Wildlife Research and Conservation Society
WRCS Team
Mr. Jayant Kulkarni (Executive Director, Conservation)
Jayant Kulkarni has a B.Tech and an M.Tech degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT (Mumbai). Although an engineer by qualification, his passion has always been for wilderness and nature. To pursue his interest, he joined the Indian Forest Service (IFS) from Maharashtra cadre. He was trained in wildlife management at Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun and was awarded silver medal for his performance. Jayant served as an IFS officer in Maharashtra and was posted in Melghat Tiger Reserve. He resigned from IFS and to work for nature conservation from the NGO sector. Jayant’s main interest is participatory nature conservation. He is particularly interested in conservation of private forests and sustinable forest management as a conservation tool. Jayant is the Executive Director of Conservation Programs. He is a keen bird watcher and photographer. He loves to trek, be in the wild, and is a foodie at heart.
Dr. Prachi Mehta (Executive Director, Research)
Prachi Mehta has a Ph.D in Wildlife Biology from Wildlife Institute of India working as Executive Director, Research with WRCS. Prachi has been actively involved in wildlife and nature conservation since her college days. To pursue her interest further, she joined Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. For her Ph.D. degree, she studied the impact of forestry practices on bird communities of Satpura Hills in Bori Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, and Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. Prachi’s main interest is in ecological research on birds and large mammals. She is working actively on community-based mitigation of human elephant conflict. Her current passion is study of the critically endangered Forest Owlet and sympatric owls in Central India. Prachi enjoys bird-watching, trekking and photography.
Mr. Sunil Kale (Project Manager)
Sunil Kale has an MBA degree in Environmental Management and a bachelor’s degree in Zoology. He is working with WRCS as a Project Manager on Private Forests Conservation Project, since 2012. As a project Manager, he is implementing activities like eco-restoration of private forests, eco-friendly income-generating activities for the local community and incentive-based conservation agreements. He is a strong believer of the holistic approach for conservation along with community participation for long-term sustainability. His current interest is to enhance financial and leadership skills for developing innovative community projects to maximize conservation impact. Sunil is fond of biking, travelling, reading and cricket.
Mr. Rakesh Kalva (Research Associate)
Rakesh is an alumnus of the Masters course in Wildlife Biology and Conservation conducted by WCS-India, NCBS, and TIFR. For his master’s dissertation, he looked at how large herbivore populations change with various conservation and ecological factors in Kawal Tiger Reserve, India. His immediate priority is the conservation of the Eastern Ghats landscape by combining applied research and a flagship species approach. He is presently working with WRCS in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, with a particular focus on elephants. Other than the Eastern Ghats, he has a fascination for the Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis) and hopes to study and understand various aspects of the species’ ecology. Apart for this he works with local animal welfare NGOs and helps in rescues and fostering of animals.
Dr. Rajashekhar Niyogi (Project Manager)
Dr. Rajashekhar Niyogi is the Project Manager for the Human-elephant conflict mitigation project in Madhya Pradesh. He holds a Ph.D. from IISER Kolkata, where his research focused on the landscape connectivity and gene flow of wild ungulates in central India. His research has resulted in several publications in reputed journals. Notable among these are habitat connectivity studies on herbivores and carnivores in central India, assessing the vulnerability of protected areas in the eastern Himalayas, and assessment of physiological stress in Asian elephants. His efforts have significantly contributed to understanding and improving wildlife habitats. His research efforts are directed towards reducing human-wildlife conflict and promoting conservation in the central Indian highlands, a region he holds dear for its rich and diverse eco- geography.
