Neha Sinha was once an environmental reporter at The Indian Express. However, she is now one of India’s leading conservationists. Throughout her career, Neha has utilized her aptitude for communication and advocacy to improve policy and safeguard India’s precious wildlife. One of the most prominent campaigns Neha has supported is the Amur Falcon Campaign in Nagaland and Manipur.
During their annual winter migration from Siberia to southern Africa, over a million birds roost in Nagaland between November and December. The Doyang Reservoir formed the single largest congregation of the species and is referred to as the Amur Falcon Capital. In 2012, the indiscriminate massacre of Amur Falcons in the Pangti villages in Nagaland’s Wokha District. Over 100,000 falcons were hunted annually and sold to local markets in Nagaland and Assam. Hunters could earn up to $500 within five weeks from this lucrative trade.
Fortunately, over a decade later, a revolution has occurred in the region. Much like the hornbills of Nagaland, the Amur falcons are passionately protected by local communities, which once hunted them. In this interview, Neha remembers one of India’s greatest conservation miracles.
Neha also elaborates on her work in policy and advocacy. This includes the National Biodiversity Targets for the Government of India and the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act 2022. We also discuss about the State of India’s birds and the importance of nature writing for conservation. Lastly, Neha also talks about her book 'Wild and Wilful', which explores the story of 15 iconic Indian species. This includes the Bengal Tiger, King Cobra, elephants, leopards, magarmach, and many more. All views in this podcast are personal.
Episode 58: Creating a Future for Clouded Leopards with Chrishen Gomez, DPhil Student, WildCRU, University of Oxford
Episode 57: Exploring the Conservation of Borneo’s Primates and Felines with Susan Cheyne, Borneo Nature Foundation International
Episode 56: Safeguarding the Mammals of the Eastern Ghats with Dr. Vikram Aditya, Principal Scientist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies
Episode 55: Reviving India’s Seagrass Meadows for Dugong Conservation with Elrika D’Souza from Nature Conservation Foundation
Episode 54: Creating an Encyclopedia of India’s Wildlife with RoundGlass Sustain
Episode 53: Bringing back the Markhor with Tanushree Srivastava from Wildlife Trust of India
Episode 52: Understanding Amphibian Conservation and the IUCN Red List with Dr. Sanjay Molur, Founder of Zoo Outreach Organization
Episode 50: Tackling human-wildlife conflict in the Western Ghats with Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, Wildlife Biologist
Episode 49: Conserving Gujarat’s Sloth Bears with Nishith Dharaiya, Founder of WCB Research Foundation
Episode 48: The Growing Challenges of Human Carnivore Conflict with Dr. Andrew Stein, Founder and Director of CLAW Conservancies
Episode 47: Rewilding Scotland with Peter Cairns, Executive Director, SCOTLAND: The Big Picture
Episode 46: Protecting Rainforests with Bioacoustics and Artifical Intelligence with Bourhan Yassin, Founder of Rainforest Connection
Episode 45: Uncovering India’s Free Ranging Dog Problem with Chandrima Home
Episode 44: Saving Gorillas, Elephants and Marine Turtles with Adam Henson, Wild Earth Allies
Episode 43: Protecting Asia's Rhinos with Markus Hofmeyr, Director of the Rhino Recovery Fund
Episode 42: Conserving Arctic's Polar Bear with Krista Wright, Executive Director, Polar Bears International
Episode 41: Painting a Bright Future for Africa's Wild Dogs with Gregory Rasmussen, Founder of Painted Dog Research Trust
Episode 40: How do we restore the world's forests?
Episode 39: Creating a future for the Iranian Cheetah with Morteza Pourmirzai, CEO at Iranian Cheetah Society
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