I wasn't in touch with him. I hadn't spoken to him in decades. But his elder brother & me were good friends for long though even we didn't meet often. His memory goes back to our school & college days - 1973 to 1980 or so. He was then around 13 yrs old. He was unique even then.

With some friends he had what was called Harry's house. For us though a couple of years older it was like a Enid Blyton fantasy but at whole new level. Reason ? They had snakes which they caught & kept in glass cages. To avoid accidental snake bite in the night their bed was hung

over 2 wooden beams just below the roof & that's where they slept. He & his friends were #wildlife enthusiasts & for us in those days it was both bizarre & exciting & for the parents exasperating. I still remember one day during engineering exams we were about to enter the room

when a snake crossed the steps. In a flash his friend caught the snake & since he wasn't given time to "take care" of it he sat through the whole exam with his left hand holding the snake while he wrote with his right hand. Nobody went near him that day. Another day a snake came

to the cricket field & would have been beaten when his friend left his half eaten roti in my hands & rushed to catch the snake, put it into his ever ready bag & continued the meal normally. He later joined the Infotech industry in its infancy, earned money enough to pursue his

passion by 40 - #wildlife. Where his friends captured wildlife in their hands he captured them with his camera. As a youngster they fed a whole chicken to a Python at home & captured the inch by inch swallowing on camera. Pursuing his passion for #wildlifephotography he created

the brilliant website http://www.indiabirds.com  Every photo in this site, especially those of the birds needed humongous patience, hard work & meticulous record keeping. This is a treat for every #WildlifeConservation enthusiastic. HE was #VijayCavale who breathed his last today.

Leaves behind a family & a distraught brother who is stranded abroad due to #COVID19. When I heard the news the memories came flooding back & I have been 15 again recalling Harry's house, the bed in the roof & youngster who was always smiling & lived life fully. RIP #VijayCavale