From the Heart of Nepal’s Wilderness to the World

“Together, we can bridge the gap between humanity and nature, creating harmony for generations to come.”

Growing up in the heart of Chitwan, surrounded by farmland and the wilderness of Chitwan National Park, wildlife was an integral part of my life. The frequent raids on our fields by wild boars, one-horned rhinos, and other creatures were part of the everyday reality. However, it was the heartbreaking sight of a rhino being electrocuted nearby my home, when I was 8, that truly shaped my path. When national park officials arrived and performed an autopsy, revealing a small rhino in the mother’s womb, it deeply affected me. While others around me focused on academic subjects like algebra and trigonometry, I found more joy in the animals on our farm and the stories they told. I would observe how tailor birds built their nests, how a woodpecker pecks the bark of tree to search for the insects inside it, and how great hornbills seal the tree cavity for raising the chicks. These natural marvels sparked a curiosity that drove me toward studying science.
Despite being selected for the study of Medicine program, I chose a different path—one focused on understanding, conserving, and advocating for wildlife. As my studies in Environmental Science with a focus on biodiversity progressed, my passion deepened. I began working on research in river ecosystems, ichthyofauna, and gharials in the Terai, and began utilizing camera trapping—a childhood dream come true—to uncover the hidden species in the forests, including small mammals that lit the fire inside me. I also had the opportunity to work on the rehabilitation of captive Asian elephants, helping them recover from their traumatic experiences in the tourism industry with positive reinforment training. My work with tigers, small mammals, and other wildlife continues to fuel my mission to protect and conserve Nepal's incredible biodiversity.