Sloth Bear Expert Team Co-Chair

Nishith is currently positioned as the Director of the newly established (2023) Center of Excellence for Wildlife and Conservation Studies, Bhakta Kavi Narsinh Mehta (BKNM) University, Junagadh (Gujarat) India. Since 1996 he has been working mainly on large mammal ecology and biodiversity monitoring in India. He did his doctorate on the ecology and behavior of Asiatic lions. Since 2006 he has been doing research on sloth bears, investigating distribution, population monitoring, and human-bear conflicts in India as well as in Bhutan. Nishith has developed a revised map of Sloth bear distribution in the range countries for IUCN and also authored the Bear conservation action plan for Gujarat state. Currently he is leading the bear safety education and outreach programme named “Aatmavat Sarvabhuteshu" in western India under which he has prepared a documentary film on sloth bear, an animation film on sloth bear for kids and several bear safety education materials for local people. In addition to sloth bear research, he has conducted studies focused on leopard, human -wildlife conflicts, small mammals and wetland monitoring in Gujarat. He is the founder of Wildlife and Conservation Biology Research Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to wildlife research, conservation and capacity building. Nishith is working toward collaborative capacity building programmes for wildlife conservation at his university. He has been appointed for coordinating the state wide wildlife population estimation with Gujarat forest department. Nishith aspires to elevate and direct the young researchers towards the conservation of wildlife and habitat.