I first met forester GV Reddy, who passed away on July 14, 2024, way back in 1997 when Ibegan camera-trap surveys of tigers in Ranthambore. The forest bureaucracy, which he was a part of, was then mandating the obsolete “pugmark census” method to assess tiger populations. Because of my early scientific critiques of their methods, I was then considered a heretic by devotees of that tradition.
Reddy was already quite a legend, having rescued Ranthambore from the spree of poaching, wood cutting and cattle herding, which threatened its very existence just before he stepped in to stem the destruction. Although Reddy implemented the pugmark census rituals, a trained botanist, he kept an open mind, and gradually began to appreciate the rigour and practicality of the modern methods of animal monitoring I was trying to usher in. This was the reason why Reddy later took a three-year study leave to do a PhD under my supervision in Nagarahole, free from the distractions of managing Ranthambore, as I had insisted.
That was when I saw at close quarters Reddy’s genuine humbleness and sincerity. Despite holding the senior rank of a Conservator, Reddy chose to live in a two-room forest guard hut in northern Nagarahole. He walked the line transects with his tribal trackers, far away from his family in Mysuru. He physically slogged in the field collecting data, exactly like trained field biologists and their assistants do. Finally, he obtained a PhD from Manipal University, publishing his fine research in the prestigious Springer Monograph series. Reddy’s results clearly showed that effective wildlife and habitat conservation must necessarily be rooted in strong protection against human impacts, regardless of any other ancillary conservation approaches adopted.
As it happens in India’s official systems, Reddy then languished in a position which had little to do with wildlife protection or science-based conservation. At that juncture, I was able to recommend his name to my friend, the legendary conservationist Mike Griffith in Indonesia, to head a massive, internationally-funded project in Sumatra. Here, Reddy had to lead and manage a 15,000 sqkm rainforest -- Gunung Leuser National Park -- against severe threats from poaching and illegal logging, which threatened its rhinos, tigers, elephants, and orangutans.
Reddy’s dedication and expertise in hard-core wildlife protection, in combination with his monk-like austerity and philosophical mindset, soon earned him a reputation among Indonesian conservationists and officials. Everyone called him “Pa Reddy” -- an honorific that elevated him to the role of the father of a joint family.
After Reddy returned to India, the “system” here once again did not value his scientific and managerial skills. The role to which he was best fitted, that of leading Project Tiger in India eluded him. I made several attempts to bring Reddy into the non-governmental conservation arena as my successor to lead the WCS India Program that I headed for three decades. However, I had to defer to what his earliest and staunchest mentors -- Valmik Thapar and other Tiger Watchers of Ranthambore wanted. They finally managed to convince the “system” to elevate him to the Chief Wildlife Warden, and later, Head of the Forest Force, in Rajasthan. He served both posts with great distinction until his retirement a few years ago.
Throughout Reddy’s remarkable career, with all its ups and downs, his strong-willed and devoted wife Shobha played a stellar supportive role, from which he undoubtedly derived much sustenance.
A week I spent with him travelling around wild areas of Rajasthan after he had retired, forcefully demonstrated what a strong leader of forest men Reddy was. Wherever we went, forest watchers and guards and rangers literally fell at his feet, recounting one or other instance of his kindness and support: they included many who Reddy had punished harshly for some transgression or other! Those were proud moments for me when he invariably introduced me as his “Guru” to these men, although all I had done was to teach him a few tricks of the wildlife science trade! Memories of the moral convictions, devotion to duty and the genuine humbleness of this remarkable wildlife warrior will forever remain with me.
Dr K Ullas Karanth
(The writer is a well-known tiger scientist)