USA (Commonwealth Union)_ Indian conservationist Krithi K. Karanth becomes the first Indian to win the prestigious Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year award. The honour was announced by the National Geographic Society in Mumbai for her decades of work in wildlife conservation, community engagement, and environmental education across India. For nearly 30 years, Karanth has worked on the frontlines of conservation. From tracking tigers in dense forests to helping farmers cope with crop damage caused by wild animals, her work has focused on one of India’s biggest environmental challenges: helping humans and wildlife coexist peacefully. She currently serves as the chief executive officer of the Centre for Wildlife Studies, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting India’s biodiversity and reducing conflict between people and animals.
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Karanth’s connection with nature began early in life. Born into a family with a strong background in environmental protection, she learned how to identify animal tracks, monitor wildlife with camera traps, and understand forest ecosystems. Although conservation surrounded her from childhood, she initially chose a different path, hoping to build an independent academic career abroad. She moved to the United States, where she earned dual bachelor’s degrees in science and arts from the University of Florida. She later completed a master’s degree in environmental science from Yale University and earned her doctorate from Duke University.
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Announcing the award, Jill Tiefenthaler praised Karanth’s ability to combine scientific research with grassroots action. She said Karanth’s work has inspired hope across India by showing how conservation can support both wildlife and local communities. Under Karanth’s leadership, the Centre for Wildlife Studies has expanded its work to more than 7,000 villages across India. The organization has supported over 100,000 people facing human-wildlife conflict and worked with around 10,000 farmers to promote wildlife-friendly farming practices. It has also trained nearly 50,000 local residents in more than 100 wildlife reserves spread across eight Indian states.
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Beyond fieldwork, Karanth has made a major contribution to scientific research and mentorship. She has written more than 100 research papers and guided over 300 young scientists from countries including China, Indonesia, Chile, and the United Kingdom. One of her most widely appreciated initiatives is Wild Shaale, which translates to “Wild School” in Kannada. The program uses storytelling, games and art to educate children living near forests on how to understand and respect wildlife instead of fearing it. Wild Shaale, which began in 2018, has reached 72,000 students in 1,626 schools.
Karanth has also developed a toll-free wildlife conflict response system to support villagers and farmers to quickly report incidents of livestock attacks or crop damage, thereby speeding up compensation claims and easing tensions between communities and forest authorities. Besides, Karanth has been the recipient of several international awards over the years, including the John P. McNulty Prize in 2025; the WILD Innovator Award in 2021; the WINGS Women of Discovery Award for Conservation in 2019; the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2015; the National Geographic Emerging Explorer in 2012; and the Rolex Award for Enterprise Laureate in 2019. With this latest award, she further cements India’s place in global conservation leadership.
