Dr. RIDDHIKA KALLE - Nalanda University · Aug 2004 - April 2005: Assisted in a short term research project on the î ïImmunization of Catla catla against Aeromonas hydrophila through

Dr. RIDDHIKA KALLE Assistant Professor

School of Ecology and Environment Studies

Nalanda University

Rajgir, Bihar

Cell: 9167488622

Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

Website: http://www.nalandauniv.edu.in/schools/faculty/sees/riddhika-kalle/

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Riddhika_Kalle

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Population ecology, biotic interactions, habitat utilization, and human-wildlife conflict

Predictive spatial modelling, climate change modelling and species distribution patterns

Ecology of mammals and birds in tropical and subtropical ecosystems

Application of advanced monitoring techniques and quantitative methods in biodiversity surveys and macroecological studies

EDUCATION 2011 – 2014 Ph.D Wildlife Sciences Wildlife Institute of India (Dehra Dun), Saurashtra University, Gujarat

Thesis titled: Ecology of sympatric small carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, India

2007-2009 MSc Wildlife Biology, First Class (Gold Medalist) A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu

Thesis title: Estimating density and abundance of tiger and leopard in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, India

2004-2007 BSc Zoology, First Class Bhavan’s College, Mumbai University, Maharashtra

SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENTS Our paper in 2016 “Native habitat and protected area size matters: Preserving mammalian assemblages in the Maputaland Conservation Unit of South Africa”. Forest Ecology and Management 360:20–29 was placed in the Special Section: Forest Management for Climate Change

The most cited paper for the journal Acta Theriologica in 2013. Kalle, R., Ramesh, T., Sankar, K & Qureshi, Q. (2011). Density of tiger and leopard in a tropical deciduous forest of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, southern India, as estimated using photographic capture–recapture sampling. Acta Theriologica 56 (4): 335-342. May 2014 – 2016: University of KwaZulu-Natal Postdoctoral Fellowship Oct 2009-March 2014: Research Fellowship from the Wildlife Institute of India, Grant-in-aid research project ‘’Ecology of sympatric carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve’’, at Wildlife Institute of India. April 2009: Gold Medalist, MSc. Wildlife Biology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mayiladuthurai, Bharathidasan University, Tamil Nadu. 2007-2008: Principal R. Balasubramanian Endowment Scholarship awarded in Ist year M.Sc. Wildlife Biology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu. 2007-2008: Student representative of Academic Council, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Tamil Nadu.

RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION EXPERIENCE May 2014 – 2016: Postdoctoral Fellow at at the University of KwaZulu-Natal I have been co-guiding many honours, master’s and post-graduate students at Prof. C.T Downs lab. My guidance involves sharing quantitative and theoretical skills in ecology and wildlife science to students at all levels; from project designing to conducting workshops, and research publications. In addition, I have been working on my own project that focuses on how environmental and biotic changes are affecting bird distributions at macroecological scales, specific to South Africa. As of now from my independent project I have completed one paper on the red-billed oxpecker using a variety of species distribution modelling techniques. This paper produces maps for South Africa showing suitable areas for red-billed oxpeckers for reintroduction/translocation operations by the Endangered Wildlife Trust. My independent project includes a series of predictive modelling tools and its applications to existing databases available at Prof. C.T. Downs lab. I worked on the citizen science Cape parrot birding data wherein I modelled the impact of climatic and land cover changes (2002-2014) on the occupancy and abundance of Cape parrot using multi-year occurrence data using the newly introduced integrated population and dynamic occupancy models.

Oct 2011-2013: Doctoral Thesis entitled “Ecology of sympatric small carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve” at the Wildlife Institute of India. I went on to pursue my PhD, primarily focusing on population, diet and spatial ecology of small carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. My thesis investigated the population and abundance of lesser known carnivores under the framework of mark-recapture and occupancy modeling. Dietary studies included seasonal tracking of fruit traits and properties by civets and temporal trophic specialization in small felids and herpestids. I also analyzed relationships between macro/ microscale variables and predicted distribution of small carnivores using GIS tools. 2012: Technical Advisor to a 6 month Master’s dissertation “To estimate the abundance of the animals found in Pakke-Nameri landscape and to assess the animals that are hunted for socio-economic purposes. Wildlife Institute of India. Jan 2011-2012: Technical Advisor to a Doctorate research project “ A study on medicinal plants in Eastern Ladakh”, Wildlife Institute of India.

