India’s biodiversity hotspots are under growing threat from linear infrastructure—highways, railways, canals, and transmission lines that fragment habitats and disrupt wildlife corridors. In this thought-provoking episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, we dive into the world of landscape ecology and wildlife conservation with two leading conservati…

In this in-depth episode of our conservation podcast, we’re joined by Aditi Patil and Manya Singh—co-founders of Conservation Indica, a grassroots organization reshaping how we approach biodiversity conservation and protecting grasslands in India. This conversation dives into the realities of working with grassland ecosystems, the urgent need to re…

In this powerful episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, we are joined by Meenal Tatpati, a leading researcher and advocate for forest rights, indigenous knowledge, and democratic conservation. Together, we explore the transformative impact of the Forest Rights Act 2006 (FRA 2006) and challenge the outdated logic of fortress conservation. Meenal exp…

In this inspiring episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, we welcome Aviram Rozin, founder of Sadhana Forest, a globally respected movement dedicated to reforestation, sustainable development, and nature-based solutions. What started in 2003 as a family’s dream to revive degraded land in Tamil Nadu has evolved into an international model for ecologi…

In this fascinating episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, we dive into the groundbreaking work of Project Dhvani, a pioneering conservation initiative using bioacoustics to revolutionize how we understand and manage biodiversity in India’s tropical landscapes. Host Anish sits down with Dr. Vijay Ramesh, co-founder of Project Dhvani, to discuss how…

In this deeply enriching episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, we delve into the transformative journey of Trishala Ashok—an award-winning jewelry designer turned conservation filmmaker and founder of True Story Media Productions LLP. Through an inspiring and heartfelt conversation, Trishala takes us on a voyage that beautifully bridges creativity…

Welcome to this insightful episode of Think Wildlife Podcast, where we delve deep into the pressing issues of human-wildlife conflict, illegal wildlife trade, and conservation efforts in Africa. In this episode, we speak with Maurice Schutgens, Managing Director of Conservation at Space for Giants, an organization dedicated to preserving Africa’s i…

In this episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, we dive into the dynamic intersection of conservation, climate finance, and community-driven solutions with Mike Korchinsky, the founder and president of Wildlife Works. Our conversation explores how market-based mechanisms such as carbon credits and REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and For…

In this insightful and action-driven episode, we welcome Oliver Bolton, CEO and co-founder of Earthly, a pioneering startup dedicated to protecting and regenerating more than 1% of the planet by 2030. Earthly provides businesses with a trustworthy, high-impact way to invest in nature-based climate solutions that drive carbon reduction, biodiversity…

Join host Anish in this insightful episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast as he sits down with Dr. Nick Askew, the founder of Conservation Careers. Discover how Dr. Askew’s passion for wildlife, from his early days as a teenage angler to his impactful global conservation career has led to helping over 700,000 conservationists worldwide. In this epis…

Join us for an insightful deep dive into the world of marine conservation, coral reef resilience, and the blue economy with Dr. David Obura, one of the world’s leading marine ecologists and the founding director of CORDIO East Africa. CORDIO is a pioneering organization working to protect coral reefs and sustain marine ecosystems in the Western Ind…

In this Episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Laurie Marker, the founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). Founded in Namibia in 1990, CCF has become the leading authority in cheetah conservation globally, with projects across Somaliland, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and Botswana. Beyond Af…

The gharial, a Critically Endangered species, is an unmistakable crocodilian on the edge of extinction. Recognizable by its long, slender jaws adapted for catching fish, males have a distinctive bulbous growth on their snouts called a "ghara," which is named after a traditional Indian pot. This unique feature is also the basis for the species' comm…

In Episode 14, I am joined by one of India’s leading conservation filmmakers, Rita Banerji. She is the founder of Dusty Foot Productions and the Dusty Foot Foundation, through which Green Hub established in 2014. As An Ashoka Fellow, Rita is the winner of multiple Green Oscars for her films on wildlife and environment. Rita was inducted as an Ashok…

Many of the world’s poorest communities are among tribal and indigenous populations. Trapped in a relentless cycle of extreme poverty, vulnerability, and deprivation, they face a complex web of challenges that are deeply interconnected. These communities are the most vulnerable to the onset of climate change and environmental degradation. Increased…

Earlier this year, Amazon Prime released the thrilling crime drama “Poacher” which revolved around the elephant poaching crisis and ivory trade in 2015. Based in Kerala, the series explores how the Forest Department, with support from NGOs and conservationists, risked their lives to investigate and tackle the lucrative illegal ivory trade. One of t…

In Episode 11, I am joined by Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, a renowned rhino conservationist. He is the Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer of Aaranyak, the leading conservation NGO in Northeast India, and a Senior Advisor at the International Rhino Foundation. We discuss the remarkable recovery of the Greater One-Horned Rhino in Assam. Bibab el…

