Romulus Whitaker
Encyclopedia
Romulus Earl Whitaker is a herpetologist
, wildlife conservation
ist and founder of the Madras Snake Park
, The Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust (ANET), and the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
.
In 2008, Whitaker was selected as an Associate Laureate in the 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, for his efforts to create a network of rainforest
research stations throughout India.
In 2005 he was a winner of a Whitley Award for outstanding leadership in nature conservation. He used this award to found the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in Karnataka
, for the study of King Cobra
s and their habitat.
Whitaker was the founder director of the Snake Park in Chennai
. The park was conceived to rehabilitate the Irula
tribe who are known for their expertise in catching snakes. The tribals were left jobless after the ban of snake trading. Whitaker helped the Irula tribe to get involved in extracting snake venom
used for the production of antivenom drugs.
Rom is the Founder-Director of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Centre for Herpetology, actively involved in crocodile breeding and conservation programs.
Whitaker is currently coordinating an effort to save the Gharial
, a Critically endangered species of Crocodilia
on the brink of extinction with less than 250 individuals left in Indian waters.
On December 27, 2010, the Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh
, during a visit with Rom at the Madras Crocodile Bank, announced the formation of a National Tri-State Chambal Sanctuary Management and Coordination Committee for gharial conservation on 1,600 km2 of the National Chambal Sanctuary for Ghariyals along the Chambal River
in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Committee will comprise of representatives of the states Water Resources Ministries, State Departments of Irrigation and Power, Wildlife Institute of India
, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
, the Gharial Conservation Alliance, Development Alternatives, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Divisional Forest officers of the three States. The Committee will plan strategies for protection of gharials and their habitat. This will involve further research on the species and its ecology and socio-economic evaluation of dependent riparian communities. Funding for this new initiative will be mobilized as a sub-scheme of the ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ in the amount of Rs.50 million to 80 million (USD 1 million to 1.7 million) each year for five years. This project has long been advocated by Rom Whitaker.
(IUCN/SSC), Vice Chairman (Western Asia), IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, Member, IUCN/SSC Indian Subcontinent Reptile and Amphibian Group and Member, IUCN/SSC Sea Turtle Specialist Group.
He is a Member of the Advisory Committee and the Editorial Board of the Bombay Natural History Society
, as well as Correspondent, The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
, USA; Advisor, Irula Tribal Women's’ Welfare Society, Afforestation Project; Member, Centre for Science and Education, New Delhi; Member, Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad and Founder-Member, Tamil Nadu Society for Social Forestry Research. He is also Chief Technical Advisor, Irula Snake Catchers’ Industrial Cooperative Society; Convenor, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
(INTACH), Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chapter; and Founder – Member, Palni Hills Conservation Council.
Explorer program. This film on the natural history of the King cobra
, the largest venomous snake in the world, received the Emmy Award
for Outstanding News and Documentary Program Achievement, 1998. It also received Best Photography Award, Progetto Natura 8th Stambecco d'Oro Nature Film Festival, Turin, 1997; Nominated for Best Cinematography, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival 1997; Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft-Cinematographers and News & Documentary, 1998 and nominated for Best Animal Behaviour, Wildscreen Film Festival 1998.
In February 2007, he was the subject of a critically acclaimed documentary produced by Icon Films
and WNET
(and broadcast as Supersize Crocs on PBS's Nature
series) on oversized crocodiles, which was filmed in India, Ethiopia
and Australia
.
In January 2009, Whitaker was in another Nature documentary on real-life reptiles such as Komodo dragons and Dracos that inspired tales of dragons.
A February 2011 BBC
Natural World followed Whitaker during his ongoing research into the causes and prevention of snake bites in India.
He has authored several scientific articles and popular books on reptiles, especially on snakes, including the comprehensive field guide, titled "Snakes of India - The Field Guide" in 2004. on the Snakes of India.
City. After the birth of his sister Nina, his mother Doris Norden and his stepfather, Rama Chattopadhyaya moved the family to India when Rom was seven.
Rom's stepfather was a pioneer in color film processing in Bombay (now Mumbai) for Bollywood
. His brother Neelkanth was born in Mumbai in 1953. Rom continued his education (begun in New York) at the Kodaikanal International School
(class of 1960). He studied briefly at Wyoming University. During the early Vietnam era he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he trained and was a medic on a military base hospital in Japan.
