Irshad's typical day starts with an early morning stroll near The Datai Resort  where he regard guests with intriguing facts and anecdotes. On most days, he gets to spot Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Oriental-pied Hornbills and Dusky Leaf Langurs.

He is the founder of Natural History Tours and in his 20-year career, Irshad has helped with and appeared in many documentaries like Mysteries of the Malaysian Rainforest on National Geographic Channel and The Wedding Ceremony of the White Bellied Sea Eagle on Discovery Channel. With the NGC filming crew, he saw the (also the first ever-recorded) courtship of the Great Hornbills where three young males clashed beaks to court one female. His most recent TV appearance is with Ian Wright from Globe Trekker and currently shown in Travel and Living channel.

"I like to consider myself a conservationist first, then a nature-guide," says the Negeri Sembilan native. "I pass the message of nature in an educational and fun way. It's great to see the reaction people get from understanding nature."

A self-taught naturalist and outdoor buff, Irshad also educates school kids and trains outdoor instructors on nature and conservation. As part of his job and passion, he trailblazers forest paths and takes part in scientific expeditions.

His interest in nature was instilled in him at a very young age. His father always encouraged his family to be involved in sports and outdoor activities. When he was nine, Irshad's father asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. "I said: ‘Dad, I want to be a game warden'," says Irshad. Growing up, he would lap up nature documentaries by David Bellamy and Sir David Attenborough. But as years went by, he lost touch with his dream. He worked in a bank in Kuala Lumpur.

Five years later a holiday to Pulau Tioman changed his life forever. "It was my first time snorkeling," recalls Irshad. "I still remember how vivid the colors were. I spent five hours in the water, and only came up when I was hungry. "I knew then that I never wanted to be far from nature again," says Irshad, who came back to the city and to the chagrin of his parents, quit his job.

He bummed around for three years, teaching recreation sports in Cherating and the islands off the East Coast. He drifted from job to job just to be close to nature. Then, he set foot in Langkawi... the island's incredible diversity of wildlife habitats, flora and fauna, beautiful mangrove forests and majestic limestone rocks bowled him over. He had found his calling – to protect what was right in front of him.

Since then "I've been able to meet so many people, take people out to enjoy nature, done things I never expected to do in life," says Irshad. "I've met my heroes," adds Irshad who met his childhood hero, botanist and writer David Bellamy.

On a stint at the British Museum of Natural History, Irshad became an understudy to the world authority in butterflies, Professor Bernard D'Abrera . "To think that I walked in the same place as people like Charles Darwin and stood at the back of the house of (anthropologist/ naturalist) Alfred Russell Wallace..."

Reality check: "We have lost 48% of our natural habitat in Langkawi. The biggest issue here is the continuous loss of wild land," says Irshad. "If this island wants eco-tourism, we must  save the remaining wild areas ." Irshad and his like-minded friends' biggest challenge are dealing with obstinate, old school politicians.

After years of fighting the conservation cause, Irshad and his friends finally got a chance to be heard. "Last year, when the authorities prepared the Langkawi Structural Plan 2015, I presented a bantahan (protest) and we were finally allowed to present our case to state politicians and town planners," says the relieved Irshad. "I have nothing against developments; there are still lots of development projects in Langkawi even now. But we just have to develop with nature and wildlife in mind and preserve some area."

"What I hope to achieve on my tours is to show to the people that the forest is a living community of interactive and interdependent relationships. Not unlike our own relationships in our cities in our homes and among our families and friends. If we can instill in the hearts of people the wonders of the natural world first hand then we have friends of nature for life. And when they leave for home I hope to have inspired them to make positive adjustments to help mother nature in any way they can.

Not surprisingly this year Irshad Mobarak, our very own Jungle-Wallah of Langkawi was announced as one of the DiGi Amazing Malaysians Awards 2007  for his work in preserving Langkawi Nature.