Dr. Sonali Ghosh
Wildlife Service Awards 2025
Dr. Sonali Ghosh
Wildlife innovator, administrator, academic
The floodwaters were receding, but another wave was certain. For Dr. Sonali Ghosh, the first priority was to ensure safe passage for the wild animals of Kaziranga. The second was the welfare of the forest staff stationed across more than 200 anti-poaching camps within the tiger reserve – teams who live there year-round, often cut off from road connectivity during the monsoon.
Floods are a regular occurrence in Kaziranga, but Dr. Ghosh’s presence was historic. In 2023, as the floods unfolded, she became the first woman Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam. Her appointment marked a new chapter for women in conservation leadership, even as she remained acutely aware of the magnitude of her responsibility and the time it takes for meaningful change to take root. For Dr. Ghosh, serving in the famed national park was also a personal homecoming. She had begun her career here in 2002 as a young trainee officer.
With over two decades in the Indian Forest Service (IFS), Dr. Ghosh has earned a reputation as a skilled and visionary administrator of India’s wildernesses. When informed of the Sanctuary Award decision, she was quick to add a modest disclaimer: “I am accepting this award on behalf of the entire Kaziranga team.”
Dr. Ghosh has made it a habit to set the bar high. On October 10, 2025, she became the first Indian to receive the Kenton R. Miller Award for Innovation in National Parks and Protected Area Sustainability, conferred by the International Union for Conservation of Nature – World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). She was recognised for her pioneering approach to Protected Area governance that critically examines the colonial origins of conservation while affirming the rights and roles of Indigenous and local communities in safeguarding biodiversity.
The daughter of an Army officer, Dr. Ghosh grew up across India, nurturing a lifelong love for the outdoors. Her formative years in Dehradun, often called the ‘Mecca of Forestry’, played a defining role in shaping her career choice. Surrounded by the Forest Research Institute, the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, and the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in nearby Mussoorie, she was inspired to pursue forestry as a profession. With a Master’s degree in Forestry and Wildlife Science, she chose to dedicate her career to working for nature, from within the system.
Her early postings took her to the Kaziranga National Park as an Assistant Conservator of Forests, followed by a stint at the Assam State Zoo Division. She was later posted at the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, where she worked on the conservation of the endangered golden langur. Before returning to Kaziranga as Field Director, Dr. Ghosh served as Chief Conservator of Forests (Research, Education, and Working Plan Division) at the Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Guwahati. She also played a vital role in the revival of Manas National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During her field tenure in Kokrajhar, she oversaw the first successful rehabilitation of captive-bred clouded leopard cubs into the wild – a landmark achievement in wildlife conservation. In 2013, she received the WWF-PATA Bagh Mitra Award and the King’s College Marsh Marjan Award for her courageous work in areas affected by armed conflict.
After 15 years in the field, Dr. Ghosh returned to the Wildlife Institute of India as a scientist, where her research focused on ex-situ conservation, Protected Area governance, and nature-culture linkages in heritage conservation. She co-edited two books: Cultural Landscapes of Asia and Wild Treasures: Reflections on Natural Heritage in Asia. In 2017, she was appointed Director, Swachh Bharat Mission, by the Government of India. During the COVID-19 years, she served with the Central Zoo Authority, with additional charges for the National Zoo in Delhi and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, for a smooth post-pandemic transition for over 150 zoos and rescue centres.
Dr. Ghosh holds a degree in Systems Management, an M.Sc. in Wildlife Conservation and Forestry, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Law from the National Law School of India University. She earned a Ph.D. in Physical Geography from the United Kingdom under a Commonwealth Scholarship, focusing on tiger habitat suitability in the Indo-Bhutan Manas landscape.
From managing floods and wildlife in Kaziranga to reshaping conservation governance at a global level, Dr. Ghosh’s journey stands as a testament to courage, innovation, and dedication to India’s natural heritage.
By her exceptional leadership in safeguarding India’s wildlife, Dr. Sonali Ghosh has created new avenues for women in conservation. She has shown that a forest official can be pragmatic yet compassionate. For this we honour Dr. Sonali Ghosh with a Sanctuary Wildlife Service Award, 2025.