Photo of Abishek  Harihar Abishek Harihar
Panthera, 8 West 40th Street, 18th Floor
10018 New York, USA
aharihar(at)panthera.org

I am a conservation biologist interested in population ecology, spatial prioritisation and conservation decision-making. Specifically, I am interested in reconciling large carnivore conservation objectives, which require vast, undisturbed habitats with the needs of largely impoverished communities in human-dominated landscapes. I am also interested in evaluating the effectiveness and impacts of conservation actions such as creating protected areas, coexistence with wildlife, conservation-induced displacement of communities, compensation to alleviate conflicts, and law enforcement in securing our biodiversity. Since 2003, I have monitored a recovering population of tigers in Rajaji National Park, norther-western Terai Arc Landscape, India. My doctoral project developed a landscape conservation plan using an interdisciplinary approach for tigers in human-dominated landscapes, using the western Terai Arc Landscape as a case study. Working with WWF, I have developed tiger population recovery plans for 18 sites across the range. Since joining Panthera in 2015, I have been involved in standardising population monitoring programs towards evaluating tiger recovery. I've also helped develop metrics to assess the effectiveness of conservation interventions implemented across Panthera's tiger recovery sites. Additionally, I oversee conservation programs at Panthera's tiger recovery sites in south and southeast Asia.