Meet wildlife conservationist Krithi Karanth

Krithi Karanth, director and chief conservation scientist at the non-profit organisation Centre for Wildlife Studies in Bengaluru, has been working in the field for 23 years. Her work focuses on keeping the peace between the wildlife in India’s shrinking reserves and populations whose lives and livelihoods are affected by their proximity to these reserves. The Wild Seve programme she launched in 2015 helps people file for compensation from the government for damage done by wildlife. The Wild Shaale programme launched in 2018 aims to get children excited about and to empathise with wildlife. Karanth, 42, recently won the Wild Innovator Award, a $100,000 prize given out by the US-based Wild Elements Foundation. In its inaugural year, the award was handed out to 10 women worldwide. Karanth was the only Asian.