Mr. Pradyut Rao (Project Manager)
Pradyut has a Master’s degree in Evolutionary Biology through the Erasmus Mundus programme and has received his degree from the University of Groningen, Netherlands and the University of Montpellier, France. He is a general wildlife aficionado but has a keen interest in avian behavioural ecology, speciation and sexual selection in mating systems. He has worked with the Forest Departments in Arunachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh on various avian monitoring and conservation projects. He relishes the opportunity to immerse himself into the wild as much as he enjoys scouring through data to reveal exciting insights into the past, present and future lives of our feathered friends. He firmly believes in establishing systematic, long term monitoring projects in tandem with empowering local tribal communities as the way towards achieving a sustainable conservation landscape for the future. He is as avid a squash player as he is a birder and enjoys clicking photographs of all things wild.
Mr. Ameya Deshpande (Research Biologist)
Ameya is an avid bird watcher and enjoy exploring various habitats to look for birds, to learn more about them and to document them in their natural habitat. Although, he is graduated in Commerce, his passion for wildlife led him to pursue a career in wildlife studies immediately after graduation. He has been involved in a number of research projects as a field expert, conducting extensive field surveys to contribute data to the better understanding of the natural world. To gain a deeper understanding of wildlife ecology, He has pursued a postgraduate degree in Environmental Science at MIT-WPU, Pune. He is now working as Research Biologist and is working on Ujjani wetland project.
Mr. Hrishikesh Karandikar (Research Officer)
Hrishikesh has completed his Master's in Ecology from Pondicherry University and BSc in Zoology from Modern College, Shivajinagar, Pune. He has been an avid bird watcher since he was 14 and has always been fascinated by nature. During his graduation, he took several professional certificate courses in Ornithology, Entomology, Herpetology, and Limnology to engage his curiosity. His love for travelling and wildlife took him into the wildlife tourism industry, where he worked as a Naturalist in different wildlife tourism companies. For his MSc dissertation, he used bird communities and birds as bio-indicators to assess the ecological status of mixed-native and monoculture plantations. Recently he worked as a Research Assistant to study pastoralists and their dependence on Savannas and pastoralist-wolf interactions. He is interested mainly in socio-ecological systems, ornithology, restoration biology and myrmecology. He loves taking photos of birds and insects and documenting his own-field experiences in his free time.
Ms. Sonal Pawar (Communication Officer)
Sonal Pawar holds a Master's degree in Biodiversity from MES Abasaheb Garware College-Pune and BSC in Microbiology from Modern College, Ganeshkhind, Pune. She is an avid bird watcher and loves to spend time in nature. For her Master's dissertation she was exploring the Microbial diversity of floral nectar using different medias While completing her Master's she had Volunteered for several wildlife survey in India, Gaur tracking surveys held by the Maharashtra Forest Department and Butterfly survey held by Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary Goa. She has interned with Zoological Survey of India,(ZSI) Western Region Center, where she was working on taxonomic identification of different taxa's, preservation techniques and morphometery of Amphibians. She had also interned with IISER, Tirupati on the project “Modified Landscapes in Tropical Mountains and Their Regenerative Role for Native Biodiversity” in the Sholas and high altitude grasslands of The Nilgiris.
Mr. Ajinkya Bagal (Project Officer)
Ajinkya Bagal has Master's degree in Wildlife Conservation Action from Pune. . He has worked on Gaur in Western ghats in Kolhapur district for his masters dissertation. He has done internship in Wildlife Trust of India on the project of Greater Manas recovery program in Assam. He has also worked upon some software such as Arc GIS, Q GIS, PRESENCE, MS Office, and Statistical analysis. He loves to explore new places and likes to travel. He works with local NGO's for animal resue operation. He has a keen interest in Ecology
Ms. Nityashree Nandi (Research Officer)
Nityashree Nandi, pursued her Master's degree in Wildlife Conservation Action at BVIEER, Pune, following her BSc (Hons) in Forestry from SHUATS Naini, Prayagraj. Her passion for nature and wildlife was ignited at a young age, inspired by the cartoon "Dinosaur Train." This early fascination led her to delve deeper into the world of animals, realizing that a cubicle life would not satisfy her adventurous spirit. During her undergraduate studies, she participated in a 2nd Aquatic School Training Program at Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, where the release of gharials solidified her determination to work with wildlife. Subsequently, she interned with PEF in Shirala, where she engaged in herp walks, witnessed the majestic Great Indian Hornbills in the Western Ghats, and participated in birding and trekking expeditions in Chandoli National Park and Amba Ghat. More recently, she interned with WTI on the Gharial Recovery Project, contributing to nest detection, track identification, and behavioral studies of gharials.