In Episode 10 of Season 3, I am joined by Neha Singh, the founder of Forest Regeneration and Sustainability Trust (FORREST). Neha elaborates upon the Trust’s work on ecosystem restoration in urban and agricultural landscapes. This includes habitat restoration in Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai, wetland restoration in Jamshedpur and the Farmer…

In Episode 9 of this season, I am joined by Kayden Anthony, a wildlife biologist with a knack of digital marketing and content creation. Kayden is the founder of Nature’s Eye, which strives to bring informative and educational content, ranging from biomonitoring, ecological data analysis and remote sensing. In this episode, he talks about the role …

In Episode 8, I am joined by Moumita Chakraborty, a Eastern Himalayas Consultant at the Global Tiger Forum, to discuss red panda conservation. During her PhD at the Wildlife Institute of India, Moumita studied the habitat suitability of Red Panda in the Sikkim to identify the priority areas for the conservation. She also studied the relationship be…

The Asiatic caracal is India’s rarest wild cat. In fact, with the population estimated to be less than 100, the caracal is on the verge of becoming the second extinct species of cat in India after the recently reintroduced cheetah. In Episode 7, I explore the ecology and conservation of this fascinating cat with Shreyas Vijay, the founder of the Ca…

The Asiatic Lion is probably India’s finest conservation miracles. With less than 100 individuals remaining in the wild in the 1960s, the population has skyrocketed with an estimated 600-800 lions roaming the forests of Saurashtra. In 2018, over 50 lions were lost due to an outbreak of the canine distemper disease. Moreover, the range of the Gir li…

In Episode 5 of The Think Wildlife Podcast, I am joined by Mayank Shukla, Anshita Das and Arjun Srivathsa from The Dhole Project. Launched in 2016, The Dhole Project aims to conduct research on Asiatic wild dogs or ‘dholes’ to better understand their ecological requirements and protect their populations in India. The dhole is one of India’s most ch…

In August 2022, I had the very good fortune to explore the mountains of Dras, Kargil in search of one of India’s rarest terrestrial mammals - the Himalayan Brown Bear. Listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, there are less than 500 individuals remaining in the wild scattered across Western Himalayas and the Karakoram Mountains. Drass …

In Episode 3 of this season, I am joined by Dr. Sophie Rassmusen, a Research Fellow at University of Oxford and Linacre College Research Associate at WildCRU. Popularly referred to as Dr. Hedgehog, Sophie is at the forefront of hedgehog conservation and research. Unfortunately, scientific research from several European countries indicate that the p…

Owls are amongst the most ecologically and culturally important group of birds in India. They act as biocontrol agents due to their predation of rodent and insect pests in agricultural and urban landscapes. Not only does this reduce the dependence of pesticides in agricultural areas but also preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases. Owls, especia…

Welcome to Season 3 of The Think Wildlife Podcast. It has been almost two years since I began the Podcast and have had the good fortune of interviewing nearly 100 conservationists around the world. This season consists of another 50 episodes, with topics ranging from nature tech and bioacoustics to conservation filmmaking, the illegal wildlife trad…

The Climate Crisis is imminent. However, despite the urgency of the crisis, there is still a severe lack of diversity and inclusivity in the climate and conservation sector. Women continue to be marginalized from the political sphere because of gender stereotypes, lack of access, and socio-economic-structural barriers. Tackling this is the organiza…

Tasmania, the land of the endangered Tasmanian Devil and the extinct Tasmanian tiger, is one of Australia’s most biodiverse regions. Various species of possums, wallabies, seals, penguins, and platypus roam the island state. Unfortunately, the region’s rich ecosystem is under severe threat from habitat clearance and degradation, amplified by the sp…

The Daintree Rainforest, located on the northeastern coast of Queensland, is amongst the most pristine rainforests globally. Over 10 million years older than the Amazon Rainforest, the Daintree is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. This forms the largest contiguous rainforest in Australia. Countless endemic species of avifauna are found in the …

The Grevy’s Zebra is the largest extant species of equid in the world. Unfortunately, the species is listed as “Endangered” by the IUCN Red List. With less than 2,000 wild individuals found in pockets of Kenya and Ethiopia, the Grevy’s Zebra is the most threatened of the three zebra species. In the 20th Century, hunting for their skins was the prim…

Coraf Reefs around the world are under severe threat. It is estimated that around 10% of the global coral reefs are dead while about 60% are under severe threat due to anthropogenic pressure. Climate change remains the primary threat to coral reefs around the world, with increasing sea temperatures catalyzing coral bleaching, which results in the d…

