Gehan has lived and worked for over 25 years in London. He grew up in Sri Lanka and consequently has a deep interest in the natural history of the tropics as well as that of the Western Hemisphere. Gehan is amongst a handful of field naturalists in the world who have written and photographed field guides spanning terrestrial mammals, marine mammals, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, wild flowers, and trees. His books have been published by international publishers, including Bloomsbury, Bradt, John Beaufoy, and New Holland. He has a unique mix of experience in the financial services sector as well as in wildlife tourism, combined with field experience as a writer-naturalist.

Author and Photographer: Gehan has written and photographed over 25 books and over 400 articles. His articles have been published in a wide range of publications, including Birding (American Birding Association), Bird Watching magazine, and BBC Wildlife Magazine. His experience in publishing and the commercial side of tourism means he is often invited by publishers to write full-length book reviews for online platforms for important books on science and conservation. His articles span genres from wildlife travel to bringing scientific work to a popular audience.

Commercial Wildlife Tourism: Gehan also understands the commercial side of wildlife tourism very well, having for a period of ten years held the twin roles of managing a specialist wildlife travel company and also being the director of a chain of hotels (Jetwing Hotels) in Sri Lanka. For over ten continuous years, as a stallholder, he attended the British Bird Fair as well as other international trade fairs in the UK, including WTM and Destinations. For over two decades, he has been a sounding board for companies on how to improve their wildlife tourism products on both the tour side and the design of eco-lodges. He has also arranged many events for media drinks in London, followed up by facilitating press visits.

He is widely credited as the person who branded Sri Lanka as a top wildlife destination. He combined science, fieldwork, writing, photography, publishing, and business skills with a flair for taking a story to local and international print and film media. In the words of British author and television wildlife presenter Bill Oddie, no single individual has done so much to raise the profile of a country for its wildlife. Gehan’s efforts have made him a wildlife celebrity in Sri Lanka. After working for ten years in Sri Lanka, he returned to London, where he continues to write on worldwide natural history.

Conservation NGO Committee Work: Gehan has been the Chair of the London Bird Club (LBC) for nine years, the longest-serving LBC Chair. He is also a trustee of the British Ornithologists’ Club (BOC). He also served on the Council of the London Natural History Society for 5 years.

Public Speaking: Gehan has spoken at international literary festivals, climate summits, tourism events, and bird clubs in the UK. He also leads guided nature walks in London.

Education & Corporate Experience: Gehan graduated in civil engineering from Imperial College London, a global top ten university. He then qualified as a chartered accountant in London with Deloitte (one of the Big Four audit firms).