Sanjay Gubbi

Scientist, Western Ghats – Deciduous Forests

Ph.D Wildlife and Management

As a wildlife biologist, Sanjay’s work focuses on the conservation of large carnivores like tigers and leopards, working on applied aspects and understanding their population biology, proposing conservation policies for their protection, and working to minimise human-wildlife conflict.

Sanjay's PhD examined factors underlying the variation of leopard distribution across a habitat modification gradient in Karnataka, and evaluated approaches to management of leopard-human conflict to help achieve a better understanding and management of this beleaguered species. 

His work further involves reducing the impacts of habitat fragmentation, collaborating with the Karnataka Forest Department for the expansion of protected areas, understanding the impact of highways and roads on wildlife, conservation of forest corridors, providing alternatives for forest-based resources to local communities, conducting outreach programmes aimed at improving awareness on wildlife conservation and mitigating human-wildlife conflict, and improving social security measures for the frontline staff of the forest department and those affected by human-wildlife conflict.

On these projects, Sanjay works with a wide cross-section of people including policy makers, media personnel, local communities and social leaders. Sanjay firmly believes in the importance of community involvement and conservation awareness, and that led to the establishment of the Holématthi Nature Information Center near the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary.

As someone who stresses on effective communication, Sanjay is particularly interested in popularising wildlife conservation in local languages. He regularly writes pieces in English and Kannada for people to connect with conservation. His recent books include Leopard Diaries: The Rosette in India and, Second Nature-Saving Tiger Landscapes in the Twenty-First Century in English, and Shaalege Banda Chirate Mattu Itara Kathegalu and Vanyajeevigala Jaadu Hididu in Kannada, and a bilingual book Land of the Honey Badger, all drawing heavily from his experiences in and with the wild.

Sanjay was awarded the Whitley Award (Green Oscars) in 2017 as well as the Co-Existence Award (2019) among several others, for his work.

Projects

Publications

Monitoring Leopard Population in Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary between 2014 and 2020

Report

2021

Monitoring Leopard Population in Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary between 2014 and 2020

Variation in leopard density and abundance: Multi-year study in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Report

2021

Variation in leopard density and abundance: Multi-year study in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Quantifying Wire Snares as a Threat to
Leopards in Karnataka, India

Journal Article

2021

Quantifying Wire Snares as a Threat to Leopards in Karnataka, India

The leopards of Marikanive:
Population estimation of leopards in the Marikanive State Forest, Chitradurga

Report

2021

The leopards of Marikanive: Population estimation of leopards in the Marikanive State Forest, Chitradurga

Land of the Honey Badger

Book

2020

Land of the Honey Badger

A camera-trap sighting of the Indian grey wolf in Cauvery WS.

Journal Article

2020

The lone wolf: new distribution update of the Indian grey wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) in southern India

Policy to On-ground Action: Evaluating a Conflict Policy Guideline for Leopards in India

Journal Article

2020

Policy to On-ground Action: Evaluating a Conflict Policy Guideline for Leopards in India

Elusive species such as the leopard (Panthera pardus) have a wide geographical distribution.

Journal Article

2020

Every hill has its leopard: patterns of space use by leopards (Panthera pardus) in a mixed use landscape in India

Brown mongoose (Urva fuscus)

Journal Article

2020

An extension of the known range of Brown Mongoose Urva fuscus in Southern India

Rosettes in Chikkaballapur: Estimating leopard densities and abundance through camera trapping

Report

2020

Rosettes in Chikkaballapur: Estimating leopard densities and abundance through camera trapping

Counting the unmarked: Estimating
animal population using count data

Journal Article

2019

Counting the unmarked: Estimating animal population using count data

Big cat in well: an unconventional threat to leopards in southern India

Journal Article

2019

Big cat in well: an unconventional threat to leopards in southern India

Pangolins in global camera trap data: Implications for ecological monitoring

Journal Article

2019

Pangolins in global camera trap data: Implications for ecological monitoring

Monitoring of leopards at Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve in Karnataka

Report

2019

Monitoring of leopards at Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve in Karnataka

Leopards of Bannerghatta National Park: A camera-trapping exercise to estimate abundance and densities of leopards

Report

2019

Leopards of Bannerghatta National Park: A camera-trapping exercise to estimate abundance and densities of leopards

ಚಿರತೆಗಳು ಜನ ನಿಬಿಡ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿದ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿ ನಿಭಾಯಿಸುವ ವಿಧಾನಗಳು (Safely handling situations when leopards enter human dense areas - Kannada version)

Report

2018

ಚಿರತೆಗಳು ಜನ ನಿಬಿಡ ಪ್ರದೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಿದ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳನ್ನು ಸುರಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿ ನಿಭಾಯಿಸುವ ವಿಧಾನಗಳು (Safely handling situations when leopards enter human dense areas - Kannada version)

Evaluating a survey
landscape for tiger abundance in
the confluence of the Western and Eastern Ghats

Journal Article

2017

Evaluating a survey landscape for tiger abundance in the confluence of the Western and Eastern Ghats

Ecology and conservation of leopards in protected and multiple use forests in Karnataka

Report

2017

Ecology and conservation of leopards in protected and multiple use forests in Karnataka

Journal Article

2016

Providing more protected space for tigers Panthera tigris: a landscape conservation approach in the Western Ghats, southern India

Safely handling situations when leopards enter human dense areas - English version

Report

2016

Safely handling situations when leopards enter human dense areas - English version

Journal Article

2015

Distribution, relative abundance, and conservation status of Asian elephants in Karnataka, southern India

Report

2015

Tigers of Malai Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Landscape

Book Chapter

2015

Finding the middle road: Grounded approaches to mitigate highway impacts in tiger reserves

Poster
depicting dog and leopard pugmarks designed to help reduce anxiety and tensions - Kannada version

Poster

2015

Poster depicting dog and leopard pugmarks designed to help reduce anxiety and tensions - Kannada version

Journal Article

2014

An elephantine challenge: human–elephant conflict distribution in the largest Asian elephant population, southern India

Journal Article

2013

Joint Indian initiative creates tiger corridor

Poster designed to carry out awareness programs regarding human-leopard
conflict

Poster

2013

Poster designed to carry out awareness programs regarding human-leopard conflict

Journal Article

2012

Impact of vehicular traffic on large mammal use of highway-edges in southern India

Two new records of distribution of four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis)

Journal Article

2008

Two new records of distribution of four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis)

Wildlife of Chamarajnagara, Karnataka
| ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ವನ್ಯಜೀವಿ ಜಾಲದ ಗಣಿ ಚಾಮರಾಜನಗರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ

Book

Wildlife of Chamarajnagara, Karnataka | ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ವನ್ಯಜೀವಿ ಜಾಲದ ಗಣಿ ಚಾಮರಾಜನಗರ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ

Mammals of Biligirirangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Malai Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries - A bilingual pocket guide

Mammals of Biligirirangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Malai Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries - A bilingual pocket guide

Common birds of BRT Tiger Reserve  (Pocket guide)

Common birds of BRT Tiger Reserve (Pocket guide)

Common birds of Malai Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries - A bilingual pocket guide

Common birds of Malai Mahadeshwara and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries - A bilingual pocket guide