Introduction
I am blessed to grow up in the lap of one of the largest City Forests in the world – Sanjay Gandhi National Park … And here is where I was inspired and devoted my life towards Conservation of Wildlife.
Rescue operations
I started young as a rescuer for animals and rescued parakeets, munias, tortoises, snakes, monkeys, sloth bears etc… I volunteered with WWF, BEAG, and BNHS throughout my early days.
For a living, I started my career in the corporate world. Money was good but I remained unsatisfied within. A dream job to work on City Forests came calling with BNHS and with sincere dedication I worked in the field of Nature Conservation and have since never looked backed. I quit BNHS in 2012 but continued my work with the Forest Department and floated an NGO, Forest and Wildlife Conservation Society in 2014.
City Forest Initiatives
Leopard are the prime predators of the forested areas of Mumbai and Thane, and the vast infrastructural growth lead to habitat and prey base depletion of leopards. They then often come in conflict with humans due to these reasons.
I spearheaded the leopard awareness campaigns and identified potential leopard spots. Text with illustrations were designed in banners and posters, putting up posters and explaining the do’s and don’ts on sighting a leopard and also how to avert leopard attacks.
The idea was to work for the conservation of leopards keeping human life as a focal point.
I have been working in close association of the Forest Department of SGNP in conducting regular campaigns since 2005, till date interacting with more than 50,000 people – tribals and non tribal’s.
I act as a buffer in between the Forest department and locals / tribal’s during rescue operations and human leopard conflict situations. I have been involved in various rescue operations conducted by Territorial and Wildlife wings of FD in Mumbai and Thane regions.
Eco restoration
Owing to its location within the City, the fringes of the park are threatened mainly of habitat destruction and alterations by encroachments, meaning loss of tree cover. In order the restore these degraded areas, afforestation of native species using scientific methodology was carried out since 2010 with the Forest department and till date more than 5000 saplings are planted with a mortality rate of less than 30% thus encouraging corporate CSR activities and developing relationship between urban development and nature.
Religious threats and challenges
Devotees throng the temples and dargahs in protected areas causing irreversible damage to the sensitive ecosystems of these forests due to garbage, plastic bags, litter, sound and air pollution and the worst of all forest fires.
Since 2000 I have been assisting the Forest Department of SGNP and TWLS in crowd management and control by providing volunteer support during festival days of Shivratri and Urs celebrated inside the park .
Over the years this has resulted in fewer and controlled crowds in SGNP Borivali and also sensitized people in Yeur and TWLS.
Research Initiatives
Involvement in Wildlife census and population estimation studies on leopards done by Forest Department since 2002.
A study was initiated between 2008-09 to understand the diet of the leopards in SGNP. The yearlong study, done in dry and wet seasons revealed 60% of the major diet as domestic dogs followed by rodents and others.
A research grant to document the behavior and adaptability of leopards in human dominated forested landscapes funded by National Geographic Society throwing light on the unknown aspects and survival techniques of this elusive cat.
Assisted researchers for a comparative study between the biggest Urban Parks in the world with SGNP as one of them. The study was done by Urban Protected Area (Network) and Urban National Parks in Emerging Countries and Cities (UNPEC) funded by French National Agency.
Media communication
Between 2000-05 the media portrayed the leopards negatively as man eaters. Since 2005 I have been educating the media and creating awareness about leopards regarding their prior existence and importance of this highly adaptable cat in the last remaining wilderness of Mumbai and Thane.I have been able to sensitize them about the threats faced for the cat’s survival due to encroachments etc.
I am active on social media like Face book and Twitter and created a group SGNP City Forests in 2008 and the page carries articles, news, events, posts on day to day conservation issues of SGNP
More than 3000 active members are there on the page, gathering a huge base towards the conservation issues of the SGNP. I have been vigilant on the encroachments, conflicts, mining and quarrying, misuse of Forest Right Acts, forest fires, conservation events etc, illicit liquor, religious encroachments, along with advocacy and lobbying with bureaucracy and media for the better protection measures of these protected areas.
I appeared for a radio interview for BBC World service Outlook programme on 05/12/2013 on my efforts of educating people to live side by side with Leopards. Also this was covered by Financial Times New York on 13/11/2013 , Caravan Magazine on17/09/2013 and Gulf News 2008 .
I was appreciated by Forest Department of SGNP for my continuous support and cooperation, for being a pillar to SGNP on the Wildlife Week 2013-14.
Nature Education camps
I have been conducting wildlife educational and awareness tours in Tiger reserves, National park and sanctuaries, Marine parks, community reserves etc in various parts of India. These visits are not merely for sighting or photography of magnificent flora or fauna, but also to understand threats and challenges faced by the park and its protectors, Forest management practices, community conservation, socio economical aspects and conservation/ research initiatives and develop forest values.
Educational Accomplishments
Lifelong learning of mangroves conducted by Lead India experts in 2008
Completed International course (Education as a tool for species conservation with a focus on Tiger in India) conducted by Environmental Education and Conservation Global (USA), Wildlife Wing of Maharashtra Forest Department, Nature Conservation Society Amravati along with SGB University Amravati in 2009.
Two day statistics workshop for field analysis by Dr. Qamar Qureshi from Wildlife Institute of India conducted by BNHS 2010
Basic course in Ornithology conducted by BNHS at their field station in Point Calimere and was a field coordinator for the same course for two years.
