Writer : Dr Oishimaya Sen Nag
With profound grief and sadness, we—the entire Travellers’ World team—join a host of friends, relatives, and well-wishers in mourning the sudden and untimely passing of Radheshyam Bishnoi. In the shadow of this loss, his absence echoes deeply in the hearts of all who admired his quiet valor and selfless spirit. To honor his legacy, we share his remarkable story, originally published in the November 2024 issue of Travellers’ World Travel and Environment Magazine, penned by Dr. Oishimaya Sen Nag. We hope that this unsung hero’s work and life will continue to inspire generations, kindling the flame of dedication he so exemplified.- Editor
He grew up learning to be compassionate towards all animals, as protecting and caring for animals and plants are integral to the culture of the Bishnoi community to which he belongs. His heart cried to see any animal writhing in pain, and he started rescuing injured wildlife in and around his village from an early age and nurtured them back to health. Today, this young man, Radheshyam Pemani Bishnoi, from the village of Dholia in Pokhran Tehsil of Jaisalmer District of Rajasthan, is working to conserve the fast-disappearing wildlife of the area to which he belongs. In 2021, Radheshyam received the Sanctuary Young Naturalist 2021 Award from the Sanctuary Nature Foundation in recognition of his skills as a naturalist. Starting with rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, Radheshyam now also works to protect and restore habitats for wildlife, prevent poaching, and devise conservation strategies for threatened wildlife like Great-Indian bustards (GIBs) and vultures found in the grasslands and desert of Jaisalmer District.
“I grew up watching my Bishnoi community people working for conservation. I used to attend our community fairs, where environment-related meetings are regularly held. What other Bishnois were doing to protect wildlife inspired me to work in the same direction,” said Radheshyam.
Indeed, for over 500 years, the Bishnoi community of India, followers of the 29 principles of Bishnoism preached by saint Guru Jambheshwar ji in the 16th century, has dedicatedly worked to conserve wildlife in India. Stories of sacrifices made by Bishnois for wildlife conservation are replete, including the Khejarli sacrifice of the 18th century, where 363 Bishnoi villagers laid down their lives to protect trees from being cut. More recently, Nihal Chand Bishnoi became the first Indian civilian to receive the Shaurya Chakra Award posthumously for giving up his life to save deer from being shot by poachers in 1996.
No wonder Radheshyam, coming from this pro-conservation community, became a staunch protector of wildlife.
“I started with rescuing injured chinkaras from in and around my village. Road accidents and attacks by feral dogs were the most common causes of these antelopes getting wounded. With the help of fellow villagers, I would then try to treat their wounds and nurse them back to life. Often, we would also take them to the nearest veterinary hospital. However, despite the hard work we put in, mortality rates of wounded chinkaras were quite high,” mentioned Radheshyam.
Concerned about the death of these animals, Radheshyam decided to visit a more equipped rescue centre and hospital in Jodhpur managed by the forest department to understand how to better handle such rescue cases. There, he met eminent veterinarians from whom he gathered much knowledge.
Radheshyam also understood that one visit to Jodhpur was not enough. He must stay and learn from the veterinarians there regarding treatment protocols for wildlife if he is to deliver first aid to his local wildlife successfully. So, he returned home, took permission from his family, and went back to Jodhpur—this time for several months. Over there, he received training in first-aid protocols, wildlife transport protocols, and more.
“During my time in Jodhpur, I was fortunate to meet prominent conservationists from whom I came to learn about the plight of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB). I got to know that it is a critically endangered species with only around 100 to 150 members living in the wild,” said Radheshyam.
After his time in Jodhpur, Radheshyam returned much enlightened. He immediately set out to implement what he had learned in the field. He also started researching the status of GIBs in his area. He spoke with village elders about the species’ historical range in the area, collected anecdotal information about GIB sightings in recent times, and started identifying the threats to the bird. He also initiated programs to educate the locals about the need to conserve the GIB.
“I was surprised to know that Jaisalmer District, where I live, is the last remaining stronghold of the Great Indian Bustard. Nearly 95% of this bird’s global population is found here. So, I understood that as a resident of Jaisalmer, it is my duty to protect the bird,” said Radheshyam.
