K. Yoganand

Wildlife Institute of India

P.O. Box, 18,

Dehradun, 248001, India

 

Phone 91-135-640112

Fax 91-135-640117

Email: sloth_bear_99@yahoo.com

Date of birth

17 July 1969

Nationality

Indian

Education

1997 – present               Saurashtra University                          Rajkot, India

Ph. D. (Wildlife Sciences)

§         Presently writing a dissertation titled “behavioral ecology of sloth bear in Panna National Park, central India”.

1991 – 1994                            Pondicherry University                   Pondicherry, India

M.S. (Ecology)

§     First Division

§     Dissertation on distribution of birds in the Andaman islands,India

Professional experience

1996 –  present                     Wildlife Institute of India                    Dehradun, India

Senior Research Fellow

§     Field investigator in the WII-USFWS collaborative project titled “Evaluating Panna National Park with special reference to the ecology of sloth bear”.

§     Radio tagged and tracked 12 sloth bears and conducted fieldwork on the behavioral ecology of sloth bears for close to five years.

 

1994 – 1995    Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History       Coimbatore, India

Junior Research Fellow

§         Surveyed the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve for small carnivores as part of the project titled “ A study on the distribution, ecology and conservation of small carnivores in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve”.

 

1993 – 1994                   French Institute of Pondicherry      Pondicherry, India

Research Assistant

§         Surveyed the Andaman group of islands for forest birds as part of the project titled “The insular ecology and its implications for conservation in the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands”.  A collaborative project between The French Institute of Pondicherry and Pondicherry University, India.

 

Research interests

 

My major research interests revolve around surveying remote areas, developing population estimation techniques and designing field studies.  I have specific interests in carnivores, birds, ants and surveying areas in the tropics.  In the immediate future, I plan to conduct a countrywide field survey to assess sloth bear distribution, population and habitat status.  My ultimate goal is to execute conservation programs in the field, applying the knowledge I accumulate pursuing academics and the experience I gather working in different parts of the world, studying a variety of problems.

Fellowships / Grants received

1.        Research Assistantship from the French Institute of Pondicherry, Pondicherry, India – 1993-94.

2.        Junior Research Fellowship from the Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, India – 1994-95.

3.        Junior Research Fellowship from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India – 1996-98.

4.        Senior Research Fellowship from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India – 1998-2001.

5.        John Sheldon Bevins Memorial Foundation, International Association for Bear Research and Management grant to study behavioral energetics of sloth bear – 1999.

6.        International Association for Bear Research and Management travel grant to attend conferences in the U.S.A. (1998, 2001) and Romania (1999).

7.        Visiting research fellowship at the National Zoological Park, sponsored by the Smithsonain Institution, Washington D.C. (May 2001 to April 2002).

Publications

Selected scientific papers:

1.        Davidar, P., S. Devy, T. R. K. Yoganand, and T. Ganesh. (1995). Reserve size and implications for the conservation of biodiversity in the Andaman islands. In T. J. B. Boyle, and B. Boontawee, Eds., Measuring and monitoring biodiversity in tropical and temperate forests. Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia, pp: 287-301.

2.        Davidar, P., T. R. K. Yoganand, T. Ganesh and N. Joshi. (1996). An assessment of common and rare forest bird species of the Andaman islands. Forktail, 12: 135-142.

3.        Amrit, M., T. R. K. Yoganand and C. B. S. R. Sharma. (1996). Preliminary studies on the ecology and biodiversity of ousteri and Kaliveli, two wetlands near Pondicherry. Current Researches in Plant Sciences, Vol. II: 353-358.

4.        Kumar, A. and K. Yoganand. (1999). Distribution and abundance of small carnivores in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. In S. A. Hussain, ed,  Mustelids, viverrids and Herpestids of India, ENVIS Bulletin: Wildlife and Protected Areas, Vol. 2 (2): 48-53.

5.        Yoganand, K. and P. Davidar. (2000). Habitat preferences and distributional status of some forest birds in Andaman islands. Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 97 (3): 375-380.

6.        Davidar, P., K. Yoganand, T. Ganesh and S. Devy. (in press).  Distributions of forest birds and butterflies in the Andaman islands: nested patterns and processes. Ecography.

7.        Davidar, P., K.  Yoganand and T. Ganesh. (in press). Influence of latitude, area and wet forests on the species richness of forest birds in the Andaman islands.  Journal of  Biogeography.

