I am broadly interested in research-based wildlife conservation, especially in human-animal interactions, carnivore ecology, wildlife trade and freshwater ecosystems. After completing my BSc in Zoology from Fergusson College, Pune, I volunteered for several projects to study ungulates in the semi-arid regions of Kailadevi, olive ridley turtles on the beaches of Ratnagiri and slender lorises in the forests of Bhimgad. These projects helped deepen my passion for the natural world, which led me to pursue my Master’s in Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the National Centre for Biological Sciences. For my dissertation, I studied the effects of different land cover types on the functioning of stream macroinvertebrate communities in the headwaters of river Aghanashini. I am fascinated by the interactions between people and the wildlife they share space with, be it in the freshwater habitats of the Western Ghats or the cold arid landscapes of the Trans-Himalaya. I aim to learn more about these interactions and understand how to enhance coexistence in the long term.