Krithi K. Karanth has been named the 2026 National Geographic Explorer of the Year, the first Indian to receive this honour, recognising her work in wildlife conservation and human-wildlife coexistence.
Her work sits at a simple but difficult question: how do people and wildlife share space as forests shrink and villages expand?
For nearly three decades, she has focused on real-world conflicts between humans and animals, from crop damage to livestock loss, and how communities can respond better.
The award highlights her shift in conservation thinking from protecting wildlife alone to building systems where people and animals can live together.
Who Is Krithi K. Karanth?
Krithi K. Karanth is a conservation scientist, educator, and Adjunct Faculty member at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in the United States and the National Centre for Biological Sciences in India.
Her story does not begin in a lab or office. It begins in India’s forests.
From the age of one, she travelled across wildlife parks with her father. Both her parents were scientists, so field visits were part of everyday life. These early experiences built her deep connection with India’s wildlife and forests.
Over time, curiosity replaced simple observation. She began asking a bigger question: how do humans and wildlife share the same space?
That question became the foundation of her entire career.
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Not Just Wildlife, But People Too
Most conservation stories focus only on animals.
Krithi’s work does something different.
She studies what happens where people and wildlife meet. Farms near forests. Villages beside wildlife reserves. Elephants crossing agricultural land. Livestock loss due to predators.
At the Centre for Wildlife Studies, she works with communities to reduce this conflict through science-based solutions.
The scale is wide:
Thousands of villages across India
Farmers directly engaged in conservation-friendly practices
Local communities trained to respond to wildlife conflict
Schools brought into conservation education
The goal is not separation. It is coexistence.
From Fieldwork To Real-World Solutions
Krithi’s career began with field research in the Western Ghats, where she spent long periods observing wildlife and studying ecosystems.
But she soon realised something important.
The real challenge was not only about animals. It was about people living next to them.
That insight changed her direction. She moved toward solutions that could work in real communities, not just academic papers.
One of the major innovations from her work is a toll-free conflict response system. Farmers and villagers can report wildlife incidents like crop damage or livestock loss, and teams respond quickly to process claims and reduce tension between communities and wildlife authorities.
It is simple, but effective. And it is built for scale.
Changing How Children See Wildlife
One of her most recognised initiatives is Wild Shaale, meaning “Wild School” in Kannada.
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The programme works with children living near forests, where wildlife is not distant but part of daily life.
Instead of fear or conflict, it builds familiarity. Children learn through stories, art, and local languages. Wildlife becomes something to understand, not avoid.
Since 2018, Wild Shaale has reached tens of thousands of children across India through schools and community learning programmes.
The idea is straightforward. If children grow up understanding wildlife, coexistence becomes easier in the next generation.
A Scientist With Global Impact And Recognition
Krithi has written over 100 scientific papers on species loss, land-use change, and human-wildlife interaction.
She has mentored 300+ young researchers across India, China, Chile, the United States, and the UK, and worked with 1,000+ citizen science volunteers in her research projects.
Her work blends science with on-ground action, focusing on practical conservation solutions.
She has received major global honours, including being a Rolex Laureate in 2019 and winning the McNulty Prize in 2025. She is now the first Indian National Geographic Explorer of the Year.
Her focus remains unchanged: creating solutions that support both wildlife and people, while building empathy and long-term stewardship for nature.