Oct 2009 –2011: Research Fellow in the Grant-in-aid project ‘’Ecology of sympatric large carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve’’ at Wildlife Institute of India. I have been intensively monitoring the population of mammalian predators and prey species in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, an important Conservation Landscape in India. My Master’s dissertation at AVC College initially led me to the tropical forest of Mudumalai with the help of collaboration at the Wildlife Institute of India. My specific duties included project designing, database entry, data analysis, GIS/mapping, questionnaire surveys, budgeting, and maintaining project accounts. I also trained forest department officials in carnivore monitoring techniques using field methods such as camera-trapping, transect walks, and sign surveys. This research project led to the declaration of Mudumalai as a Tiger Reserve from a Sanctuary. In the process, technical skills were also imparted to forest officials in several adjoining forest Reserves and Sanctuaries within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and Agasthyamalai region in south India. May - June 2008: One month summer internship at Wildlife Institute of India on ‘’Campus Biodiversity Project’’. This project was a small stint at the Wildlife Institute of India where I learnt fundamental field techniques such as sampling techniques, vegetation sampling, animal monitoring, bird point count methods, mapping, quantification skills and data analysis in an ongoing Campus Biodiversity Project. As emerging students in the field of ecology the experience was most rewarding and helped me get a clear perspective on the function of field ecologists.

Jan 2007 - March 2008: Survey of reptile road-kills in Mayiladuturai, Tamil Nadu in affiliation with A.V.C. college, Mayiladuthurai. http://www.cspt.in/cobracontents.php?t=15 I began my natural history pursuits when enrolling for my Master’s program in Wildlife Biology at A.V.C. college, in Tamil Nadu. This project was inventory-based on a short herpetological survey. This led to a contribution through a publication in a national journal and added to the herpetofaunal checklist in the region.

Aug 2004 - April 2005: Assisted in a short term research project on the ‘’Immunization of Catla catla against Aeromonas hydrophila through the development of herbal vaccines”, Department of Zoology, Bhavan’s College, Mumbai. This was a short-term project, where as a Bachelor’s student in Zoology, I assisted a faculty member at the Zoology Department in her PhD project with a specialization in Fisheries Sciences. The project aimed at identifying effective herbal extracts by developing herbal vaccines for the immunization of Catla catla against the potent bacterial fish pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila.

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Published (International peer-reviewed journals)

Patterson., L., Kalle., R & Downs., C.T. 2016. Predation of artificial bird nests in suburban gardens of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Urban ecosystems 1-16, DOI:10.1007/s11252-016-0526-4

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Rosenlund, H. & Downs, C. T. 2016. Native habitat and protected area size

matters: Preserving mammalian assemblages in the Maputaland Conservation Unit of South Africa. Forest Ecology and Management 360: 20–29.

Volampeno, M. S., Randriatahina, G. H., Kalle, R., Wilson, A. L., & Downs, C. T. (2015). A preliminary population viability analysis of the critically endangered blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons). African Journal of Ecology Pgs 1-9. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aje.12213/abstract

Ramesh, T. Kalle, R. & Downs, C. T. 2015. Spatiotemporal variation in resource selection of servals: insights from a landscape under heavy land-use transformation. Journal of Mammalogy http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyv201.

Ramesh, T. Kalle, R. & Downs, C. T. (2015). Sex-specific indicators of landscape use by

servals: consequences of living in fragmented landscapes. Ecological Indicators 52: 8-15. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X14005561

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R. & Downs C.T. (2015). Predictors of mammalian species richness along a habitat gradient in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Ecological Indicator 60: 385-393.

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K. & Qureshi, Q. 2015. Role of body size on activity budget of mammals in the Western Ghats. Journal of Tropical Ecology 31(4): 315-323

Kalle, R., Ramesh, T., Qureshi, Q. & Sankar, K. 2014. Estimating seasonal abundance and habitat use of small carnivores in the Western Ghats using an occupancy approach. Journal of Tropical Ecology 30:469-480.

