Sanjay Gubbi is a conservation biologist based in Karnataka, India. [1] [2] His work focuses on the conservation of large carnivores like tigers and leopards, working on applied aspects and understanding their population biology, proposing conservation policies for their protection, and working to minimize human-wildlife conflict. [3] [4] [5] He currently works as a scientist with Nature Conservation Foundation, a Mysore based NGO. [6]
In 2011, Gubbi received the Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award and was recognized by the Wildlife Conservation Society. [7] He was also on the ‘25 Leaders of Tomorrow’ list released by Times of India in August 2012 on the eve of India’s 65th year of independence. In 2017 he was conferred with the Whitley Award, popularly called the Green Oscars for his contribution towards the landscape-scale conservation of tigers and other wildlife. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] In 2019 he was awarded The Co-Existence Award by the Elephant Family, UK for his work on wildlife conservation in India, which was presented by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. [13]
Some of his most notable work, along with his team, includes working with the government to expand protected areas in Karnataka that has helped protect several wildlife species and habitats. [14] [15] To date, Gubbi has succeeded in adding nearly 3,000 km2 (~745,000 acres) of forested land to the protected area network. This expansion of protected areas in Karnataka has connected 23 protected areas and corridors in the Western Ghats, perhaps marking this as a first of its kind initiative after the 1970s when most protected areas were notified in the country.
Based on his proposal and work new protected areas including Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary (906 sq.km.), Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary [16] [17] [18] (148 sq.km.) and Rangayyanadurga Wildlife Sanctuary [19] (77 sq.km.) among others were notified by the government. [20]
Gubbi has also worked with the government on initiatives to reduce the effects of fragmentation on tiger habitats including the closure of vehicular traffic at night in Nagarahole and Bandipur Tiger Reserves, rerouting highways to outside the tiger reserves, [21] providing alternative roads, stoppage and removal of ill-planned developmental projects from key wildlife habitats, [22] [23] and other similar activities. His work also includes improving social security measures for the frontline staff of the forest department and those affected by human-wildlife conflict.
He is the author of the book titled Second Nature: Saving Tiger Landscapes in the Twenty-First Century which has been hailed as a must-read guide for future conservationists. [24] His books in Kannada include Shaalege Banda Chirate Mattu Itara Kathegalu [25] [26] and Vanyajeevigala Jaadu Hididu [27]
Born to Navarathna and Sreyamsha Kumar N.B. in Pavagada on May 12, 1970, Tumkur district in Karnataka, Gubbi's interest in wildlife started at a young age. Tumkur district is covered in dry scrub forests and is home to animals such as leopards, sloth bears, wolves, blackbucks, chinkara (Indian gazelle) and many others. This environment built a natural interest in Gubbi to consider conservation as a full-time career.
In 2006, he finished his Master’s degree in Conservation Biology from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent where he was awarded the Maurice Swingland Prize for being the best postgraduate student.
Gubbi completed his PhD in Leopard Ecology and Conservation in 2020 from Kuvempu University, Karnataka.
Gubbi initially worked as a volunteer for wildlife conservation for nearly a decade before taking it up as a full-time profession in 1998.
He started his full-time career with the Wildlife Conservation Society- India Program before joining Nature Conservation Foundation in 2011 where he now leads a team, to work on large carnivore science and conservation, community-based conservation activities, conservation outreach and human-wildlife conflict in Karnataka. Currently, he is also a member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and other wildlife panels of Karnataka.
Gubbi has also taught Master’s program courses at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, the Wildlife Institute of India and Kuvempu University.
He works closely with a wide cross-section of people in the society including policymakers, media personnel, local communities, and social leaders to conserve big cat habitats in the state. Gubbi seeks to combine scientific research with social, cultural and political understanding of wildlife conservation. Along with his team, he also conducts training workshops for print and electronic media, elected representatives and conservation enthusiasts to expand support for conservation.