After his Army tour of duty, he apprenticed from 1963 to 1965 at the Miami Serpentarium with Bill Haast
, whom he affectionately calls his "guru". A short career in the Merchant Navy brought him back to India. He married his ex-wife Zai Whitaker in 1974, they have two sons, Nikhil (Wildlife Management) and Samir,(microbiologist). In 1986, He earned a B.Sc. in Wildlife management
from Pacific Western University
. He briefly dated the famous Odissi dancer, Protima Bedi
. Rom is a naturalized Indian citizen. Rom currently lives in Tamil Nadu
with his life partner, Janaki Lenin, on a farm south of Chennai
.
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
, wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all...
ist and founder of the Madras Snake Park
Chennai Snake Park Trust
The Chennai Snake Park Trust is a not-for-profit NGO constituted in 1972 by herpetologist Romulus Whitaker and is India's first reptile park. Also known as the Guindy Snake Park, it is located next to the Children's Park in the Guindy National Park campus...
, The Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust (ANET), and the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station, located south of the city of Chennai, in state of Tamil Nadu, India. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under the Wildlife Act, 1972 and is India's leading...
.
In 2008, Whitaker was selected as an Associate Laureate in the 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, for his efforts to create a network of rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
research stations throughout India.
In 2005 he was a winner of a Whitley Award for outstanding leadership in nature conservation. He used this award to found the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, for the study of King Cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
s and their habitat.
Work in India
Whitaker was the founder director of the Snake Park in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. The park was conceived to rehabilitate the Irula
Irulas
Irulas are a scheduled tribe of India. Irulas are present in various parts of India, but are mainly located in the Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu...
tribe who are known for their expertise in catching snakes. The tribals were left jobless after the ban of snake trading. Whitaker helped the Irula tribe to get involved in extracting snake venom
Snake venom
Snake venom is highly modified saliva that is produced by special glands of certain species of snakes. The glands which secrete the zootoxin are a modification of the parotid salivary gland of other vertebrates, and are usually situated on each side of the head below and behind the eye,...
used for the production of antivenom drugs.
Rom is the Founder-Director of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station, located south of the city of Chennai, in state of Tamil Nadu, India. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under the Wildlife Act, 1972 and is India's leading...
Centre for Herpetology, actively involved in crocodile breeding and conservation programs.
Whitaker is currently coordinating an effort to save the Gharial
Gharial
The gharial , , also called Indian gavial or gavial, is the only surviving member of the once well-represented family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodilians with long, slender snouts...
, a Critically endangered species of Crocodilia
Crocodilia
Crocodilia is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period . They are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria...
on the brink of extinction with less than 250 individuals left in Indian waters.
On December 27, 2010, the Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh born April 9, 1954, is an Indian economist and an influential politician of the Congress Party in the United Progressive Alliance ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the Government of India. He is a Member of Parliament representing Andhra Pradesh state in the...
, during a visit with Rom at the Madras Crocodile Bank, announced the formation of a National Tri-State Chambal Sanctuary Management and Coordination Committee for gharial conservation on 1,600 km2 of the National Chambal Sanctuary for Ghariyals along the Chambal River
Chambal River
The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in central India, and forms part of the greater Gangetic drainage system. The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a time through Rajasthan, then forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before turning...
in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The Committee will comprise of representatives of the states Water Resources Ministries, State Departments of Irrigation and Power, Wildlife Institute of India
Wildlife Institute of India
The Wildlife Institute of India is a autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.WII carries out wildlife research in areas of study like Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Wildlife Policy, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Forensics, Spatial Modeling,...
, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
Madras Crocodile Bank Trust
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology is a reptile zoo and herpetology research station, located south of the city of Chennai, in state of Tamil Nadu, India. The centre is both a registered trust and a recognized zoo under the Wildlife Act, 1972 and is India's leading...
, the Gharial Conservation Alliance, Development Alternatives, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Divisional Forest officers of the three States. The Committee will plan strategies for protection of gharials and their habitat. This will involve further research on the species and its ecology and socio-economic evaluation of dependent riparian communities. Funding for this new initiative will be mobilized as a sub-scheme of the ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ in the amount of Rs.50 million to 80 million (USD 1 million to 1.7 million) each year for five years. This project has long been advocated by Rom Whitaker.
Professional affiliations
Rom is Honorary Consultant, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources/Species Survival CommissionIUCN Species Survival Commission
The IUCN Species Survival Commission is a special commission operated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The commission's "major role is to provide information to IUCN on biodiversity conservation, the inherent value of species, their role in ecosystem health and functioning,...