Mr. Prajwal Kumar (Project Officer)
Prajwal Kumar, BS, is a passionate wildlife enthusiast and postgraduate in wildlife and management from Kuvempu University. Hailing from an agricultural background, he is closely associated with cultivation and conservation management. He has worked on herbivore distribution in the Kali Tiger Reserve for his master's dissertation. He has done several internships related to elephant and leopard segregation and LTI plots. Beyond his academic pursuits, he finds joy in exploring new destinations and engaging in snake rescue and herping operations. He also devotes time to educating and inspiring schoolchildren about the importance of conservation, sharing his knowledge, and igniting a passion for wildlife in the next generation of enthusiasts.
Mr. Shivam Shinde (Project Officer)
Shivam completed his Masters in Biodiversity from Abasaheb Garware College. Driven by his passion for birds and carnivores, he has pursued a career in wildlife conservation. Following his Masters, Shivam gained valuable experience through internships with renowned organizations. He worked as a Research Assistant on a project focused on understanding the importance of Savanna Grasslands for Pastoralists and the wolf-pastoralist interactions with ATREE. He was also a part of the IISER Tirupati, Shola Sky Islands project, where he received training in mist netting, bird handling, and ringing. Previously, Shivam worked as a Research Assistant for the Human-Wildlife Interactions Project under the Urban Biodiversity Program, Mumbai, with Wildlife Conservation Society-India. His fascination with the mysterious behavior and stealthy hunting techniques of raptors led him to join ‘The Forest Owlet Project’. Beyond his academic pursuits, Shivam enjoys playing football and is a food enthusiast.
Mr. Shivaprasad Hegde (Project Officer)
Shivaprasad holds Master's degree in Environmental Science from Kuvempu University, Karnataka. For his Master's thesis he had worked on honeybees specifically on Apis cerana indica. He is a professional bee keeper of Apis cerana indica and Meliponini. Being a keen nature enthusiast, he is passionate about bees and loves to work with bees. Currently, he is working on Elephant project in North Kanara.
Mr. Nikhil Narendra Pandhare (Project Officer)
Nikhil is a passionate wildlife enthusiast. He holds a Master's Degree in Botany with the specialization of cell and molecular biology and Plant biotechnology from Hislop college Nagpur. He has excellent plant identification skills. He is interested in plant anatomy and plant physiology. Currently he is working on our Koyna plantation project. He loves playing football.
Mr. Siddharth Dixit (Project Officer)
Siddharth Dixit has a Masters degree in Zoology from Govt. Science College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. He always had a keen interest in animals hence has been involved with wilderness exploration and animal rescue/rehab since the last 10 years. He has joined WRCS as a Project Officer in the Elephant Project. He has previously worked as a field biologist for State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur. Siddharth is a huge pop culture aficionado and has played cricket professionally for Madhya Pradesh.
Mr. Anit Bansode (Project Officer)
Anit holds a Master's degree in Biodiversity, Wildlife Conservation, and Management from Mumbai University. He has conducted research on habitat use and spatial overlap among canids in a semi-arid landscape in Maharashtra. Additionally, he has experience in awareness programs, understanding people's attitudes towards wildlife, and working with software like QGIS, PRESENCE, and MS Office. Anit is passionate about studying mammal ecology and their coexistence, and he enjoys exploring new forest landscapes to learn more about wildlife.
Mr. Naroje Narendhar Ramchander (Project Officer)
Naroje Narendhar Ramchander completed his Master’s in Wildlife Biology from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu. He completed his dissertation from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, focusing mainly on the behavior and ecology of Asiatic black bear cubs.
