Podcasts Culture Species Unite Kartick Satyanarayan: The Bear Man of India

Kartick Satyanarayan: The Bear Man of India

Published: June 21, 2023, 1 p.m.

\u201cRight from the beginning I think I was infected with this disease. It's a very, very contagious disease of not knowing how to say no to an animal in distress. So, alongside of the bears, we were rescuing everything else: crocodiles, snakes, birds, deer, foxes, jackals, you know, I mean, you name it.\u201d\xa0 - Kartick Satyanarayan

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Kartik Satyanarayan is the co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, an organization that was founded in 1995 with the mission to make lasting changes to protect and conserve India\u2019s natural heritage, forests and biodiversity. Kartick and Wildlife SOS work towards protecting wildlife, conserving habitat, studying biodiversity, conducting research, and creating alternative and sustainable livelihoods for erstwhile communities that depend on wildlife for sustenance. They run several projects to support bear conservation in India, including the largest rehabilitation center in the world for sloth bears.

Kartik is often referred to as the 'Bear Man of India' because of his efforts to put an end to the illegal practice of dancing bears. But in reality, he and Wildlife SOS work to protect all of India's wildlife, including the elephants.\xa0They rescue, treat and care for elephants that are exploited in the abusive tourism and \u201cbegging elephant\u201d industries and work to end the plight of injured and sick elephants that are forced to work in unnatural conditions.\xa0

Kartick\u2019s stories are extraordinary and his love for India\u2019s wildlife is indeed contagious. \xa0

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wildlifesos.org