Suresh Kumar

WII conducts 10th wildlife conservation course for enthusiasts 148 participants trained in novel initiative since 2012, giving exposure on wildlife conservation for public @byadavbjp @moefcc @wii_india pib.gov.in/PressReleasePa…

Nearly four months post-released from the Dahanu Turtle Centre, Dhaval Lakshmi has travelled over 2,100 km & is heading back toward Indian waters. Dive data shows full recovery, reaching 150m depths. Currently, the turtle is 500–600 km from the coasts of India, Oman, & Pakistan.

The valedictory of the 10th Course on Wildlife Conservation for Wildlife Enthusiasts was held on 11 March 2026 at WII. The event was graced by the presence of Shri Ramesh Kumar Pandey, IFS, ADG (Wildlife), MoEFCC, and Dr Ruchi Badola, Dean WII. The participants were awarded certificates and interacted with the dignitaries. The 10-day course concluded with lectures, labs, nature trails & field learning to inspire stronger public engagement in wildlife conservation. 🌿🐘 @moefcc @rameshpandeyifs @wii_india @GobindsagarBha1 @RuchiBadola2 @sureshwii @amarjeet_kaur10 #WildlifeConservation #WII #MoEFCC #Biodiversity #ConservationEducation

Days 6–10 of the 10th Course on Wildlife Conservation for Wildlife Enthusiasts featured a 5-day field expedition in Rajaji TR (Lansdowne FD) with WII faculty Dr R. Suresh Kumar & Ms Amarjeet Kaur. Treks along Kollu River & J.W. Champion’s Trail recorded Himalayan Goral, Great Slaty Woodpecker, raptors & elephants while exploring forest ecology and Rajaji–Corbett connectivity. 🌿🐘 #WildlifeConservation #RajajiTigerReserve #FieldLearning #WII #Biodiversity @moefcc @wii_india @GobindsagarBha1 @RuchiBadola2 @sureshwii @amarjeet_kaur10

Dhaval Lakshmi has completed 100 days of transmission and is now ~200 km off Oman in deep waters. The turtle has turned northeast, likely guided by ocean currents and tracking food sources. Its steady movement suggests it may be nearing familiar home grounds. @ifsmadhu

A historic day for Tamil Nadu as an incredibly beautiful and visionary project takes flight. The foundation stone for Tamil Nadu’s first International Migratory Bird Centre at Marakkanam in Villupuram district was laid today by the Hon’ble Chief Minister Thiru @mkstalin. Being developed at a cost of ₹50.30 crore in collaboration with the @WorldBankGroup, the Centre will serve as a state-of-the-art hub for global bird conservation, coming up across the Agaram Reserve Forest and the Kazhuveli Wetland Bird Sanctuary, one of the most important wetland ecosystems for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway. The Centre will include: • Conservation Centre • Research and training • Nature trails • Bird-watching tower • Boardwalks Collaboration with the Centre for Ornithology at Cornell University is planned to further strengthen international partnerships in migratory bird research and conservation. @cornelluniversity @CornellBirds

Global Connections 🌍 | 19 Participants ! 16 Countries ! The Four-Week Certificate Course in Natural Heritage Management at @wii_c2c has successfully concluded! 🌿✨ From expert lectures and dynamic classroom discussions to immersive field tours, the journey has been inspiring and impactful. During the valedictory session, Dr. Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj, Director of Wildlife Institute of India, highlighted the importance of global collaboration in strengthening natural heritage conservation efforts worldwide. #naturalheritage #iteccourse #asiapacific #capacitybuilding #worldheritage #heritagemanagement #ccnhm #globalLearning #iteccourse #culturalheritage #archeologicalsurveyofindia @moefcc @wii_india @SACONCoimbatore @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @ITECNetwork @GobindsagarBha1 @sureshwii @nehrutp @aroy1984 @UNESCO @ASIGoI @ICCROM @IUCN @ICOMOS

WII inaugurated its “10th course on Wildlife Conservation for Wildlife Enthusiasts” on 2nd March 2026. With 15 enthusiastic participants from all across the country the course began with interaction with WII faculty. The first day witnessed enriching talks on wildlife conservation overview by Dr. R Suresh Kumar, Scientist F, WII and Ethos of Conservation by Sh. V K Uniyal (Retd. PCCF, Kerala). @moefcc @wii_india @SACONCoimbatore @GobindsagarBha1 @RuchiBadola2 @sureshwii @amarjeet_kaur10

This is nearly 2 km long biodhield in Cuddalore District in TN. Spread in about 45 Hectares, this 300 metres wide living Coastal shelterbelt is one of the longest & will safeguard Akkaraikori, Singarathope and Sonankuppam villages from sea-level rise and erosion. Scientifically designed and planted under the Green TN and Climate Change Mission of GOTN this bioshield includes about 30,000 Palmyrah trees, 1,00,000 Casuarina seedlings as primary windbreak, 28,000 mangrove saplings & about 2000 tall coastal resilient native species. We are building another one in Tuticorin. Not a wall of concrete but a living green guardian 💪 Way to go Team Cuddalore #GreenTamilNadu #ClimateAction #CoastalResilience @UNEP #NatureBasedSolutions @WBG_Climate @tnclimatechange @TThenarasu @RRajakannappan