8.        Yoganand, K., C. G. Rice and A.J.T. Johnsingh. (in press). Sloth bear Melursus ursinus. In A.J.T. Johnsingh and N. Manjrekar, ed, Mammals of South Asia. Permanent Black Publishers, New Delhi.

 

 

Papers presented in conferences:

1.        “Island size and forest bird distributions in the Andaman islands”. Paper presented in the first national seminar on “Changing scenario of bird ecology and conservation”. Ornithological Society of India, Bangalore, India. (1993).

2.        “Ecosystem approach to the management of traditional irrigation systems”. Paper presented at the “Congress on traditional science and technologies in India”. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India. (1995).

3.        “Sloth bear movements and conflict with people”. Paper presented at the 11th international conference on “Bear research and management”. International Association for Bear Research and Management, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, U.S.A. (1998).

4.        “Why are sloth bears in Panna nocturnal?”  Paper presented at the 13th International Conference on Bear Research and Management, Jackson hole, Wyoming, U.S.A. (2001).

Technical Reports:

1.        The distribution, ecology and conservation of small carnivores in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, southern India. Report submitted to The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Salim Ai Centre for ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore. (1998).

2.        Ecology, behavior and conservation of sloth bear in India. Final grant report to the National geographic Society. Grant No. 4702-92. (1997).

3.        Ecology, behavior and conservation of sloth bear. Report to the Bevin’s Grants of the International Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA). (2000).

4.        Evaluating Panna National Park with special reference to the ecology of sloth bear. Annual technical reports submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Wildlife Institute of India. (5 reports: 1995-96, 96-97, 97-98, 98-99, 1999-2000).

Proficiency in languages

¨       English – Reading, writing and conversing – advanced

¨       Tamil – Reading, writing and conversing – advanced

¨       Hindi – Reading – advanced;  writing and conversing – intermediate

¨       Malayalam – Reading and conversing - basic

Additional professional activities

¨       Conversant with quantitative, statistical and Geographical Information System analysis software.

¨       Written up proposals and raised funds for the field study on sloth bear, for participating in scientific conferences, from agencies like John Sheldon Bevins Memorial Foundation, International Association for Bear Research and Management and Friends of the National Zoo.

¨       Experienced in immobilizing several species of animals including sloth bear, tiger, leopard and striped hyena.

 

¨       Assisted Madhya Pradesh State Forest Department with capturing and relocation of large carnivores that were trapped by poachers or strayed into human habitations.

¨       Experience with the American black bear research in Olympic National Park and National Forests, Washington State, U.S.A. conducted by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

¨       Published several scientific notes in journals like Forktail, Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, International Bear News, Small Carnivore Conservation, Hornbill, Hamadryad, Newsletter for Birdwatchers, etc.

¨       Published popular articles on wildlife and conservation in English and Tamil.

¨       Conducted surveys of birds and mammals of several wildlife reserves.

¨       Published photographs in journals like National Geographic, Smithsonian (January 2000 issue carried an article profiling my research activities) and Hornbill.

¨       Participation in seminars and workshops:

Ø       “Conservation of Asian elephants” organized by the Bombay Natural History Society in Mudumalai, 1993.

Ø       “Bird ecology and conservation” organized by the Ornithological Society of India, Bangalore, 1993.

Ø       “Research and monitoring in Corbett Tiger Reserve”, Kalagarh, Corbett Tiger Reserve, 1994.

Ø       “Red data book for birds of Asia” organized by Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, 1995.

Ø       Training workshop on Natural Resources Monitoring using GIS and Remote Sensing, Ashoka Trust for Ecolcgy and Environment, Bangalore, 1997.

References

1.        Dr. A.J.T. Johnsingh, Head, Faculty of Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box, 18, Dehradun, 248001, India. Phone: 91-135-640111, Fax: 91-135-640117, email: ajtjohnsingh@wii.gov.in

2.        Dr. Priya Davidar, Professor and Head, Salim Ali School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, 605014, India. Phone: 91-413-65177, Fax: 91-413-65265, email: pdavidar@pu.pon.nic.in

3.        Dr. Cliff Rice, Game Surveys Coordinator, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600, Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA, 98501-1091. Phone: 1-360-902-2245, Fax: 1-360-902-2162, email: ricecgr@dfw.wa.gov

4.        Dr. John Seidensticker, Curator of Mammals, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, 3001, Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington D.C., 20008-2598. Phone: 1-202-673-4779, Fax: 1-202-673-4766, email: jseidensticker@nzp.si.edu