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Sanjay Gubbi
 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 educating & 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] Personal life and educationBorn to Navarathna and Sreyamsha Kumar N.B. in Pavagada on February 4, 1971, 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. Early careerGubbi 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. In the past, he has served as 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. Other workSanjay 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. PublicationsGubbi has authored several scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals. He has also authored two books on wildlife in Kannada, two in English, and one bi-lingual book. Research articles• Kolekar, A., Hockings, K., Metcalfe, K. & Gubbi, S. (2024) Identifying priority areas for the Indian leopard (Panthera pardus fusca) within a shared landscape. Ecology & Evolution. 14(10) doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70404 • Pattekar, S., Gubbi, S., Struebig, M. J., & Benson, J. F. (2024) Response of dholes to prey availability and human disturbance in space and time in southern India. Biological Conservation. 297, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110750 •Gubbi, S., Menon, A., Suthar, S., Prabhu, K. & Poornesha, H.C. (2023) Home range estimate of sloth bear using non-invasive camera-trap data. Ursus, 2023, (34e7), 1–6. doi:https://doi.org/10.2192/URSU-D-22-00004 • Gubbi, S., Prabhu, K., Suthar, S., Poornesha H.C., & Deschamps, J. (2023) Quantifying the threat of wire snares using camera trapping data in India. Biological Conservation. 286, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110303 • Suthar, S., Chawla, M. M., Poornesha H. C., & Gubbi, S. (2023) A camera-trap record of a brown Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica from Karnataka state, southern India. Small Carnivore Conservation. 61, e61003. • Gubbi, S. (2022) Many facets of afforestation (tree planting) and climate change. Current Science. 122(9), 1007-1008.
Books and others
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