Kalle, R., Ramesh T., Qureshi Q. & Sankar K. 2013. Observations of sympatric small

carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats. Small Carnivore Conservation 49: 53–59. http://www.smallcarnivoreconservation.org/home/pdetail/volume-49/

Kalle, R., Ramesh T., Qureshi Q. & Sankar K. 2013. Predicting the distribution pattern of small

carnivores in response to environmental factors in the Western Ghats. Plos ONE 8(11): e79295. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079295

Kalle, R., Ramesh T., Qureshi Q. & Sankar K. 2013. The occurrence of small felids in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India. Cat News 58: 32-35. http://www.catsg.org/catsglib/recordetail.php?recordid=9729

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K & Qureshi, Q. 2013. Dry season factors determining habitat use and

distribution of mouse deer (Moschiola indica) in the Western Ghats. European Journal of Wildlife Research 59(2): 271-280 doi:10.1007/s10344-012-0676-5.

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K & Qureshi, Q. 2013. Aspects of breeding biology of chital (Axis axis) and sambar (Rusa unicolor) in the Western Ghats. Acta ethologica 16(3):147-155. doi:10.1007/s10211-013-0145-5

Kalle, R., Ramesh T., Qureshi Q & Sankar K. 2012. Diet of mongoose in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, southern India. Journal of Scientific Transactions in Environment and Technovation 6(1):44-51. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235997878_Diet_of_mongoose_in_Mudumalai_Tiger_Reserve_southern_India

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K & Qureshi, Q. 2012. Dietary partitioning in sympatric large carnivores in a tropical forest of Western Ghats, India. Mammal study 37: 313–321. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3106/041.037.0405

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K. & Qureshi, Q. (2012). Spatio-temporal partitioning among large

carnivores in relation to major prey species. Journal of Zoology (London) 287(4): 269–275 doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2012.00908.x

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K. & Qureshi, Q (2012). Factors affecting habitat patch use by sloth bears in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India. Ursus 23(1): 78–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.2192/URSUS-D-11-00006.1

Ramesh, T., Sankar, K., Qureshi, Q. & Kalle, R. (2012). Group size and population structure of megaherbivores (gaur Bos gaurus and elephant Elephas maximus) in a deciduous habitat of Western Ghats, India. Mammal Study 37(1): 47–54. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3106/041.037.0106

Ramesh, T., Sankar, K. Qureshi, Q. & Kalle, R. (2012). Group size, sex and age composition of chital (Axis axis) and sambar (Rusa unicolor) in deciduous habitats of Western Ghats. Mammalian Biology 77(1): 53–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mambio.2011.09.003

Kalle, R., Ramesh, T., Sankar, K & Qureshi, Q. (2011). Density of tiger and leopard in a tropical deciduous forest of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, southern India, as estimated using photographic capture–recapture sampling. Acta Theriologica 56 (4): 335-342. doi: 10.1007/s13364-011-0038-9.

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K. & Qureshi, Q (2011). Assessment of wild Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus) body condition by simple scoring method in a tropical deciduous forest of Western Ghats, Southern India. Wildlife Biology in Practice 7(2): 47-54. http://socpvs.org/journals/index.php/wbp/article/view/10.2461-wbp.2011.7.17

Published (National Refereed Journals, Newsletters, Books)

Ramesh, T., Chakravarthi, J.P.P., Balachandran, S. & Kalle, R. (2012). Birds of lower Palni Hills, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu. Journal of Threatened Taxa 4(14): 3269–3283. http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.asp?jid=93

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K & Qureshi, Q. (2012). Langur - chital association in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats. ZOO’s PRINT, 27 (8): 15-17. http://www.zoosprint.org/showMagazineBackIssue.asp?hidMId=239

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K & Qureshi, Q. (2011). Ecology of sympatric large carnivores (tiger, leopard and wild dog) in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Proceedings published in Resurgence of Tigers in Nilgiri Biosphere Landscape: Vision and Strategies, Compendium, April 2011.

