Vivek Menon
Vivek Menon.jpg
Vivek Menon
Born
[[]], [[]]
NationalityIndia
Alma mater[[]],
(Ornithology)
Known forFighting poaching of Threatened species and establishing Wildlife corridors
AwardsWhitley award
Scientific career
FieldsWildlife conservation
InstitutionsWildlife Trust of India

Vivek Menon is an Advisor and Director for IFAW. He is the founder, Executive Director and chief executive officer of the Wildlife Trust of India. Mr Menon is a conservation biologist who has worked on the conservation of a number of endangered species including the indian elephant and Indian rhinoceros. He has been at the forefront of the fight against organised wildlife crime and poaching in India. He is an environmental commentator, author and photographer with a passion for elephants. He has been involved in founding five environmental and conservation organizations in India.

He is the author or editor of eight wildlife books including the bestsellingField Guide to Mammals of India, scores of technical reports and more than a hundred articles in various scientific and popular publications. He is an honorary wildlife warden of Delhi. Mr Menon is a member of several IUCNSSC Specialist Groups including the Rhino, the Elephant and Re-introduction Specialist Groups. He is the 2001 Whitley AwardWinner for Endangered Species Conservation for work on saving the Asian elephant.[1] [2]

Education edit

Vivek studied Bachelor of Science (BSc, Hons) in zoology and postgraduate diploma in ecology andenvironment at Delhi University.

Career edit

Through his leadership of WTI/IFAW, Vivek has pioneered the systematic development of wildlife rehabilitation and health monitoring as conservation tools within India. Under Vivek’s leadership, more than 7,000 wildlife guards, a third of India’s anti-poaching force, have been equipped and trained to safeguard wildlife in 100 protected areas. Working closely with the Indian government, Vivek’s IFAW/WTI team has been instrumental in establishing wildlife corridors to help connect fragmented populations of endangered species, including tigers and elephants. They involve local communities in efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in villages close to important wildlife habitat.

He established the first wildlife rehabilitation centres in India. Vivek has led efforts to use rehabilitated animals to restock protected areas where poaching has decimated wildlife. As part of this ongoing effort, Vivek was instrumental in the development of Greater Manas, tripling the land area in this World Heritage site, which includes a tiger reserve and elephant corridor.[3]

Boards and committees edit

Vivek serves on a number of governmental and non-governmental boards and committees, most recently as a member of the Elephant Task Force of the Ministry of Environment and Forests that suggested a complete revamp of India’s elephant conservation strategy.

In an Honorary capacity, Menon is a member of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN. He is on the International Jury of the Future for Nature Awards, an advisor of the Marjan centre of Kings College, London and a Faculty of the Kerulos Centre, Oregon.[3]

Publications edit

Vivek Menon has been a prolific author and co-author of many chapters and peer reviewed journal articles in the field of wildlife conservation.

Books/Book Chapters edit

  • Menon. V. (2003) A Field Guide to Indian Mammals, Penguin India, New Delhi
  • Menon. V. & M. Sakamoto (2002) (Eds.) Heaven and Earth and I: Ethics of Nature Conservation in Asia, Penguin India, New Delhi
  • Menon. V. (2002) Tusker: The Story of the Asian Elephant, Penguin India, New Delhi.
  • Menon. V. (1999) On the Brink: Travels through Wild India, Penguin India, New Delhi
  • Menon. V. & A. Kumar (1998) Wildlife Crime, An Enforcement Guide, Wildlife Protection Society of India and Natraj Publishers, Dehradun
  • Lavigne.D, Cox.R.K, Menon.V and Wamithi.M (2006) Reinventing Wildlife Conservation for the 21st Century in Gaining Ground, In Pursuit of Ecological Sustainability, IFAW (Guelph) and University of Limerick, Ireland
  • Menon.V and Lavigne.D (2006) Attitudes, Values and Objecitves: Real basis of Wildife Conservation in Gaining Ground, In Pursuit of Ecological Sustainability, IFAW (Guelph) and University of Limerick, Ireland
  • Kumar.A and Menon.V (2006) Ivory Tower Sustainability: An examination of the ivory trade in Gaining Ground, In Pursuit of Ecological Sustainability, IFAW (Guelph) and University of Limerick, Ireland
  • Menon. V (1996), Impact of Trade on Himalayan Bio-diversity In Changing Perspectives of Bio-diversity Status in the Himalayas, British Council Division, New Delhi.
  • Malik.I & Menon. V (1992), A Management Plan for the Rhesus Population of India In Primates of the World Ed. Fa, J.E.

