Welcome to the Elephant Tails Podcast from Wildlife SOS, where we bring you the intimate stories and behind-the-scenes perspectives with the people working to save India’s wildlife.
This is the first in a three-part series discussing the work of Wildlife SOS to conserve wild elephant herds in India and reduce human-elephant conflict. This hands-on research and tracking in the state of Chhattisgarh is a pilot project we hope will expand to protect each and every one of the 27,000 wild Asian elephants left in India. Wildlife SOS Director of Marketing and Communications, Dana Wilson chats with Thomas Sharp about the current status of elephants in Asia, what direct actions are being taken to protect wild herds, and what Wildlife SOS researchers are discovering that will help more elephants in the future.
In this episode of Elephant Tails, Wildlife SOS Director of Advocacy and Engagement Kip Peterson talks about the Founders' Trip, where a handful of guest get the VIP treatment and an exclusive tour of India with Kartick and Geeta, Co-Founders of Wildlife SOS. See colorful sights including historic Old Delhi, our Elephant Care and Conservation Centre, the Taj Mahal, and search for wild tigers in the spectacular Ranthambore National Park. Learn more about the experience and plan for your future adventure meeting the elephants of Wildlife SOS as they play in Yamuna river. It's the trip of a lifetime!
In this episode of Elephant Tails, we talk to Tom Sharp, Director of Conservation and Research for Wildlife SOS, and co-chair of the IUCN Sloth Bear expert team about the relocation and study of a wild sloth bear near the Bannerghatta National Park in Karnataka, India. There has been very little scientific study of wild sloth bears, so when this particular bear came in conflict with local villagers outside the national park, it was a great opportunity to track the movements of a while bear.
Why do we care for these poor elephants? In short, because we refuse to see them die in chains, deprived of dignity. Every one of them deserves a fighting chance. In this episode of Elephant Tails, Arinita Sandilya talks with Geeta Seshamani about a difficult topic ... why does Wildlife SOS go to so much effort to help critically ill elephants with little hope of survival? If you follow our work closely, you know of the recent rescue operations for Bella, Luna, Champa, Sonkali, Lakshmi and other elephants we tried so hard to help, but their condition was too dire to survive. Geeta also discusses euthanasia and why it's not as common a practice in India as in other countries.
Kuber is a sociable sloth bear who was rescued from poachers when he was only 2 months old. He is now living at the Wildlife SOS Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre in Bangalore, India. In this episode of Elephant Tails, Sandhi Priya, Manager of Corporate and Philanthropic Partnership chats about Kuber with Dr. Arun A Sha, Director of Veterinary Research and Operations.
In this episode, Manager for Public Relations and Events, Shirina Sawhney sits down with Wildlife SOS CEO and co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan to discuss the challenges of rescuing and caring for male elephants. Bulls are strong, solitary, and go into musth annually. They can be extremely challenging to rescue and care for day-to-day.
Interested in volunteering with Wildlife SOS in India? In this episode we chat with Education and Conservation Officer Shivam Rai about what to expect when you volunteer to care for bears and elephants at one of our conservation centres. Shivam has spent five years connecting with volunteers, answering their questions, and working with volunteers and visitors.
In this episode, Manager for Public Relations and Events, Shirina Sawhney sits down with Wildlife SOS CEO and co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan to discuss the challenges of rescuing an elephant. After dozens and dozens of rescues by our experienced teams, every life-saving sortie presents its own unique challenges. Wildlife SOS teams often face hostile mobs, organized crime, tragically abused animals, and long and difficult journeys in the Elephant Ambulance as they bring elephants to the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre for physical and mental healing, and a new life of peace.