Currently, his ongoing research focusses on leopards in India and involves population estimation, occupancy surveys, diet studies, and human-leopard conflict. His other initiatives include understanding the impact of highways and roads on wildlife, [28] conservation of forest corridors, [29] providing alternatives for firewood to local communities in and around forests [30] [31] and conducting outreach programmes aimed at improving awareness on wildlife conservation and mitigating human-wildlife conflict.
Sanjay Gubbi has worked with the government to delineate eco-sensitive zones around protected areas and tiger reserves in Karnataka. Bandipur was the first tiger reserve in the country to receive the final notification of an eco-sensitive zone due to the collaborative work done with the local elected representatives and forest officials.
He also helped reduce the fragmentation effects of unsustainable mining in Kudremukh National Park and energy projects in critical corridors in the Western Ghats.
As part of the outreach initiatives, Sanjay Gubbi’s efforts led to the establishment of the Holematthi Nature Information Center near Hanur, Kollegal district in Karnataka which regularly hosts student groups from local schools as part of wildlife-awareness programmes. [32] [33] The Nature Information Center also conducts workshops for trainees and frontline staff of the Forest Department, teachers, and media personnel.
Gubbi has authored several scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals. He has also authored two books on wildlife in Kannada, and one in English.
Bandipur National Park is a national park covering 868.63 km2 (335.38 sq mi) in Chamarajnagar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It was established as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986.
The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.
The Biligirirangana Hills or Biligirirangan Hills is a hill range situated in Chamarajanagar District in south-western Karnataka, at its border with Tamil Nadu in South India. The area is called Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary or simply BRT Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a protected reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Being close to the Eastern Ghats as well as the Western Ghats, the sanctuary has floral and faunal associations with both regions. The site was declared a tiger reserve in January 2011 by the Government of Karnataka, a few months after approval from India's National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats in South India. It is the largest protected forest area in India, spreading across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It includes the protected areas Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu; Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park, both in Karnataka; Silent Valley National Park, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.
Mudumalai National Park is a national park in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu in southern India. It covers 321 km2 (124 sq mi) at an elevation range of 850–1,250 m (2,790–4,100 ft) in the Nilgiri District and shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala. A part of this area has been protected since 1940. The national park has been part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986 and was declared a tiger reserve together with a buffer zone of 367.59 km2 (141.93 sq mi) in 2007. It receives an annual rainfall of about 1,420 mm (56 in) and harbours tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests with 498 plant species, at least 266 bird species, 18 carnivore and 10 herbivore species. It is drained by the Moyar River and several tributaries, which harbour 38 fish species.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala, India with an extent of 344.44 km2 (132.99 sq mi) and four hill ranges namely Sulthan Bathery, Muthanga, Kurichiat and Tholpetty. A variety of large wild animals such as gaur, Indian elephant, deer and Bengal tiger are found there. There are also quite a few unusual birds in the sanctuary. In particular, Indian peafowl tend to be very common in the area. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. It is bestowed with lush green forests and rich wildlife. This wildlife area houses some of the rare and endangered species of both flora and fauna.
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area and tiger reserve as part of the Project Tiger, situated in Chikkamagaluru district, 23 km (14 mi) south of Bhadravathi city, 38 km (24 mi) 20 km from Tarikere town, northwest of Chikkamagaluru and 283 km from Bengaluru city in Karnataka state, India. Bhadra sanctuary has a wide range of flora and fauna and is a popular place for day outings. The 1,875 m (6,152 ft) above MSL Hebbe Giri is the highest peak in the sanctuary.
Private protected areas of India refer to protected areas inside India whose land rights are owned by an individual or a corporation / organization, and where the habitat and resident species are offered some kind of protection from exploitative activities like hunting, logging, etc. The Government of India did not provide any legal or physical protection to such entities, but in an important amendment introduced by the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002, has agreed to protect communally owned areas of ecological value.
Alan Robert Rabinowitz was an American zoologist who served as the president, CEO, and chief scientist at Panthera Corporation, a nonprofit conservation organization devoted to protecting the world's 40 wild cat species. Called the "Indiana Jones of Wildlife Protection" by Time, he studied jaguars, clouded leopards, Asiatic leopards, tigers, Sumatran rhinos, bears, leopard cats, raccoons, cervidae, and civets.
