“It took Mohan 12 years and many visits to tiger reserves to catch his first glimpse of the big cat.”
• The Week
Mohan Thomas, also listed as Thomas Mohan, is a wildlife photographer and civil engineer born and raised in Bangalore. He built a career as a residential builder, and in 1999, in his early forties, a trip to BR Hills convinced him his real passion was wildlife photography. He has since photographed across the world and won a FIAP Biennial World Cup gold medal.
Proof that a midlife hobby can become a second career, if you are patient enough. Twelve years for one tiger is patient. Here is the record.
Quick Information
By day he builds homes in Bangalore. On holiday he sits in a jeep for hours waiting for a leopard to blink.
Who Is Mohan Thomas?
Mohan Thomas is a Bangalore civil engineer and builder who is also one of India's best known wildlife photographers. He comes from a photography family and started young with a Yashica box camera, and he is self-taught.
How Did Mohan Thomas Start Wildlife Photography?
He had been interested in photography and wildlife since college, but brought the two together in 1999 on a trip to Biligirirangana Hills with a friend.
What Is Mohan Thomas Known For?
He is known for tiger, leopard and big cat images from India and Africa, including a 2021 photograph with two camouflaged leopards that went viral as a spot-the-cats puzzle.
- Kaziranga Tiger in the rain
- Masai Mara Big cats and wildebeest
- India Tiger reserves across the country
He is on the board of advisors of DCP Expeditions, which named him its photographer of the year twice.
Why Does Thomas Mohan Belong in People of Bangalore?
He was born and raised in Bangalore, lives here with his family and runs his construction business from the city.
I haven't interviewed Mohan Thomas for this piece. It's pieced together from online research: published interviews, news reports, books and official records, cross-checked against each other. If you know Mohan Thomas and spot something I've got wrong, tap the WhatsApp icon at the bottom right and tell me, and I'll fix it.
FAQs
Who is Mohan Thomas?
A Bangalore-born civil engineer and wildlife photographer.
When did Mohan Thomas start wildlife photography?
Seriously in 1999, after a trip to BR Hills.
What awards has Mohan Thomas won?
A FIAP Biennial World Cup gold medal and DCP Photographer of the Year in 2015 and 2016, among others.
Been to BR Hills?
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