Wildlife warrior Vinod Rishi Sanctuary award

India's foremost anti-poaching strategist Vinod Rishi has been conferred with the coveted lifetime service award of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation.

Rishi is a wildlife warrior, anti-poaching strategist, climate specialist, former Additional Director-General of Forests (Wildlife). After 37 years working for the Indian Forest Service, his passion has only grown stronger. One amongst the old guard of India’s wildlife conservation movement, his contribution to India’s natural heritage spans parks, states and disciplines.

A software engineer from Karnataka, Chandni Gurusrikar, who was involved in conservation projects across the landscapes of Bandipur, Nagarhole and Bhadra tiger reserves, will receive the wildlife service award of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation. She is currently a trustee and volunteer at Vanodaya Wildlife Trust, that is active in and around Karnataka’s largest protected area – the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. Professionally, an Academic Coordinator of the Post-Graduate program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, a collaborative program between the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS), soft-spoken, steely-willed Chandni quietly inspires young minds to look beyond wildlife science, to wildlife conservation and community engagement.

The awards were announced on Thursday by eminent conservationist Bittu Sahgal, the Editor of Sanctuary Asia, Anil Ghelani, Senior Vice President, DSP Investment Managers Pvt Ltd and Paul Abraham, COO, IndusInd Bank.

Kheer Babu Pardhi and Mahila Bai Pardhi, who are amongst the first to publicly give up hunting and educating dozens of school-going Pardhi children, too received the wildlife service award.