 species of flora and fauna that even includes rare ones like Volupe Jumping spider ( chrysilla volupe). It is a spider that was discovered in Gujarat in 1868 by renowned arachnologist, Dr Ferdinand Karsch. However, for 150 years, it was considered extinct, until 2018 when it was re-discovered by a group of entomologists at Wayanad. It is now also found in Moira.

Even though this book is a visual delight, de Souza never intended to print the book as it was an expensive affair. A free, online version was offered to the Moira panchayat and Moira-Net, a local online forum, and other social media platforms. And then Goa-based group, Living Heritage, serendipitously found this project and decided to offset print it. The printed copies of the book were well-received and are available on demand.