Ullas Karanth
Encyclopedia
K. Ullas Karanth Ph. D., is a conservation zoologist and a leading tiger expert based in Karnataka
, India
. He is the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society
India Program. Dr. Karanth directs the WCS effort to help save the tiger
, and has conducted country-wide surveys to better estimate their population and habitat needs. Working mainly in the Nagarahole Wildlife sanctuary, Dr.Karanth's work has highlighted the importance of conserving prey populations in order to ensure the survival species such as the tiger.
He is also a Senior Conservation Scientist with the New York
based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Technical Director of the WCS Tiger Conservation Program.He is an alumnus of NITK, Surathkal
.
In 2007, Dr. Karanth won the $200,000 J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership
; earlier winners include Salim Ali
and Jane Goodall
.
. While he resolved to join the effort, he studied engineering
. He then tried his hand at farming for some years. His amateur biological observations of the flora and fauna of his native Karnataka State in Southern India, under severe pressure from incompatible human activity, spurred him to investigate conservation models for the Western Ghats, which represent a global biodiversity hotspot. A 1983 meeting with a Smithsonian delegation paved the way for his travel to the USA. He studied in the US National Zoo's Wildlife Conservation and Management Training Program in 1987, obtained his Master's degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida
in 1988, and a Doctorate in Applied Zoology from Mangalore University
in 1993. He did his B. Tech. in metallurgy
from KREC (now known as NITK), Suratkal, where he studied from 1966 to 1971.
. Some results arising out of the study, on the status of tigers and their prey in particular, have been published as scientific papers and books.
The scientific technique that forms the foundation of scientific estimation of tiger densities in forests is capture-recapture sampling. By applying a robust statistical model to the sampling data, a fairly accurate estimate of tigers in a given area can be arrived at. This is distinctly different from the pugmark
method adopted so far by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and its specially constituted unit, Project Tiger, in India. It is also different in its approach in that it does not claim to produce a total count of tigers in a given area and is more indicative of population levels.
This approach to tiger conservation relies on conservation of forests from both a prey and predator perspective. Dr.Karanth suggests that with such approaches, it is possible to preserve tigers in India and elsewhere.
, and is on the editorial board of the journals Oryx
and Journal of Applied Ecology. He also serves on the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s specialist groups on Cats, Elephants, Wild Cattle and Small Carnivores. He is the Scientific Advisor to Wildlife First, a pro-active wildlife advocacy group and is prime mover in a WCS-funded multi-institutional initiative running a graduate program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at the National Centre for Biological Sciences at Bangalore
.
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...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is the director of the Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
India Program. Dr. Karanth directs the WCS effort to help save the tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, and has conducted country-wide surveys to better estimate their population and habitat needs. Working mainly in the Nagarahole Wildlife sanctuary, Dr.Karanth's work has highlighted the importance of conserving prey populations in order to ensure the survival species such as the tiger.
He is also a Senior Conservation Scientist with the New York
New 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...
based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Technical Director of the WCS Tiger Conservation Program.He is an alumnus of NITK, Surathkal
Surathkal
Surathkal is a locality under Mangalore City Corporation located in the Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka state, India...
.
In 2007, Dr. Karanth won the $200,000 J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership
J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership
The J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership has been awarded annually since 2006 in recognition of outstanding leadership in global conservation. The award aims to acknowledge individuals making "pioneering and substantial" contributions to conservation as well as foster the development of...
; earlier winners include Salim Ali
Salim Ali
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian ornithologist and naturalist. Known as the "birdman of India", Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology...
and Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
.
Early life
Dr. Karanth is the son of noted Kannada writer, Dr. Shivaram Karanth. In his adolescence, Dr. Karanth read about naturalists trying to save tigers in AsiaAsia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. While he resolved to join the effort, he studied engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. He then tried his hand at farming for some years. His amateur biological observations of the flora and fauna of his native Karnataka State in Southern India, under severe pressure from incompatible human activity, spurred him to investigate conservation models for the Western Ghats, which represent a global biodiversity hotspot. A 1983 meeting with a Smithsonian delegation paved the way for his travel to the USA. He studied in the US National Zoo's Wildlife Conservation and Management Training Program in 1987, obtained his Master's degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1988, and a Doctorate in Applied Zoology from Mangalore University
Mangalore University
Mangalore University is a public university located in Konaje, Karnataka State of India. Ranked with a four star by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council in June 2000, this young university offers higher education and conducts research in various fields...
in 1993. He did his B. Tech. in metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
from KREC (now known as NITK), Suratkal, where he studied from 1966 to 1971.
Studies on tiger populations
His longest single project is arguably the monitoring of the health of forests and biodiversity in the Nagarahole Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park in KarnatakaKarnataka
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...
. Some results arising out of the study, on the status of tigers and their prey in particular, have been published as scientific papers and books.
The scientific technique that forms the foundation of scientific estimation of tiger densities in forests is capture-recapture sampling. By applying a robust statistical model to the sampling data, a fairly accurate estimate of tigers in a given area can be arrived at. This is distinctly different from the pugmark
Pugmark
Pugmark is the term used to refer to the footprint of most animals . "Pug" means foot in Hindi...
method adopted so far by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and its specially constituted unit, Project Tiger, in India. It is also different in its approach in that it does not claim to produce a total count of tigers in a given area and is more indicative of population levels.
This approach to tiger conservation relies on conservation of forests from both a prey and predator perspective. Dr.Karanth suggests that with such approaches, it is possible to preserve tigers in India and elsewhere.
Other work
Dr. Karanth is a scientific fellow of the Zoological Society of LondonZoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
, and is on the editorial board of the journals Oryx
Oryx
Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight...
and Journal of Applied Ecology. He also serves on the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s specialist groups on Cats, Elephants, Wild Cattle and Small Carnivores. He is the Scientific Advisor to Wildlife First, a pro-active wildlife advocacy group and is prime mover in a WCS-funded multi-institutional initiative running a graduate program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at the National Centre for Biological Sciences at Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
.