Nature forms the foundation of the world’s economy. Nature-based solutions focused on climate mitigation contribute about USD 170 billion worth of ecosystem services to the global economy. However, the dependencies of the nature of the global economy and the related risks and opportunities to the economy have not received much attention from corpor…

In a previous episode of The Think Wildlife Podcast, we briefly touched upon the role of artificial intelligence and biacoustic monitoring in wildlife conservation. On a similar note, in this episode, I interview Professor Ed Mitchard, to discuss the role of remote sensing in forest conservation Through the use of satellites, remote Sensing allows …

Over the last few decades, the world has witnessed a technological revolution to tackle the climate crisis. However, more recently, there has been a growing consensus about the role of nature and nature-based solutions in tackling, not only the Three Planetary Crisis but also various pressing societal issues, such as poverty. The goals of nature-ba…

The Penguin is amongst the most unique taxa of birds in the world. These flightless, aquatic birds are highly adept swimmers, having adapted to spending half their lives underwater. Penguins, with the aid of flippers and their streamlined bodies are known to swim over 20 kilometres an hour in seas while hunting for prey. There are currently between…

‘If we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the world’s ecosystems would collapse.’ Sir David Attenborough. From pollination and seed dispersal to pest control and nutrient cycling, insects and other invertebrates provide human…

Africa’s wilderness has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world. Despite its exploding population and rapidly growing economies, the continent has often been the flagbearer of conservation globally. This ranges from the conservation of elephants and rhinos in southern Africa to the creation of Kavango Zambezi, the second-lar…

Collaboration is essential for conservation. The complexity of conservation challenges is often multifold and requires the involvement and cooperation of multiple stakeholders. Additionally, the sharing of resources, particularly funding, and technical expertise from a variety of sectors, immensely contribute to the success of conservation initiati…

Meet the Pangolin. The world’s most trafficked mammal. Pangolins are also known as scaly anteaters due to the protective keratin scales covering their skins. Unfortunately, these protective keratin scales are leading to the pangolin’s downfall. Keratin is in high demand in China and Vietnam (the usual suspects) for traditional Chinese Medicine and …

The Amazon River Dolphin, known locally as the “Boto”, is the largest species of river dolphin in the world. The species is also the most widespread river dolphin, covering six different countries in South America. Unfortunately, the Amazon River Dolphin is classified as “Endangered” by the IUCN Red List. Commercial fishing remains the primary thre…

Globally, there are 15 species of cranes spread across all continents baring South America and Antarctica. With eight species, East Asia has the highest crane diversity. A few species of crane, such as the Siberian and Demosille crane, are known to migrate thousands of kilometers to avoid the harsh winter months of Siberia. Across their range, cran…

After tigers and lions, the jaguar is the third largest species of wild felid and the only species of the Panthera genus (big cats) to be found in Americas. The current range of jaguars extends from southern USA, across Mexico and Central America to the Amazonian rainforest. In Central and South America, jaguars inhabit tropical rainforests, decidu…

Listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List, The African Lion is one of the most threatened species in the world. The population of this regal carnivore has dropped drastically from over 200,000 individuals a century ago to approximately 24,000 today. Almost half of this population is found outside protected areas, often in human-dominated landscap…

Once upon a time, the Great Indian Bustard was close to becoming India’s National Bird. However, the species is now considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, with less than 100 individuals remaining in the wild. The species is predominantly found in Rajasthan, though sightings do occur across the Deccan Plateau. Collisions with windmil…

One of the most charismatic species of the rainforests of south-east Asia is the orangutan. The orangutan is the only wild species of Great Ape found in Asia, with the remaining three, gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos, found in Africa. Until 1996, the orangutan was considered one individual species. However, since then the species has been divide…

One of Asia’s most elusive predators is the Clouded Leopard. Until 2006, the term clouded leopard referred to one ubiquitous species found across the Eastern Himalayas, mainland Southeast Asia, and the islands of Borneo and Sumatara. However, extensive genetic analysis of various populations revealed two sister species of clouded leopard. The first…

The highly biodiverse island Borneo forms one of the largest remaining intact forests of Southeast Asia. Also, the world’s third largest island, Borneo is a stronghold for various charismatic and endangered megafauna species, including orangutans, clouded leopards, elephants, proboscis monkeys and sunbear. Unfortunately, the rainforests of south-ea…

The Eastern Ghats is amongst the most biodiverse regions in India. This discontinuous mountain range is spread predominantly across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. A study conducted by ATREE found over 200 species of birds in the Eastern Ghats, which includes the endemic Jerdon’s Courser. The region also has healthy populations of…

Dugongs are amongst Asia’s most charismatic marine mammals. The species is often referred to as "sea cows" as their diet predominantly consists of seagrass. The range of the dugongs is fragmented across the warm coastal waters of the western Pacific Ocean to the eastern coast of Africa. In India, their range extends across the Western and Southern …