Ramesh T., Sridharan N. & Kalle R. (2011). Birds of Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, Central India. ZOO’s PRINT, 26(12): 25-29. http://www.zoosprint.org/showMagazineBackIssue.asp?hidMId=231

Ramesh, T & Kalle, R. (2010). A note on the diet of tiger (Panthera tigris) and dhole (Cuon alpinus) in a Montane Shola Forest, Western Ghats, India. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society 107(3): 240-241. http://www.bnhs.org/publications/journal-of-bnhs/468-jbnhs-vol-1073.html

Deepak, R & Kalle, R.V. (2009). A report on reptile road-kills in a rural area of Tamil Nadu, India. Cobra 3(4):9-14. http://www.cspt.in/cobracontents.php?t=15

Popular articles

Kalle, R. (2011). Wildlife, a treasure or a delicacy. Hornbill 107(2): 32-33.

Submitted papers under review (National and International peer-reviewed journals)

Kalle., R., Combrink., L & Downs C.T. Re-establishing the pecking order: Ensemble models reliably predict suitable habitats for the reintroduction of the red-billed oxpecker in South Africa. Ecology and Evolution (under review)

Kalle., R., Ramesh., T & Downs CT. Dynamic occupancy models explain the range dynamics of a food nomadic bird under climate and land cover change. Global Change Biology (under revision)

Patterson., L., Kalle., R & Downs., C.T. A Citizen Science Urban Wildlife Survey: Knowledge and

Attitudes of KwaZulu-Natal Residents. Urban Ecosystems (under revision)

Ramesh, T. Kalle, R., Rosenlund, H. & Downs, C.T. Low leopard populations in protected areas of Maputaland: a consequence of poaching, habitat condition, abundance of prey and a top predator. Oecologia. (under review)

Patterson., L., Kalle., R & Downs., C.T. A novel application of citizen science in understanding the spatiotemporal drivers of vervet monkey troops in a suburban matrix in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Landscape and Urban Planning (under revision)

Kalle, R., Ramesh, T., Qureshi, Q. & Sankar, K. Fruit traits and physicochemical properties influence fruit selection in frugivorous carnivores. Biotropica (under revision)

Kalle, R., Ramesh, T., Qureshi, Q. & Sankar, K. Does spatial-scale matter in the habitat modeling of

elusive small carnivores? A case study from a protected area of southern India. Forest Ecology and Management (under revision)

Master’s Dissertation

Kalle, R. (2009) ‘’Estimating tiger (Panthera tigris) and leopard (Panthera pardus) abundance in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu’’ M.Sc. Thesis, A.V.C. College, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu.

Research reports

Sankar, K., Qureshi, Q., Ramesh, T., Kalle, R. (2011). A study on sympatric carnivores (tiger, leopard and wild dog) in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Final report submitted to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun. Pp. 266. http://www.wii.gov.in/research_report11

Jhala Y.V., Qureshi Q., Gopal R., and Sinha P.R. (Eds.) (2011). Status of the Tigers, Co-predators, and Prey in India, 2010. National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. TR 2011/003 pp-302 (Contributed as a member of research team). http://www.projecttiger.nic.in/whtsnew/Tiger_Status_oct_2010.pdf

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K and Qureshi, Q. (2010). A study on sympatric carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Annual report submitted to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun.

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K and Qureshi, Q. (2009). Population of tiger, leopard and dhole in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun. Annual Report submitted to Chief Wildlife Warden, Tamil Nadu Forest Department.

Kalle, R., Deepak, R., and Francis, P. (2008). A study on WII Campus Biodiversity. Internship report submitted to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun. http://www.academia.edu/1248868/A_Study_on_WII_Campus_Biodiversity

RESEARCH SUPERVISION

Co-guiding Master’s thesis: Home-range and habitat use of urban vervet monkey troops in sub-urban matrix in the city of Durban by Lindsay L. Patterson. University of KwaZulu-Natal. (Ongoing)

Co-guiding Master’s thesis: Ecological connectivity for forest mammals using occupancy models in the Ethekwini Municipality (Ongoing)

Co-guided Master’s thesis: Aspects of urban wildlife in sub-urban matrix by Lindsay L. Patterson. University of KwaZulu-Natal. (Successful), 2015

Co-guided Master’s thesis: Study on the trends of bushmeat consumption and traditional hunting on wild fauna by indigenous community living near Protected Area in Nagaland by Satemmenla Longchar, Master’s Thesis, (Successful), Wildlife Institute of India.