He is particularly interested in the conservation ecology of mammals and community-based engagement initiatives. Naroje is currently working on an elephant project as a Project Officer. He has a passion for exploring wilderness areas and Enjoying in nature.
Mr. Vaibhav Bhujbal (Project Officer)
Vaibhav hold a master's degree in Zoology from Fergusson College, Pune. He has previously worked as a Junior Field Researcher at the Applied Environmental Research Foundation (AERF), Pune, where he conducted biodiversity surveys, managed sacred grove restoration projects, carried out preliminary assessment surveys, facilitated private forest conservation agreements, and developed public engagement programs. Prior to this, he served as a Trainee Researcher at Dr. D.Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Pimpri, Pune, where he refined his lab skills. Additionally, He have a strong background in data analysis, community engagement, scientific writing, and research.
He is passionate about traveling to explore new forest landscapes and learn more about wildlife.
Mr. Vivek Patel (Project Officer)
Vivek is a passionate wildlife conservationist with a Master’s in Environmental Science from Uttaranchal University, Dehradun. He has a keen interest in avifaunal ecology and conservation. He has gained experience through internships with leading organizations like WWF India’s Raptor Conservation Program, where he monitored raptors and their habitats in Dehradun, and at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, where he conducted line transects and vegetation sampling with NCBS. His work with IISER Tirupati’s Shola Sky Island Project involved bird occupancy surveys in the Western Ghats, and he contributed to biodiversity documentation at Achanakmar Tiger Reserve with FRLHT. Beyond his conservation work, he enjoys trekking and playing badminton.
Mr. Himanshoo Madavi (Project Officer)
Himanshu Rajkumar Madavi, has completed his Master's in Environmental Science from Shivaji University, Kolhapur and Under Graduation from College of Forestry, Dapoli.
He has worked on different projects on Carbon footprint and Soil. Climate change mitigation, sustainable living practices and environmental education are the topics of his interest other than this he is fond of reading books and travelling and Hiking.
Mr. Rajendra Dheple (Accountant)
Rajendra has a B.Com. degree and over 10 years of accounting experience in retail industry. Rajendra manages accounts department of WRCS. He is an excellent administrator and manages audits, purchases, payments and logistics. He has very good communication skills. He always supports in arranging exhibitions, stalls and managing the cash counter for our community initiative programs. He is a big cricket fan and a foodie on a diet!
Mr. Amol Dheple (Office Assistant)
Amol is trained as architectural draftsman at ITI Aundh. He is helping in office administration and managing the handicraft programme. He is an expert at managing the inventory of handicrafts. He expertly provides the finishing touch to handicrafts and manages the handicraft stalls at exhibitions.
Mr. Ashok Bethekar (Project Assistant)
Ashok is working on Owl Ecology Project in Melghat Tiger Reserve. He has been trained in assist in Owl Project and working with WRCS from longtime. He manages field work and helps in locating and monitoring owl nest.
Mr. Ram L. Kasdekar (Project Assistant)
Ram is working in Melghat Tiger Reserve on Owl Ecology. He has been trained in assist in Owl Project and working with WRCS from longtime. He manages field work and helps in locating and monitoring owl nest.
Mr. Jabbar Chauhan (Field Assistant)
Jabbar is an accomplished tracker and an immense help on field and off-field. He lives at Awaliya and works with WRCS at the Forest Owlet study site at East Kalibhit in Madhya Pradesh.
Mr. Balkrushna Bhomkar (Field Assistant)
Bunty has been working with WRCS on the Koyna project since 2015. He is an expert at managing plantations. His hard work has helped to make a success of the Koyna plantations.
Ms. Manisha Peter (Administrative Officer)
Manisha Peter has completed her B. Com from C. D. Jain College of Commerce, Shrirampur from Pune University. She has five years of experience in the sales department. She looks after all the administrative work. She enjoys travelling and making crafts from waste products .