Strong international wildlife laws are critical to cracking down on poaching and protecting endangered species. We've all seen the caches of seized elephant tusks or rhino horns, but what happens when live animals are intercepted while being transported by black markets? This is a story of a large group of Indian star tortoises seized in Singapore and repatriated to their native home on the Deccan Plateau in India. Wildlife SOS Director of Marketing and Communications, Dana Wilson chats with Thomas Sharp about the great lengths governments and animal welfare organizations went to help these little victims of the exotic pet trade. Tom is a Director of Conservation and Research for Wildlife SOS and Co-Chair IUCN Sloth Bear Expert Team specializing in sloth bears, Asian elephants, reptiles and leopards in India. With 25 years of experience studying wildlife around the globe, Tom has worked with many species from turtles, snakes and crocodiles, nesting birds and raptors, small mammals, blue bull deer, and of course bears, leopards and elephants. He received his Master’s in biology from Northeastern University in Chicago.
Executive Director Nikki Sharp sits down with Assistant Campaign Officer Mahima Sharma to chat about the rescue of an amazingly elephant named Bella. In her short time with Wildlife SOS, Bella stole the hearts of so many of us with her courage and strength. Mahima was on-site as part of the rescue team for the challenging rescue of the severely neglected elephant.
In this episode, guest host Rachel Hinman sits down with Wildlife SOS co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan to discuss some of the challenges the organization has faced and overcome throughout the years, while working to protect and preserve India’s sloth bears, elephants, and many more. Rachel had recently participated in the volunteer program at the Wildlife SOS at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre. This interview was originally released on Rachel's podcast series, A Will and a Way, where she travels the world to meet with founders, activists and advocates all fighting to change the fate of animals on this planet. On each episode she steps into the worlds of those who are speaking up, standing up and showing up for the animal kingdom. You can find A Will and a Way however you listen to podcasts, and please be sure to subscribe!
In this episode of Elephant Tails, Executive Director Nikki Sharp sits down with co-founder Geeta Seshamani in our offices in Delhi to chat about Friendicoes SECA, the sister organization of Wildlife SOS dedicated to caring for community animals. This interview gives amazing insight into the unique and compassionate way Indian communities care for the animals in their cities. Geeta is an acting Senior Wildlife Conservationist and animal rights activist. For over three decades, her life has been centered on the profound belief that man can coexist with animals and forests. She is the Vice President of Friendicoes SECA and the Co-Founder and Secretary of Wildlife SOS.
Wildlife SOS USA Director of Marketing and Communications, Dana Wilson chats with Thomas Sharp about research into wild sloth bear populations and learns more about bears. Tom is a Director of Conservation and Research for Wildlife SOS specializing in sloth bears, Asian elephants and leopards in India. With 25 years of experience studying wildlife around the globe, Tom has worked with many species from turtles, snakes and crocodiles, nesting birds and raptors, small mammals, blue bull deer, and of course bears and elephants. He received his Master’s in biology from Northeastern University in Chicago. Tom serves on the Sloth Bear Expert Team for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Executive Director Nikki Sharp sits down with Director of Conservation Projects, Baiju Raj at our Agra Bear Rescue Facility to chat about his childhood love of reptiles, and how that love grew to compel him to help all wildlife. Baiju Raj has been handling snakes and other wild animals since the age of 2. He is known at Wildlife SOS as the man who would go to the ends of the earth to save wildlife. Baiju began working with Wildlife SOS in 2005. He is a Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Crocodile Specialist Group and oversees conservation and research in India. You can see him in action in our new Nat Geo WILD series!
In Episode 2, Wildlife SOS communications ace Suvidha Bhatnagar chats with one of our most senior veterinary officers, Dr. Yaduraj Khadpekar about the challenging rescue of everyone’s favorite little elephant, Laxmi. Laxmi was a badly overweight and neglected begging elephant living on the streets of Mumbai, a busy metropolis with more than 18 million people. This episode was recorded at our Agra Bear Rescue Facility, so please excuse the occasional background noise of mischievous monkeys pounding on the doors and roof.
In this episode, we chat with Geeta Seshamani about how Wildlife SOS first got started. Geeta is an acting Senior Wildlife Conservationist and animal rights activist. For over three decades, her life has been centered on the profound belief that man can coexist with animals and forests. She is the Vice President of Friendicoes SECA and the Co-Founder and Secretary of Wildlife SOS.