“GIB, the heaviest flying bird in India, suffers from many threats like habitat encroachment, feral dog attacks, and collision with power lines. They are ground-nesting birds that cannot perch on trees as they lack a hind toe, rendering them vulnerable to various threats on the ground, like destruction and degradation of grasslands and feral dog attacks. They also lack poor frontal vision, making them susceptible to collision with power lines as they cannot detect them from a distance. When they do, it is too late as their heavy bodies make it difficult for them to move around the lines, making collision unavoidable,” Radheshyam explained the major threats to GIBs.
Radheshyam understood that proper documentation is essential if he is to launch efforts to conserve birds. So, he started honing his photography skills and capturing the birds’ life cycle and threats to the species on camera. Soon, his photographs gained media attention and were used to spread awareness about the plight of the GIBs.
However, it is not just GIBs that Radheshyam strives to conserve. Despite the arid environment, many other species of birds like the Macqueen’s Bustard, demoiselle crane, common crane, steppe eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Booted Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Buzzard, and many more are found in Jaisalmer. The area is also home to seven species of vultures, including several highly threatened species. These are the Egyptian vulture, red-headed vulture, Himalayan vulture, griffon vulture, Indian vulture, white-rumped vulture, and cinereous vulture.
A few years back, many cows were dying on a railway track near Radheshyam’s village due to collisions with the train. On behalf of the complaining villagers, Radheshyam wrote letters to the railways department to resolve the issue. The railways, in turn, requested the villagers to keep their cows under control and stop them from wandering onto the railway track. However, not all wandering cows belonged to villagers. Some were abandoned cows left in the area by city dwellers who no longer needed them. Soon after, vulture deaths were also reported on the railway track, with around 150 vultures dying in a short time period! This time, the authorities took the matter more seriously, and the state wildlife warden and forest department expressed their concern at the huge loss of the highly threatened birds. Letters were written to the railways, but other than trying to stop the trains from speeding through the accident-prone section, the railways could not promise anything more, and cows and vultures continued to die. So, Radheshyam decided to investigate the issue.
“When I started inspecting the death of cows and vultures, I discovered that they were related. When cows died on the railway track, vultures got attracted to the carcasses. These birds tend to remain so engrossed while eating that they fail to notice approaching threats like trains. That explained the mass death of vultures on the railway track,” mentioned Radheshyam.
“So, I got the concerned personnel to clean the carcasses from the railway track. I also asked the railway staff who maintain the tracks to inform me of any animal carcasses observed on the track. From then on, we ensured that no carcasses remained on the railway track, and no vulture deaths were reported since then on the track,” he said.
Thus, Radheshyam, at the young age of 25, proved the power of an individual in conservation. With his hard work and ingenuity, he devised a simple and effective way to protect the lives of vultures in his area of work. The success of this initiative greatly motivated him to continue his work with greater zeal.
He also started working to provide a steady water supply to wildlife in his area.
“Earlier, when water was yet to reach people’s homes, each village would maintain a local water body for their domestic water use and to provide water to their livestock. During the scorching summer heat, wild animals and birds would also quench their thirst from such water bodies. However, with village homes now having access to tap water, such water bodies are left neglected. During the summer in Jaisalmer, water becomes extremely scarce, and dune-shifting events during sandstorms often cover up the natural water sources with sand and debris, leaving wildlife with hardly any water to drink. If these animals approach the village homes in search of water, they often get killed by feral dogs or road accidents,” Radheshyam explained another major threat to wildlife in his area.
To address this threat, he is helping recover the existing water bodies in the area and creating artificial water holes to ensure a water source for wildlife. Now, such waterholes attract many species of wildlife, and one such source recorded over 60 species of birds during the dry period!
Radheshyam also conducts anti-poaching work by raising awareness among the locals about how to report any suspected poaching activities and to refrain others from participating in any such illegal hunting. With the help of fellow villagers and the authorities, Radheshyam has helped nab many poaches over the years and also saved many animal lives through his constant patrolling activities.
Thus, Radheshyam’s story is a remarkable example of how an individual can contribute to conservation. He funds his work from the earnings he receives as a naturalist guide for visitors and his small-scale dairy business. Through his work, he saves hundreds of animal lives and protects the ecosystem of his area, which is vital to a healthy and happy life for people. Here is his message to the readers:
“It is the duty of each of us to protect the wildlife living in and around us. We must not depend on others to take care of it. If the local community decides that they have to conserve their wildlife and ecosystem, then success is inevitable. Thus, we must all play our part to protect our local wildlife.”
Dr Oishimaya Sen Nag
