Kathmandu, May 18 -- In the silence of Bardiya National Park, where every rusting leaf can signal the presence of the wild, Manju Mahatara tells their stories through her lens.

Born and raised in Thakurbaba-9, close to the forests of Bardiya, Mahatara has built a life connected with nature and wildlife. Three years ago, while working as a nature guide in Bardiya National Park, a tourist left her a camera.

She picked up the lens to tell the animals' stories and to support their conservation. Every day, she returns to the wild, trusting it, and the wild trusts her in return.

In this conversation with the Post's Jony Nepal, Mahatara describes her experience in the wild.

What inspired you to become a wildlife photographer? Was there a sin...