Co-guiding Honour’s project: Effect of plantations and predators on honey badgers in Isimangaliso

Wetland Park. Under preparation by M. Maseko at University of KwaZulu-Natal (Successful).

Co-guiding Honour’s project: Impact of plantations on a forest specialist: a case study of the

crested guineafowl in St; Lucia Wetland Park. Under preparation by S. Kheswa at the University of

KwaZulu-Natal (Successful).

REVIEWER

International peer-reviewed journals – Plos One, International Journal of Biodiversity and

Conservation, Journal of Zoology, Mammal Research, Biological Conservation, Ibis, Ecology, Journal

of Mammalogy, Tropical ecology, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, Mammalian

Biology, Mammal study, Folia Zoologica, , Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing

PRESENTATIONS IN CONFERENCES, SEMINARS & SYMPOSIUMS

Co-threatened hosts and parasites causes range contraction of an avian mutualist. Species on the Move Conference by Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), and University of Tasmania in Tasmania, Australia February 2016.

Co-authored paper “Importance of wetland, forest and patch richness for a population of servals in

a fragmented landscape in South Africa” presented by Dr. T. Ramesh at The 6th Annual Diamond Route Research Conference held by The Diamond Route Company at the De Beers Corporate Headquarters, Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-21st October 2015

Oral talk on “Cothreatened hosts and parasites causes range contraction of an avian mutualist” held at the School of Life Sciences in collaboration with University of Laval, Canada, 1 day, November 2014

Oral seminar presented on “Predicting the distribution of small carnivores in the Western Ghats” from Kalle et al., 2013 paper at the Seminar hall, School of Life Sciences, September 2014

Kalle, R., Ramesh, T., Qureshi Q. and Sankar K. 2013. Habitat suitability modeling of a

neglected carnivore community in the Western Ghats. Invited talk for an oral presentation by The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation at the Asia-Pacific Chapter Meeting, March 2013 in Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia.

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K and Qureshi, Q. 2011. Ecology of sympatric large carnivores (tiger, leopard and wild dog) in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Proceedings published in Resurgence of Tigers in Nilgiri Biosphere Landscape: Vision and Strategies, Compendium, April 2011.

Kalle, R. 2011. Assessment of tiger, leopard and dhole population and their prey choice in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Annual Research Seminar, Wildlife Institute of India. http://www.wii.gov.in/abstracts_research_seminars

Ramesh, T., Kalle, R., Sankar, K and Qureshi, Q. 2010. Large predators and prey population in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu” Abstract published in the First Indian Biodiversity Congress, Trivandrum, 2010: Book of Abstracts Pp 54.

Kalle, R., Ramesh, T., Sankar, K and Qureshi, Q. 2010. Habitat occupancy of small felids, viverrids & herpestids In Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, India. First Indian Biodiversity Congress, Trivandrum, 2010: Book of Abstracts Pp51.

Kalle, R. 2010. A Study on Sympatric Small Carnivores in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu.

Annual Research Seminar, Wildlife Institute of India. http://www.wii.gov.in/abstracts_research_seminars

WORKSHOPS CONDUCTED

“Occupancy modelling” at the School of Life Sciences , University of KwaZulu-Natal, 31st March and 1st April 2015.

Training for Sigur Reserved Forest staff, Nilgiri North Forest Division in ‘’Wildlife Census

techniques’’, in collaboration with WWF, Southern India Division, May 2011.

Field Training for Forest Dept. on ‘Camera Trapping in Mukkurthi National Park’’, 8-9 March 2010.

Training on Synchronized Tiger Population Estimation conducted by Wildlife Institute of India at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. 22-25 Jan 2010

Training for Forest Department on ‘’Camera trapping large carnivores in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve’’, Tamil Nadu, 2010.

Regional Workshop on ‘All India Tiger Population Estimation’, Wildlife Institute of India for Southern Indian Forest Service Officers at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, 10-12 November 2009.

