Sooraj Bishnoi
Young Naturalist Awards (2010)
Sooraj Bishnoi, Sooraj began his wildlife journey at the ripe old age of six years when his parents took him to the Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary at Bharatpur. His interest was further sparked because his school Lilavati Podar in Santa Cruz was one among the 650 that had registered with Kids for Tigers, the Sanctuary Tiger Programme, 10 years ago. As a student member of the Bombay Natural History Society his passion was given still more direction. He is already a hero for children younger than himself, for whom he routinely presents his amazing slide show – The Treasure – about the need to understand, appreciate and defend nature. “Don’t wait till you grow up. The tiger needs you now,” he urges children. He also happens to be one of the youngest contributors to the Readers Digest, which accepted his fascinating first person story: “Why I Watch Birds”. Sooraj is a living example of the benefits of “catching them young”.