Dr. Arjun Srivathsa
Arjun joined WCS–India in 2012. He obtained his Master of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the graduate program offered by NCBS–WCS in 2012. He obtained his PhD from the University of Florida, USA in 2020. His doctoral research focused on conservation ecology of dholes. He is currently a DST INSPIRE Fellow at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS–TIFR) and an Affiliate Scientist with WCS–India.
Arjun’s past and on-going collaborative projects include studies of carnivore ecology, applied conservation research, human-carnivore interactions, country- and region-scale conservation prioritizations, and methodological approaches to wildlife population monitoring across multiple landscapes in Asia. He is a member of the IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group, the IUCN Dhole Working Group and an Associate of the Indian Academy of Sciences. He is also a professional artist and cartoonist, specializing in creating conservation-themed artwork for nature education and science communication.
Avantika Deep Sharma
Avantika works as a research associate and joined WCS- I in January 2023. She obtained her Master of Science degree in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from NCBS. She is broadly interested in behavioural ecology. Previously she has been part of an urban ecology project looking at the breeding and disease ecology of black kites in Delhi. Her master’s dissertation work involved looking at the signalling behaviour of Draco dussumieri and the role of signals in female social interactions. Taking her research interest forward her current work focuses on the social behaviour of dholes.
Sabiya Sheikh
Sabiya joined WCS-India as a research associate in August 2022. She obtained her Master of Science in Wild Animal Biology from the Royal Veterinary College and the Institute of Zoology in London. Her work currently focuses on the ecology and conservation of dholes.
Her research interests include population ecology, animal behaviour, conservation science and wildlife health. Her previous work has ranged from biodiversity monitoring to disease surveillance, remote sensing to map wildlife and using citizen science to monitor the diet of a top predator. She is also a keen birder and enjoys hiking.