MALAYSIANSKINI |Growing up in Perlis, avid birdwatcher Rosli Omar was always fond of visiting the jungle where he could see exotic birds flying freely.

Even as he took pictures of the birds flying through the forests, Rosli noticed another wildlife form fluttering its wings. So began his interest in the butterfly.

Since then, the 66-year-old former academician turned photographer never looked back. After completing a doctorate in Artificial Intelligence at London Imperial College, he decided to join the Malaysian Nature Society in 1996.

“I always loved going to the forest and exploring nature but it was never something serious,” he told Malaysiakini.

While occasionally trekking as a bird watcher, Rosli worked as an electrical engineering lecturer for years before calling it quits.

“I was diagnosed with glaucoma and became worried that my eyesight would worsen, so I requested an early retirement. Then, I started to question my life,” he said.

Rosli decided to do something that was...