Nitin Kakodkar

Wildlife Service Award (2001)

Nitin Kakodkar, Deputy Conservator of Forests in charge of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, he has boosted the protection and management of this prime tiger habitat. The results of his efforts are bearing fruit, with tiger sightings increasing in frequency. His approachability to all, dedication and understanding have earned him praise from NGOs, senior officers and government officials alike.

All these examples hold one lesson: when one individual with the motivation to take up a cause comes along, he or she becomes a focal point, acting as a magnet, drawing resources, human and financial, to unite behind a common purpose – the defence of natural India. The bottom line? People can make a difference.