The Team
Zoo Outreach Organisation / Wildlife Information Liaison Development
Dr. Sanjay Molur, Ph.D.
Secretary
Sanjay has been involved in conservation for close to three decades working on various aspects from theory to practical application. He is a global expert on conservation assessments and planning. He has assessed over 10,000 taxa from India, southern Asia, southeastern Asia, Africa, and South America across several taxonomic groups. He is the Chief Editor of the Journal of Threatened Taxa and represents several SSC IUCN specialist groups and international boards. He earned his Ph.D. degree from Mysore University in 2010.
Latha G Ravikumar, MBA
Treasurer
She has an MBA and is in charge of the Organisation's finances, administration, and legalities. Her expertise spans strategic financial planning, statutory compliance, grant management, and organisational development. She has been working with ZOO for more than 34 years, contributing to its growth.
R. Marimuthu, M.Sc.
Education Officer
Marimuthu holds an M.Sc. in wildlife from A.V.C. College, Mayiladuthurai. His communication skills endear him to his target audiences. He has had several trainings including the famous Jersey Training in Endangered Species Management and the World Conservation Society's Education training in New York.
Priyanka Iyer, M.Phil.
Researcher / Associate Editor
She is passionate about wildlife conservation and has worked on aquatic systems, policy issues, education, and editing publications. She has assisted with IUCN Red List assessments and the Assessment to Planning process as part of the Conservation Planning Specialist Group, South Asia.
Payal B Molur
Wildlife Educator
She is a wildlife education specialist with over 17 years of experience. She began her career in wildlife documentary making before transitioning to education and curriculum development. Currently, Payal serves as a freelance trainer with Zoo Outreach (India).
B. Ravichandran
Managing Editor, JoTT & Research Assistant
He joined as an Administrative Assistant in 1999 and assisted in more than 15 workshops. He developed DTP skills and became an editorial assistant for Zoo's Print Journal in 2014. Later he became Managing Editor of Journal of Threatened Taxa when it started in 2009.
Trisa Bhattacharjee, M.Sc.
Coordinator - RHATC & Himalayan Restoration Project
She is an Ecology graduate, focused on working on wildlife conservation and restoration through stakeholder-based approaches. She works at Zoo Outreach Organisation as a researcher, monitoring and evaluating conservation projects through participatory methods, fundraising, and coordinating training activities.
Usha Ravindra, M.Sc.
Research Assistant
She hails from Bangalore and is basically a physicist. Now she is exploring wildlife as a career and is finding out how to contribute to conservation through research.
Tandrali Baruah, M.Sc.
Research Assistant / Educator
She is a wildlife educator who leads the design and implementation of biodiversity education and community engagement programmes. Her role includes developing curriculum-aligned learning materials, conducting teacher training workshops, and coordinating school and community outreach initiatives.
Vishal Ahuja, M.Sc.
Researcher
Vishal Ahuja hails from Chamba and is a teacher by trade. He joined the Himalayan Langur Project in 2012. He oversees the Himalayan Langur Education Program in schools in Chamba and is currently overseeing restoration activities in Chamba.
P. Kritika*
Research Assistant
She holds a Master's degree in Zoology from J.C. Bose University of Science and Technology. Kritika is currently involved in the 1Ocean and Wetland Restoration projects.
Sidharthan*
Research Assistant
Sidharthan holds a bachelor's degree in Zoology and a master's in Wildlife Studies, with interests in wildlife genetics, host-pathogen interactions, and biodiversity monitoring. He has participated in several bird and wildlife surveys and is passionate about nature education.
Koshik V Rao*
Research Assistant
Koshik is a wildlife enthusiast who pursued a Master's in Zoology from Mangalore University. He completed the RHATC course and is motivated to work toward wildlife conservation and raising awareness about protecting biodiversity for future generations.
