Harry V. Andrews
December 2, 1956 – November 12, 2018
To those of us who knew him as a friend and colleague, the passing on of Harry Andrews is a loss that is not easy to describe. The few of us who were able to attend his funeral soon realized that the person we could call up at any time, speak to about anything, the person who would cheer us on, was no more.
Harry Andrews passed away on the night of 12th November, 2018, while in Goa with Romaine, his wife, and Tharaq, his son. It was a few weeks before his 62nd birthday, which eventually was celebrated in his memory with a few of his close friends at Romaine’s home. Born on 2nd December, 1956, in the Nilgiris amidst tea plantations, Harry Vasanth Andrews was the eldest of three siblings, the son of a senior engineer and a mother whose culinary abilities made their lives so memorable for him to recall. He was schooled at St Joseph’s Boys School in Ootacamund, and went on to study engineering in the old city of Madras (now Chennai) in the mid 1970s. While in the jungle or on a boat far away from those hills, given a quiet moment while tending a cooking fire, he would often recollect the days he had lived amidst planters, colonial bungalows, and the pranks and adventures he had there as a child. After a few short stints at work in Chennai, Harry moved on to build his career in conservation after he joined the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT) in 1982.
He worked with Rom and Zai Whitaker at the Croc Bank, helping to set up the holding pens, and is remembered by Zai as a quick learner who eventually became an expert in crocodile husbandry and natural history. The core team at the Croc Bank then was small, but dedicated to its various interests, ranging from herpetological science, species and habitat conservation, to the welfare of indigenous people.
Harry fit this role well, and came into his own once he was sent over to the Andaman Islands in 1992. He was Harry V. Andrews December 2, 1956 – November 12, 2018 then Assistant Director at the MCBT and divided his time between Chennai and the Islands. It was after his arrival that further development to establish the fledgling field station of the Andaman Nicobar Environmental Team (ANET) took place.
This process began with field surveys to assess local livelihoods, ecosystems, and species habitats. Harry initiated sailing voyages across the Andaman Archipelago from 1994– 2005 to monitor various aspects of the islands’ biological diversity, while we also got to understand and learn of the human inhabitants. The small team at ANET sailed out every year, observing and tracking various habitats and the changes that were underway. These trips were originally planned to understand crocodile habitats and sea turtle conservation issues, but broadened to encompass so much else. During this period, he oversaw the construction of many cottages that continue to house researchers at the ANET field station.
The engineer in him blossomed yet again while constructing the large wooden office building that today is a central part of the ANET field station. ANET as an institution grew during his tenure to accommodate a larger group of researchers of diverse interests in architecture, conservation science, and sociology to species ecology. Even though he was not trained in ecology or conservation science, he encouraged and accommodated researchers to pursue and broaden their interests, particularly in the conservation of the biological and cultural diversity of the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago.
Among his best works, beyond his interest in crocodiles and sea turtles, was the ‘State of the Environment Report’ for the Andaman Islands in 2005. Harry was the key person along with Mr R.S.C. Jayaraj (Andaman & Nicobar Forest Department) and S. Mundoli (MCBT) to have authored this study. There could have been no better person to coordinate this work – the voyages engineered by Harry along with assistance from the Andaman Forest Department, the team was able to coalesce a range of information backed up by“ground-truthing” exercises and fieldwork, to produce a well-researched report on the islands. Harry’s field surveys in local dinghies are legendary – having battled stormy weather, two cyclones, and many engine breakdowns during long voyages, he was never shaken and we sailed on to share much conservation related information with relevant government agencies. A large number of contacts he built in this process helped establish anti-poaching protocols, improve A&N Forest Department turtle monitoring camps, as well as coordinate with the Coast Guard and intelligence agencies. At a time when it seemed all was well in the quiet of the islands, our field surveys led by Harry showed us the trends in exploitation of natural resources taking place silently but surely.
From walking through mangrove slush looking for crocodile nests, to attending official meetings in his trademark blue jeans, Harry Andrews had a huge circle of friends from all walks of life. All of us were endeared to him by his persistence in conservation, his calmness, and also his fun-loving nature; to many of us being with Harry meant encouragement, a colourful person with a range of experiences, filled with ideas, broadminded to the extent that he could share in any conversation with both frontline staff and those in officialdom with equal ease. Sea turtle monitoring in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was initiated and given a big impetus due to Harry’s untiring efforts at translating the pioneering work done by Satish Bhasker in documenting nesting beaches across virtually the entire Indian coastline.
With officers in the Forest Department who were aware of Harry’s commitment, this programme grew to include many more beaches which would offer sea turtles respite from the rampant hunting and exploitation in the islands. Crocodiles, sea turtles, indigenous folk, forests and trees, all were Harry’s source of comfort. I recall his pride in telling me how he was growing lavender in a valley of the Nilgiris recently, and I knew he was happy doing the things he loved best. Known for his strong zeal for nature conservation, the way Harry silently championed and coordinated conservation action from the ground up is not easy to match. For those of us who shared and were enthused by his passions, his boat in the ocean sails on through hot sun and heavy squall, to rest in peace.
- Manish Chandi