Field refreshment training in Wildlife Census for Anti-poaching watchers of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, 2009.

Estimating tiger (Panthera tigris) and leopard (Panthera pardus) abundance in Mudumalai Tiger

Reserve, Tamil Nadu. MSc. Thesis work , 2009

Orientation program on Nature talk for Indian Navy officers in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, 2009.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Attended the 6th Annual Diamond Route Research Conference by Diamond Route Company at the

De Beers Corporate Headquarters, Johannesburg, South Africa, 20-21st October 2015

Frugivores & Seed Dispersal (FSD) Conference Organised by: School of Life Sciences, University of

KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. Held at Alpine Heath, Northern Drakensberg, South Africa, 21-

26th June 2015

Participated in Statistical modelling workshop: Spatial Modelling of Environmental Change and Species Distributions led by Dr Sean Sloan (James Cook University) and Dr Alice Hughes (CSIRO fellow) at the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Banda Aceh, Indonesia, 23 - 24 March 2013.

Participated in WCS-WII International Workshop on Analysis and Management of Animal Populations. Conducted by USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Centre, held in Wildlife Institute of India, 15-22nd January 2013

Attended conference: YETI(Young ecologists talk and interact) Wildlife Institute of India, ENVIS centre 5th, 6th & 7th December 2012

Participated in the “R program” course by Prof. Kavita Iswaran, Indian Institute of Science, held in Wildlife Institute of India. 1 week in January 2012

Attended demonstration by Dr. Shomita Mukherjee on faecal preservation for molecular extraction and its application on small carnivores at National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, 1-3rd August 2011

Conducted ‘Wildlife Census’ at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, May 2011.

Conducted ‘Wildlife Census’ at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, February 2010.

Attended guest lecture and workshop – Asian elephant research in South India by Dr. Ashok Kumar Asian Elephant Conservation Centre in the Bombay Natural History Society camp, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, 3 days session in November 2008

Attended Herpetology course at Snake Park and Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, 2 days in October 2008

Participated in ‘’Annual Mammal Census’’ at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary held by Tamil Nadu

Forest Department, Wildlife Division, Nagapattinam, March 2008

Participated in ‘’Wildlife Census at Mettupalyam Forest Division’’ conducted by Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Coimbatore Forest Division, March 2008

Attended Guest lecture - Wild India: Ecology of Striped Hyena in the Sigur Plateau, Tamil Nadu, India by Prof. R. Arumugam Biologist and Wildlife Consultant for Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, and Tamil Nadu Forest Academy, 1 day in February 2008

UGC (New Delhi), aided workshop, “Use of Computers in Statistical Analyses’’ jointly organized by P.G. and Research Department of Economics with Research and Development Cell, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Tamil Nadu, February 2008

Participated in ‘’Annual Migratory Bird Census’’ at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary held by Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Wildlife Division, Nagapattinam, January 2008

Participated in a Workshop on ‘’Museum Techniques’’ conducted by P.G. and Research Department

of Zoology and Wildlife Biology, A.V.C. College (Autonomous), Tamil Nadu, October 2007

Guest lecture - Strategies for reducing bycatch from trawling in fisheries by Dr. Aaron S. Lobo Nature Conservation Foundation and AVC College, 1 day in February 2007

Guest lecture - Turf wars: Understanding turtle-fisher conflicts in Lakshadweep seagrass meadows by Dr. Rohan Arthur, Nature Conservation Foundation and AVC College, 1 day in February 2007

Guest lecture - Wild India: Ecology of Striped Hyena in the Sigur Plateau, Tamil Nadu, India by Prof. R. Arumugam, Biologist and Wildlife Consultant Anamalai Tiger Reserve. Tamil Nadu Forest Academy, 1 day in February 2007

Seminar ‘Les Fruits De Mer’ (Fruits of the Sea) organized in commemorations of sesquicentennial celebrations of University of Mumbai by the Department of Zoology, Mithibai College Mumbai, November 2006

Participated in Science Exhibition on, ‘’Working Models in Biology’’ conducted by Bioscience Department in the Inter-collegiate Academic Festival held at Royal College of Arts, Science, Commerce and Management Studies (Affiliated to University of Mumbai), September 2006

Short term course in Urban Ecology at the Nature Club of Bhavan’s College, Mumbai, June 2006

Volunteer Training Programme at the Conservation Education Centre of Bombay Natural History Society, April 2006

Participated in a Workshop on “Museum Techniques’’ conducted by Bombay Natural History Society in January 2006

Volunteer in nature clubs, eco-awareness camps and outreach programs.

