Conserving Karnataka's Wild Spaces

Sanjay Gubbi’s conservation efforts in the last decade are finely detailed in Second Nature, Saving Tiger Landscapes in the Twenty First Century.

- A.J.T. Johnsingh

At a time when wildlife habitats across the world are getting disturbed and decimated, here comes a sobering message from Karnataka. The southern state has added nearly 3,000 sq. km area to its existing protected area network, effectively increasing the geographical area of the PA network from 3.8 percent to 5.2 percent. A lion’s share of this creditable achievement goes to local conservation biologist Sanjay Gubbi, who accomplished this with the unflagging support of dedicated forest and Indian administration officials and political leaders within a short period of one year.

When this enhancement was brought to the attention of the National Board for Wildlife for its ratification in November 2011 by BK Singh, a remarkable forest officer of exemplary dedication and fitness who was then the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), the members (I was also a member in the Board then) laughed and unanimously approved this proposal. The reason for laughing was while all other senior forest officers who had come to attend the meeting had come up with proposals for de-notification of forest areas for various purposes, here was one that pleaded for enlarging the area under protection! Many such stories by Sanjay Gubbi which have strengthened conservation in Karnataka over the last decade can be read in the book Second Nature, Saving Tiger Landscapes in the Twenty First Century published by Rainfed Books in January 2018.

Sanjay grew up in rural and semi-rural parts of Karnataka. His exposure to the natural world came from his time spent in the Boy Scouts. Now, he tries to secure tiger landscapes in Karnataka – India’s tiger state – and follows the excellent advice of eminent conservation biologist George B. Schaller, who said,“Describing the life of an animal is not enough: a researcher today also has the moral responsibility to help the species to endure”.