Researchers

Eric Ramanujam: Principal Investigator (Faunistics)

M. Eric Ramanujam has been a wildlife illustrator and owl researcher for nearly two decades. Since 1997 he has been involved in full time conservation and has undertaken wildlife surveys in the Kazhuveli region and Adyar wetland complex. His main sphere of interest is the natural history of the Indian Eagle Owl Bubo bengalensis. He heads the design and art studios in Pitchandikulam.

Selected articles include:

• Notes from a Bubophile, Sanctuary Asia
• A preliminary report on the development of young Indian Eagle Owl: Bubo bengalensis
• Wildlife art and illustration: some experiments in Auroville, India

Bubesh Guptha: Senior Wildlife Biologist

Dr Bubesh Guptha specializes in researching biodiversity, birds, mammals, butterflies and reptiles.

As Senior Wildlife Biologist at Pitchandikulam, he has undertaken surveys and studies of the nearby Kazhuveli tank, a significant sanctuary for migrant birds and bio diversity, and has even been credited with discovering a new form of snake in the Seshachalam forest range.

He recently received the BioDiversity Award from the Government of Andra Pradhesh in recognition of his work in identifying a new species of snake in India.

He has  several peer-reviewed journal publications to his credit, and the following books are widely available from specialist wildlife publishers:

• A Glance Of Biodiversity From Seshachalam Hills, Andhra Pradesh
• Wetlands And Wetland Birds: Status of Wetland Birds of Selected Districts in Tamil Nadu
• Birds of Pulicat & Nelapattu Bird sanctuaries

Before joining Pitchandikulam, he worked at:

• the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore
• Centre Soil and Water Conservation Research Training Institute and Research Centre, Udhagamandalam (Ooty), Nilgiris
• Biodiversity Research Centre & Monitoring Research Laboratory, Project Tiger Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
• Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
• Wildlife Management Circle, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh Forest Department

He has a BSc in Botany, Zoology and Chemistry and an MSc in Wildlife Biology from Bharathidarsan University, Tamil Nadu, and a PhD in Ornithology from Sri Venkadeswara University, Andhra Pradesh.