TEACHING, TRAINING AND LECTURES

Taught courses on Conservation Biology especially carnivore population ecology for graduate and post-graduate students from Forestry College at Mettupalyam and AVC College, Department of Zoology and Wildlife Biology.

Undertaken field training programmes for forest/wildlife department personnel from sanctuaries, reserve forests and Tiger Reserves in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and Agasthyamalai Reserve.

FIELD EXPEDITIONS

Terrestrial mammal surveys through camera-trapping in Mukurthi National Park, through workshops and training sessions for the Forest Department (10th-15th Dec)

Transect walks and capacity building in Sigur Reserved Forest, (20th-23rd April 2011) PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Highly organized, dedicated with a positive attitude. Good understanding on implicating scientific information. Good written, oral, interpersonal, communication and leadership skills. Ability to publish research work in international peer-reviewed journals, contribute articles,

reports and create awareness on wildlife issues.

LANGUAGES

Fluent in English, Hindi, Konkani and Marathi. Working knowledge of Tamil and Gujarati.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Field research: Camera-trapping, carnivores and prey sign surveys, transect and trail walks, GPS navigation, small mammal live-trapping, wildlife population estimation techniques, habitat-occupancy modeling, diet analysis, scatology, and vegetation sampling, species distribution models using remote-sensing data.

Softwares –Capture, Distance, Density, Mark, Mendeley Desktop, CloseTest, Ecosim, EstimateS, Presence, Scatman, Spacecap-R, Program R, Biomapper, Maxent, ENM Tools, Canoco, PC-Ord, Oriana, Temporal Overlap, Flocker, Spss, PAST, NCSS, X-L stat, Arc view 3.2, ArcGIS 9.3.

MS-Office (MS-Word, Excel, Power Point, Coral Draw, Photoshop).

Instruments used –Camera traps, GPS, Compass, Binocular, Range finder, Microscope, Densitometer, animal trapping equipment (Tomohawk trap and Sherman Trap), small mammal morphometric measurements.

Personal hobbies: bird watching, maintaining field diaries, traveling

COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA Link below provide access to interviews in print media and television

http://kanarasaraswat.in/Magazinelist.aspx Sun TV

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP AND SOCIETIES

Bombay Natural History Society World Wide Fund for Nature Sanctuary Asia Zoo Outreach Organization Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation Society for Conservation Biology Small Carnivore IUCN

REFERENCES 1. Prof. Colleen Downs School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu-Natal, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, 3209. Tel: +27-33-2605127/04 (w) +27-33-3860947(h) 08 29 20 20 26 Fax: +27-33-2605105 email: [email protected] Skype: colleen.t.downs 2. Prof. K. Sankar Director, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Anaikatty P.O. Coimbatore Tamil Nadu – 641 108 India E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Institution Website Address: http://www.sacon.in/staff/dr-k-sankar-m-sc-m-phil-ph-d/ Tel: 91-09412051142 91-0422-220310 3. Dr. R. Nagarajan Professor, Postgraduate and Research Dept. of Zoology & Wildlife Biology

A.V.C. College (Autonomous) Mannampandal-609305, Mayiladuthurai, Tamilnadu, India Institution Website Address: http://www.avccauto.ac.in Email: [email protected] Phone: 04364–229911, 222264 (O); Mobile No: 9487112627 Fax no: 04364-222264 4. Dr. Goldin Quadros Senior Scientist – Wetland Ecology. Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History, Anaikatty (POST), Coimbatore-641108, Tamil Nadu, India, Institution Website Address: http://www.sacon.in/index.php/dr-goldin-quadros Email: [email protected] Phone: 0422- 2203100 Mobile- 9869183412 PERSONAL DETAILS Nationality: Indian Marital status: Married to Dr. T. Ramesh Date of Birth: December 4, 1986

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