Poojitha Dupati*
Research Assistant
Poojitha is a Master's graduate in Zoology from Osmania University with a deep passion for nature and wildlife conservation. She is particularly interested in studying wolves and exploring predictive modelling to aid conservation efforts.
Dr. J. Chaithra Shree*
Assistant Editor
Chaithra Shree serves as Assistant Editor for the Journal of Threatened Taxa (JoTT) and also serves as Member Secretary of the Human Ethics Committee. She is responsible for managing peer-reviewed articles and ensuring high editorial standards for the journal.
Paloma Noronha*
Assistant Editor
Paloma Noronha serves as Assistant Editor for the Journal of Threatened Taxa (JoTT), working remotely from Silvassa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli. She plays a key role in the journal's publication process and quality assurance.
Amrin Taiba Ansari*
Research Assistant
She is an enthusiastic individual pursuing her dream of becoming a wildlife conservationist. Amrin is currently involved in the Chamba Restoration Project in Chamba Valley, Himachal Pradesh.
Dr. Sachin Verma*
Botanist
He is a dedicated forestry professional with a Ph.D. in Forestry. His work has focused on plantation development, agroforestry promotion, carbon stock assessment, and sustainable land use. He was honoured with the Young Scientist Award. Sachin is currently involved in the Chamba Restoration Project.
Lakshay Tyagi*
Botanist
Lakshay Tyagi serves as the Botanist for the Himalayan Restoration Project. With extensive experience working across the Lower Himalayas, he has collaborated with the Wildlife Institute of India and the Azim Premji Foundation on urban ecology projects.
Lakshya Raj Singh Rathore*
Community Intern
A forestry graduate from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, he brings valuable field experience in community-based conservation, biodiversity research, and forest impact assessment. He has interned with WWF-India, the Rajasthan Forest Department, and the Rajasthan Forestry and Wildlife Training Institute.
Payal Chaman*
Community Intern
Payal, a native of Dugli village, is committed to working from the community and for the community. She has been associated with the Zoo Outreach Organisation since July 2024 and finds the work purposeful, inspiring, and deeply fulfilling.
Sushanth, S.*
Ph.D. Scholar
He is registered for a Ph.D. under Zoo Outreach Organisation Trust Research Centre, affiliated with the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, working on species composition and status in the habitat mosaics of Nelliyampathy Hills, Kerala.
Rajeshkanna, R.
Administrator
He serves as an assistant to the Finance and Admin Team, supporting financial management, administration, database maintenance, web development, and educational material creation. He also owns Green Prints, the printing partner for ZOO's Journal of Threatened Taxa.
Radhika Suresh
Accounts cum Project Executive
Radhika is an M.Com graduate responsible for maintaining communications, helping with accounts, publication, and general administration.
Geetha Kannan
Accounts cum Project Executive
Geetha takes care of account maintenance, record keeping, and assisting with administration and conservation programs.
Somyuktha Sajeev*
Accounts cum Project Executive
Somyuktha is an MBA graduate who helps with accounts, publication, and general administration along with Radhika and Rajeshkanna.
*Contract basis. Team members may be assigned to multiple projects simultaneously based on their expertise and organisational needs.
Research Affiliates
Dr. Bhargavi Srinivasulu, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Bhargavi earned a Ph.D. in birds from Osmania University. She is a Chiropterologist (bat expert) affiliated with Zoo Outreach Organisation for several years and also works at the Zoology Department of Osmania University.
Dr. Manju Siliwal, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Manju is a spider taxonomist (Arachnologist) with a Ph.D. from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. She works with WILD on the distribution and status of Mygalomorph spiders in India, conducting field surveys across different parts of India.
Dr. Mewa Singh, Ph.D.
Associate Scientist
Mewa Singh is an internationally acclaimed expert on ecology and animal behaviour with emphasis on non-human primates. His work on the Slender Loris and the Lion-tailed Macaque brought international attention to these highly endangered species. He is currently a Professor For Life at the University of Mysore.