In the last two decades the advent of television channels,
digital photography and Internet has brought in scores of people closer to wildlife.
A few even contemplate to take it up as a full-time career.
A simple definition of the profession is a good start to
understand the occupation. Wildlife biologists/conservationists are those who
work towards understanding the species or their habitats and work to protecting
the natural world from misuse.
If you are one of those on the road to become a conservation
professional the first question one needs to answer is if this is the right
career for you? It is important to begin with some serious introspection. The
world of wildlife biology is no Alice in
Wonderland. It’s well beyond the glamour as seen on television channels. The
archetypal thought of conservation professional is only a part of the larger sphere.
It involves lots of drudgery, fieldwork and one does not feel triumphant every
day. Conservation professionals do not spend everyday in beautiful parts of the
world but the job is truly fun, exciting and rewarding in several aspects.
It’s not just about studying animal behavior. The field of
conservation is very cosmopolitan hence students need to learn a variety of
subjects including dealing with anyone who can make a difference to saving
species. The assemblage stretches into statistics, geographical information
system, policy, law, communication; all that can help students become
ecologists or conservation practitioners. A good master’s program can help
students to set off their career in a trained manner.
There are also options for those who are contemplating a
shift in careers. Most people who come to me for advice belong to this group. If
they possess the right skills and aspirations they could start working with
NGOs but it is ideal to return to university to earn a degree and start over as
conservation professional and make your way beyond a “conservation amateur”.
However if you intend to buy an expensive SUV, holiday
abroad and pursue other similar passions, then it’s essential to understand
that for conservation professionals job satisfaction is the biggest reward than
vast wealth though it supports decent standard of living. Despite all the hard
work, grind and struggle, a conservation professional can go to sleep knowing
well that they are striving to make a difference.
There is a large demand for trained professionals with
genuine commitment and interest. If you are a person who understands both society
and wildlife, concerned in solving complex conservation problems and possess
communication skills then becoming a conservation practitioner is a worthy
career option. However if you are content with traveling around gathering data
to publish information about species, their eco-systems and other similar
aspects than becoming an ecologist could be the career option.
Though there are no options within the country for those
willing to pursue a qualification at the undergraduate level, there are a few
opportunities for those interested to undertake a master’s course.
Some master’s course
in wildlife conservation
Wildlife Institute of India – www.envfor.nic.in/wii/wii.html
National Centre for Biological Science – www.ncbs.res.in/msc_program
French Institute of Pondicherry –
www.ifpindia.org/-Ecology-.html
Ambedkar University, Delhi (School of Human Ecology) –
www.aud.ac.in
Aligarh Muslim University (Department of Wildlife Sciences)
– www.am.ac.in
Some universities
abroad that offers quality teaching in wildlife conservation biology
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale
University
Earth Institute and Centre for Environmental Sustainability,
Columbia University
The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University
of Wisconsin-Madison
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida
Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University
University of Cambridge
School of Geography and the Environment, University of
Oxford
Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of
Kent
Possible employment
opportunities for conservation professionals
Government
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NGO*
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Consultancy firms
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Zoos
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University
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Self-employed
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Ecologist
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Indian Forest Service (IFS)
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Conservation practitioners
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Wildlife veterinarian
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GIS specialist
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Conservation lawyer
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Ecological economist
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Conservation communication
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An edited version of this article is published in The Great Leap, A career handbook - 2013 published by The Hindu