The state of Karnataka in South India has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 which constitutes 55 of the geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant population and 20% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are still unexplored and new species of flora and fauna are still found. The mountains of the Western Ghats in the western region of Karnataka are a biodiversity hotspot. Two sub-clusters of the Western Ghats, Talacauvery and Kudremukh, are on a tentative list of sites that could be designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks which fall outside these subclusters were included in the Nilgiri biosphere reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. In the Biligiriranga Hills the Eastern Ghats meet the Western Ghats. The state bird and state animal of Karnataka are Indian roller and the Indian elephant. The state tree and state flower are sandalwood and lotus. Karnataka is home to 524 tigers.
The Nature Conservation Foundation is a non-governmental wildlife conservation and research organisation based in Mysore, India. They promote the use of science for wildlife conservation in India.
The Kameng Elephant Reserve is an Elephant Reserve located in the Himalayan foothills of Arunachal Pradesh, India, in the districts of West Kameng and East Kameng.
The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) was founded in 1994 by Belinda Wright, its Executive Director, who was an award-winning wildlife photographer and filmmaker till she took up the cause of conservation. From its inception, WPSI's main aim has been to bring a new focus to the daunting task of tackling India's growing wildlife crisis. It does this by providing support and information to government authorities to combat poaching and the escalating illegal wildlife trade - particularly in wild tigers. It has now broadened its focus to deal with human-animal conflicts and provide support for research projects.
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is a protected area and tiger reserve located along the area straddling both the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats in the Erode district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Sathyamangalam Forest Division is part of the Bramhagiri-Nilgiris-Eastern Ghats Elephant Reserve notified in 2003. In 2008, part of the Sathyamangalam Forest Division was declared a wildlife sanctuary, which was further enlarged in 2011 to cover a forest area of 1,411.6 km2 (545.0 sq mi). It is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. In 2013, an area of 1,408.6 km2 (543.9 sq mi) of the erstwhile sanctuary was notified as a tiger reserve and it was the fourth tiger reserve established in the state as a part of Project Tiger.
Sigur Plateau is a plateau in the north and east of Nilgiri District in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, South India. It covers the 778.8 square kilometres (300.7 sq mi) portion of the Moyar River drainage basin on the northern slopes of the Nilgiri Hills, south of the Moyar River.
The Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Ramanagar districts of Karnataka, India. The Cauvery River passes through its midst. An area of 510.52 km2 (197.11 sq mi) was established as Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary on 14 January 1987 under Section 18 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 with the objective of providing protection, conservation and development of Wildlife and its environment. The sanctuary was expanded to its current area of 102,753 hectares in 2013. On its east, it adjoins Dharmapuri forest division of Tamil Nadu state.
Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary or Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected Wildlife sanctuary in the Eastern Ghats and is located in the state of Karnataka in India. It is named after the presiding deity "Lord Male Mahadeshwara" of the famed Male Mahadeshwara Hills Temple located within the sanctuary. The sanctuary lies in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. It is at a distance of 140 km (87 mi) from Mysuru and 210 km (130 mi) from Bengaluru.
Mysore-Ooty Road or Mysore-Udhagamandalam Road is a tourist trail of South India starting from Mysore in Karnataka state and ending in Udhagamandalam in Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu state, India. Both routes pass through Bandipur National park in Gundlupet, Karnataka and Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu.
Ajay Adrushyappa Desai, also known as, Elephant Man, was an Indian conservationist and Field Biologist, researcher, specializing in behavior of wild elephants with a focus on wildlife conflicts with human settlement.
Sethuram Gopalrao Neginhal was an Indian forest official and conservationist who is credited with generating the green cover around the Indian city of Bangalore leading to the city being referred to as The Garden City. He was associated with the launch of Project Tiger and led wildlife conservation actions including development of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. In addition to being an expert on wildlife and plant life he was an awarded wildlife photographer.