Jhalana Wildlife Research Foundation

Jhalana Wildlife Research Foundation is based in Pune, at the Swalp Gharkulshree housing society in Ganesh Mala. The specific unit is A/5/6. It’s a busy area of Pune, and the society is full of families and people going to work. Setting up here was convenient for the people who work with us. While our name is about wildlife research, most of the actual day is spent in this small apartment looking at maps and writing down notes from field trips. A fancy laboratory isn't something we have here. It’s just a few desks, some bookshelves full of old reports, and a couple of laptops that have seen better days. The traffic in Ganesh Mala can be quite loud, especially during the rush hour, so getting the quiet work done early in the morning is usually the plan. We are just a group of people interested in the local animals and plants. Budget is always a bit tight, so doing most of the work ourselves is necessary. Sometimes students come by to help us with the filing. This isn't the kind of job that makes you rich, but it keeps us busy and feels like it matters. Formal dress codes don't exist here; you’ll usually find us in simple clothes ready to head out to the field.