Divakar Sharma

Wildlife Service Award (2000)

An Ayurvedic traditional herbal medicine practitioner by profession, Divakar Sharma has spent much of the last 20 years of his life fighting the illegal wildlife trade. Responsible for exposing several wildlife trade networks, Sharma faces threats to his life on a daily basis. He is currently the Honorary Wildlife Warden of Haridwar and Dehradun and undercover work done by him resulted in the seizure of 58 tiger skins, a large quantity of bones, 112 leopard skins, seven rhino horns and significant quantities of ivory. He works with several NGOs with whom he regularly organises tree planting programmes, cycle rallies and awareness campaigns. A role model for young persons, he exudes positivism even in the face of given tragedy that green warriors are forced to confront every day on account of a vicious wildlife trade that is in league with international syndicates.