Safeguarding the legacy✨ The CCNHM cohort visited the ASI HQ to understand how India's nodal agency for Cultural Heritage functions to safeguard and cherish India's rich heritage. The discussion focused on the restoration and World Heritage processess led by ASI. #naturalheritage #iteccourse #asiapacific #capacitybuilding #worldheritage #heritagemanagement #ccnhm #globalLearning #iteccourse #intach #culturalheritage #archeologicalsurveyofindia @moefcc @wii_india @SACONCoimbatore @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @ITECNetwork @GobindsagarBha1 @sureshwii @nehrutp @aroy1984 @UNESCO @ASIGoI @ICCROM @IUCN @ICOMOS

Farewell Rivaldo 💔 you will be missed badly. Not just another elephant, but an icon of the Masinagudi, Nilgiris, a gentle friend of forests and people alike, a towering presence who wandered freely through his ancestral lands. His passing today due to ill health leaves a void in the hearts of every conservationist, forest dweller and wildlife lover who watched him roam with such dignity. From the day he was released from a Kraal by the TN Forest Department back into the wild to see him free again was a moment of pride I will always cherish. Rivaldo reminded us that elephants belong to the wild that their freedom is precious, and their presence a blessing to the land they call home #Rivaldoelephant

Dhaval Lakshmi has slowed her pace but continues heading southwest. She is currently about 920 km west of Mumbai and roughly 660 km off the coast of Oman.

📢 Calling all nature lovers & wildlife enthusiasts! Join WII’s 10th Course on Wildlife Conservation for Enthusiasts and explore India’s wildlife conservation practices from theory to field. 🌿 5 days of expert classroom learning + 5 days in the wilderness 🎓 Last few seats left — apply now! 🗓 Deadline: 10 Feb 2026 👉 (wii.gov.in/news/10th-cour…) @moefcc @wii_india @GobindsagarBha1 @sureshwii @amarjeet_kaur10 #WildlifeConservation #WII #WildlifeEnthusiasts #Ecology #FieldEcology #Conservation

Here is a fabulous insight from the turtle tagging project from TN Forest Department. On the night of 8 January 2026 we had tagged the , the first Olive Ridley turtle 'Kayal' at the Besant Nagar Beach, After her release, Kayal travelled southward, reaching as far as Marakkanam, before spending nearly 20 days in near-shore waters. Then, in a remarkable display of nesting-site fidelity, she has returned once again this time to Marina Beach on 1 February, to nest for the second time this season. What makes this return even more special is her health and resilience: Kayal laid 135 eggs, almost matching her earlier clutch of 137 eggs, indicating that she remains in excellent condition. Whether Kayal will return to nest once more this season remains to be seen. Dr Suresh @sureshwii tells me, early signs suggest that more such returns may follow. Over the next few days, the other tagged turtles Arasi and Iniya are expected to nest for the second time as well as these are remaining much closer to the shore indicating imminent nesting. Together, these early insights are offering a rare window into the intimate rhythms of Olive Ridley turtles along the Tamil Nadu coast, reinforcing why safeguarding near-shore waters and nesting beaches is so critical #TNForest @tnforestdept @IUCN @WWFINDIA @wii_india

Here are some exciting early insights from the Turtle satellite tagging project of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Movement data has begun coming in from Arasi, Kayal, Iniya, Malar and Aadhirai the 5 tagged Olive Ridley turtles,out of 8 turtles that have been tagged so far. Implemented in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India, the project tracks fine-scale turtle movements along the Chennai coast. Early observations show turtles spending significant time close to shore and repeatedly returning to beaches to nest, highlighting the critical importance of undisturbed nesting habitats. These first insights, though preliminary, will help identify turtle congregation areas and strengthen science-based, collaborative conservation @wii_india @tnforestdept #OliveRidleyTurtles #turtles

This is a moving story of the rescue of an Olive Ridley sea turtle in Chennai that had a barbed fishing hook lodged in her mouth. In a remarkable display of teamwork, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department and the Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary (BMAD) came together to save this precious wildlife. The turtle was successfully operated upon to remove the hook . She was fitted with a satellite transmitter and safely released back into the vast ocean to continue her journey. Kudos to Vet team led by Dr. Sridhar from Vandalur Zoo for leading this with BMAD team #OliveRidleyturtles #turtleconservation #TNForest

As of 05/01/2026, the satellite-tagged turtle 'Dhaval Lakshmi' has reached the open, deep waters of the Arabian Sea. The turtle is currently located approximately 650 km from Dahanu.

Our new research paper on Common Crane migration along the Central Asian Flyway: Tracking the long way around: seasonal migration strategies, detours and spatial bottlenecks in common cranes wintering in western India. doi.org/10.1186/s40317…

From spotting the Olive Ridley mating pair to careful capture, satellite tagging, & their safe release back into the sea, Rushikulya Rookery, Odisha witnessed a landmark moment in marine conservation. #oliveridley #odisha #turtleconservation #satellitetaggingvideo #marine

As on 29-12-2025, the satellite tagged turtle 'Dhaval Lakshmi' continues its westward journey towards the open waters of the Arabian sea. Presently it is about 400 km from Dahanu and about 100 km from the Porbandar coast.