Journal Articles and Scientific Reports edit

  • First author:
    • Menon, V, Easa PS and Johnsingh AJT (2010) Securing the Chilla Motichur Corridor to protect the elephants of Rajaji National Park, Occasional Report No 10, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Menon.V, Kaul.R, Dutta.R, Ashraf.N.V.K and Sarkar.P (Eds) (2008) Bringing Back Manas, Conserving the forest and wildlife of the Bodoland Territorial Council, Conservation Reference Series No 7, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Menon.V, Tiwari.S.K, Easa.P.S and Sukumar.R (Eds) (2005) Right of Passage, Elephant Corridors of India, Conservation Reference Series No 3, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Menon.V, Ashraf.N.V.K, Panda.P and Mainkar.K( Eds) (2005) Back to the Wild, Studies in Wildlife Rehabilitation, Conservation Reference Series No 2, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Menon.V, Sukumar.R and Kumar.A (1997), A God in Distress: Threats of Poaching and the Ivory Trade to the Asian Elephant in India, Asian Elephant Conservation Centre and Wildlife Protection Society of India
    • Menon. V (1996), Under Siege: Poaching and protection of the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros in India, Species in Danger Series, WWF-UK/TRAFFIC-International
    • Menon. V et al (1994), Wildlife Trade : Handbook for Enforcement Staff, TRAFFIC-India.WWF-India
  • Co-author:
    • Rangarajan.M, Desai.A, Sukumar.R, Easa.PS, Menon.V,Vincent.S, Ganguly.S, Talkdar.BK, Singh.B, Mudappa.D, Chowdhary,S, Prasad AN (2010) Gajah: Securing the Future for Elephants in India, The Report of the Elephant Task Force, Monistry of Environment and Forests, India**Kaul.R, Tiwari.S.K, Dutta.R and Menon.V (Eds) (2010) Canopies and Corridors, Conserving the forest of Garo Hills with elephant and gibbon as flagships, Conservation Reference Series No 8, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Chaudhury.R.G, Joshi.D, Mookerjee, A, Talwar.V andMenon.V (2008) Turning the Tide, The Campaign to save Vhali, the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Gujarat, Conservation Action Series 20050904, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi**Varma.S, Sarkar.P and Menon.V (2008) Pakke Pachyderms,Ecology and Conservation of Asian Elephants in Kameng Elephant Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, Conservation Reference Series No 6, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Sarma.U.K, Easa.P.S and Menon.V (2008) Deadly tracks, A Scientific approach to understanding and mitigating elephant mortality due to train hits in Assam, Occasional report No.24 Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Gureja.N, Menon.V, Sarkar.P and Kyarong, S.S (2007) Ganesha to Bin Laden, Human-Elephant Conflict in Sonitpur District of Assam, Occasional Report No.6, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Singh.A.K, Kumar.A, Mookerjee.A and Menon.V (2007) Jumbo Express, A Scientific Approach to Understanding and Mitigating Elephant Mortality due to Train Accidents in Rajaji National Park, Occasional report No.3, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi
    • Kaul.R and Menon.V (Eds) (2005) The Ground Beneath the Waves, Post-Tsunami Impact Assessment of Wildlife and their habitats in India, Conservation Action Series 20050904, Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi**Malik. I & Menon. V (Eds), (1993), Identification Manual for Indian Wildlife Species and Derivatives in Trade, TRAFFIC-India for Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India.
    • Raman.L, Lal. S & Menon. V (Eds) (1992), White Gold, The Ivory Trade, A Briefing Document, TRAFFIC-India.
    • Van Gruisen. J & Sinclair. T (1992) Menon. V & Raman. L (Eds.), Fur Trade in Kathmandu, Implications for India. TRAFFIC-India, WWF-India.

Children’s Books edit

  • Menon. V. & R. Singh (1992), Birds & Animals Quiz Book, Pustak Mahal, New Delhi.
  • Menon. V. (2007), Lions, Ladybird Books, Penguin
  • Menon. V. (2007), Life in the Forest, Ladybird Books, Penguin[3]

References edit

  1. ^ IFAW (2011), "Board of Trustees", Wildlife Trust Of India, F-13, Sector-8, Noida, Uttar Pradesh- 201301India: Wildlife Trust Of India, retrieved 1-15-2012 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)CS1 maint: location (link)
  2. ^ the Whitley Fund (2004), "Vivek Menon - 2001, India", Our Winers, The Whitley Fund for Nature, retrieved 1-25-2012 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ a b c IFAW, Vivek Menon, 290 Summer Street, Yarmouth Port, MA 02675: International Fund for Animal Welfare, retrieved 1-15-2012 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Text "USA" ignored (help)CS1 maint: location (link)

External sources edit

  • video 6:51 Vivek Menon Addressing the International Tiger Forum, November, 2010