(IUCN/SSC), Vice Chairman (Western Asia), IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, Member, IUCN/SSC Indian Subcontinent Reptile and Amphibian Group and Member, IUCN/SSC Sea Turtle Specialist Group.
He is a Member of the Advisory Committee and the Editorial Board of the Bombay Natural History Society
Bombay Natural History Society
The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. Many...
, as well as Correspondent, The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles is an international herpetological society. It is a non-profit organization supporting education, conservation, and research related to reptiles and amphibians. Regular publications include the Journal of Herpetology and Herpetological Review...
, USA; Advisor, Irula Tribal Women's’ Welfare Society, Afforestation Project; Member, Centre for Science and Education, New Delhi; Member, Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad and Founder-Member, Tamil Nadu Society for Social Forestry Research. He is also Chief Technical Advisor, Irula Snake Catchers’ Industrial Cooperative Society; Convenor, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage is an autonomous non-governmental Indian NGO that seeks to preserve Indian Art and Cultural heritage...
(INTACH), Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chapter; and Founder – Member, Palni Hills Conservation Council.
Popular culture
He was producer of the 1996, 53 minute, Super 16 mm wildlife documentary The King and I made for the National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
Explorer program. This film on the natural history of the King cobra
King Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
, the largest venomous snake in the world, received the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding News and Documentary Program Achievement, 1998. It also received Best Photography Award, Progetto Natura 8th Stambecco d'Oro Nature Film Festival, Turin, 1997; Nominated for Best Cinematography, Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival 1997; Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft-Cinematographers and News & Documentary, 1998 and nominated for Best Animal Behaviour, Wildscreen Film Festival 1998.
In February 2007, he was the subject of a critically acclaimed documentary produced by Icon Films
Icon Films
Icon Films is an award winning British independent television production company that produces factual programmes for broadcast by networks both in the UK and US...
and WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
(and broadcast as Supersize Crocs on PBS's Nature
Nature (TV series)
Nature is a wildlife television program produced by Thirteen/WNET New York. It has been distributed to United States public television stations by the PBS television service since its debut on October 10, 1982. Some episodes may appear in syndication on many PBS member stations around the U.S. and...
series) on oversized crocodiles, which was filmed in India, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In January 2009, Whitaker was in another Nature documentary on real-life reptiles such as Komodo dragons and Dracos that inspired tales of dragons.
A February 2011 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Natural World followed Whitaker during his ongoing research into the causes and prevention of snake bites in India.
He has authored several scientific articles and popular books on reptiles, especially on snakes, including the comprehensive field guide, titled "Snakes of India - The Field Guide" in 2004. on the Snakes of India.
Personal
Rom and his sister Gail (born 1939) grew up in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
City. After the birth of his sister Nina, his mother Doris Norden and his stepfather, Rama Chattopadhyaya moved the family to India when Rom was seven.
Rom's stepfather was a pioneer in color film processing in Bombay (now Mumbai) for Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
. His brother Neelkanth was born in Mumbai in 1953. Rom continued his education (begun in New York) at the Kodaikanal International School
Kodaikanal International School
Kodaikanal International School is a co-educational independent residential school offering education for grades P-12. It is located on in Kodaikanal, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, South India. Kodaikanal is a hill station at in the Palani Hills, north-west of Madurai.Early alumni of KIS include US...
(class of 1960). He studied briefly at Wyoming University. During the early Vietnam era he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he trained and was a medic on a military base hospital in Japan.
After his Army tour of duty, he apprenticed from 1963 to 1965 at the Miami Serpentarium with Bill Haast
Bill Haast
William E. "Bill" Haast was the director of the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a facility near Punta Gorda, Florida, which produces snake venom for medical and research use. Haast extracted venom from venomous snakes from the time he was a boy...
, whom he affectionately calls his "guru". A short career in the Merchant Navy brought him back to India. He married his ex-wife Zai Whitaker in 1974, they have two sons, Nikhil (Wildlife Management) and Samir,(microbiologist). In 1986, He earned a B.Sc. in Wildlife management
Wildlife management
Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
from Pacific Western University
Pacific Western University
California Miramar University , is a nationally accredited private proprietary institution of higher learning and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United States Department of Education...
. He briefly dated the famous Odissi dancer, Protima Bedi
Protima Bedi
Protima Gauri Bedi was an Indian model turned Odissi exponent. In 1990, she established 'Nrityagram', a dance village near Bangalore.-Early life:...
. Rom is a naturalized Indian citizen. Rom currently lives in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
with his life partner, Janaki Lenin, on a farm south of Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.