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People Involved
Avinash Krishnan
National Director and Chief (Conservation Science)
He initially joined A Rocha India in 2007 and has served in several capacities to establish the organisation. 2007 and has served in multiple capacities to establish the organisation. He is an alumnus of the post graduate programme in wildlife management and conservation from the University of Reading, United Kingdom.
Avinash is based in Bangalore and has been studying human-elephant interactions in BHL for the past 17 years and has played a vital part in establishing baseline research and conservation practices in this region. Avinash is a member of IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group, and has aided in the formulation of national and international level guidelines in the management of Asian elephants in their range states and countries. At present, he holds advisory roles with leading conservation NGO’s and State Forest Departments. He is keen to conserve endangered wildlife species and protect the important biodiversity regions of India.
Priya Anna James
Project Manager
Priya holds a masters degree in Biodiversity, Wildlife Conservation and Management from Mumbai University. She completed her thesis on primate-human interactions in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and realised she had a keen interest in studying animal behaviour. Priya started her career interning for projects in Human-Wildlife Conflict mitigation in Maharashtra, social and sign surveys in Madhya Pradesh and captive animal management work in Pretoria, South Africa. She has since worked at BNHS as a Junior Research Fellow in the collection department. She now holds the position of Project Manager at A Rocha India, working on several conservation, environmental and social projects within the A Rocha framework.
Amrita Nair
Project Coordinator
Amrita holds a masters degree in Ecology and Biodiversity from the University of Brussels, Belgium. She is extremely passionate about exploring the intricacy between the natural world and human societies. Amrita now serves as a project coordinator at A Rocha India. Her primary focus is on wildlife conservation and strives to foster a harmonious relationship between humans and the environment, while driving impactful positive change.
Dilip Kumar A.V.
Division Manager and Senior Research Officer
Dilip Kumar has had an extensive career in the field of zoology, in particular, he has focussed on finding resolutions for human-elephant conflict. With his background in wildlife and a decade of experience in Bannerghatta-Hosur Landscape, he has gained valuable insights into elephant behaviour, corridors, barrier assessments and stakeholder interactions. Currently, Dilip is the Division Manager and Senior Research Officer and continues to dedicate his efforts towards understanding elephants and implementing strategies to minimize HEC.
Sagarika Phalke
Communications Officer (Consultant)
Sagarika Phalke has been associated with A Rocha India since 2013 working on the long-term elephant conservation project at Bannerghatta National Park. With a double MSc in the Psychology of human-animal interactions (University of Stirling, UK) and Counseling Psychology (Bangalore University, India), her interest lies in the human dimensions of conservation. She is currently pursuing her PhD studies at the University of Hong Kong focussing on the concept of elephant individuality and its potential to influence interactions with humans. In addition to conservation she also works on captive-elephant welfare. Her long-term research focus is on understanding and improving conditions for captive elephants which experience differing levels of welfare due to their interactions with humans.
Ramesh H
Field Coordinator
Ramesh is very passionate about wildlife and wants to expand his knowledge of the natural world, he has a Master’s Degree in Wildlife and Management from Kuvempu University, Karnataka. Ramesh is driven by a steadfast belief in the importance of conservation and he currently serves as a field coordinator at A Rocha India. He dedicates his time to understand nature and advocate for the preservation of our natural heritage for future generations.
Alisha Krishnan
Media Officer
Alisha Krishnan completed her BA in Journalism from the National School of Journalism and Public Discourse, Bangalore, India, 2022. She previously interned at Care Well India Trust as the Social Media Manager. Alisha is passionate about writing and photography and has always had a deep interest in wildlife and found her way to A Rocha India and is working as the Media Officer.
Sahana Daniel Fredricks
Research Assistant for the Asian Elephant
Conservation Programme
Sahana’s journey into the realm of wildlife research began with a simple curiosity about animals and encounters as a child. Now she holds a master’s degree in wildlife and management from Kuvempu University in Shimoga, Karnataka. She took a step towards a career dedicated to understanding and preserving our planet’s biodiversity. Currently employed as a research assistant at A Rocha India, working on a project with WRRC, elephant care foundation, Narsapura. Her goal is to make a significant contribution to wildlife conservation, ensuring a bright future for generations to come.
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A Rocha Field Study Centre
#13, Kaserguppe Village,
Bilwardahalli (Dakle), Bannerghatta (Post),
Jigani (Hobli), Anekal (Taluk),
Bangalore South-560083
Karnataka – IN