More about Ravi

Dr. Ravi Chellam has been involved with wildlife and biodiversity research, education and conservation since the early 1980s. He has a Masters Degree in Wildlife Biology from AVC, College, Bharatidasan University and a Doctorate from Saurashtra University based on his work on the ecology of the Asiatic Lions.

He worked for more than 17 years with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and for four years was the Programme Officer (Biodiversity) at the UNDP.

His current responsibilities at Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) include the development of a new programme on protected areas and surrounding landscapes with the goal to develop an online decision support system. Issues related to restoration of habitats, wildlife corridors, human-wildlife conflicts, resettlement of forest dwellers, community forest rights and making natural resource management initiatives more sensitive to ecology, biodiversity and sustainability are part of my mandate.

Prior to joining FES, he was in the WCS-India Program as Director, he was Senior Fellow and Director at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a science-based conservation NGO. He has wide experience in working with government at various levels as well as with national and international NGOs on wildlife research and conservation initiatives. He has served on various government committees. His current research interests include conservation of wildlife and biodiversity outside the Protected Areas, human-wildlife conflicts and urban ecology.