Photo : Lakshitha Karunarathna
Sanctuary Asia began its journey one quiet evening in 1980. Sitting around Fateh Singh Rathore’s campfire under the banyan tree outside Jogi Mahal, Ranthambhore, Bittu Sahgal made an impulsive promise to his mentor that on his return to Mumbai he would start a wildlife magazine and galvanise urban Indians in support of the country’s wilds.
The first issue rolled out in October 1981, with no business plan, no editorial experience and no capital. Since then, Sanctuary has been chronicling India’s natural history and shaping conservation discourse without having missed a single issue despite wars, social strife and economic meltdowns. It is published monthly, with every alternate month’s publication dedicated to young readers.
In 2015, the foundation was established to manipulate the magazine’s wide network of conservationists, naturalists, photographers, writers and editors who run the several projects, campaigns and events that thrive under the Sanctuary brand. The foundation’s reach spans policy, advocacy, science, on-ground support for field workers and environmental education.
At the heart of our purpose lies the conviction that the economies of nations sit on a foundation of stable ecosystems. Sanctuary envisions a world with abundant biodiversity, a sustainable climate and an equitable future for one and all.
Read the latest issue.
India’s grasslands have been disappearing silently – a silence we can no longer afford to ignore. In this grasslands-themed issue, some of the country’s most credible voices make a compelling case for their preservation. From the Konkan laterite plateaus of Maharashtra to the ever-changing Banni grasslands of Kutchh, and from the terai grasslands to the shola of the Western Ghats and the bugyals of the Himalaya, this issue journeys through the diversity of India’s Open Natural Ecosystems.
Encouraged by the support it received, three years after the first edition of Sanctuary Asia came out, a second magazine was launched in 1984. Sanctuary Cub is the first and still the only children’s nature magazine in India. With an aim to instill respect and concern for the environment and wildlife in young children, for many young Indians, Cub continues to be their first introduction to the wild and wonderful world of nature.
Currently edited by Tara Sahgal, Sanctuary Cub aims to inculcate in children an urgency to take action and the need to create a positive change in a society that gives little thought to its rapidly depleting biodiversity.
Read the latest issue.
An issue for young readers dedicated to the stories of apex predators – their role in keeping nature in balance and the challenges they face today from arguably the most dominant predator of all – humans. From India’s tigers to Yellowstone’s wolves, from sharks to even tiny but mighty insects, take a closer look at the web of life with a focus on those at the top. Follow a tiger’s hunt and a vulture rescue, and experience a chilling encounter with a leopard. It’s an issue packed with thrill.
