WILDLIFE SOS HONOURED WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS TIGER PROTECTION & ANTI-POACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD AT INTERNATIONAL TIGER WEEK 2026 

Wildlife SOS was honoured for its outstanding contributions to wildlife protection, anti-poaching initiatives and securing a safer future for India's tigers at the 5th Royal Ranthambore International Tiger Week 2026

Wildlife SOS has been conferred the Tiger Protection & Anti-Poaching Excellence Award at the 5th Royal Ranthambore International Tiger Week 2026, held at Ranthambore, Rajasthan. The award was presented in recognition of the organisation’s outstanding contributions towards wildlife protection, anti-poaching initiatives and securing a safer future for India’s tigers. Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS, received the award on behalf of the organisation and delivered a presentation on Wildlife SOS’s anti-poaching efforts.

The 5th Royal Ranthambore International Tiger Week 2026 brought together leading conservationists, policymakers, forest officials, researchers, photographers, tourism stakeholders and wildlife enthusiasts to celebrate India's achievements in tiger conservation while addressing the challenges that remain. The event was inaugurated by Justice Shri Dharmesh Sharma, former Judge of the Delhi High Court. The International Tiger Week Conservation Awards 2026 recognised excellence across a range of categories, including wildlife protection, anti-poaching efforts, conservation leadership, journalism, photography and lifetime achievement in conservation.

For over three decades, Wildlife SOS has worked to combat illegal wildlife trade and protect India's threatened wildlife, including the tiger. The organisation’s anti-poaching unit, Forest Watch, assists the forest department, the police department and law enforcement agencies to crack down on traffickers and smugglers, recover animal skins, body parts, ivory and sometimes live animals from poachers, and even provide legal assistance where required. Our efforts have enabled enforcement agencies to dismantle organised poaching networks, recover deadly jaw traps, snares and other hunting devices, and conduct snare-combing operations across protected areas, while supporting the successful prosecution of wildlife criminals, including the landmark conviction of a tiger poaching gang in Tamil Nadu following a two-year legal process. This recognition at one of India’s most prominent tiger conservation platforms reaffirms the organisation’s commitment to the long-term protection of the tiger and its habitat.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “This award is a recognition of the collective effort of our team, our partners in the forest department and the communities who stand alongside us in protecting India’s tigers. Anti-poaching work is often invisible, it happens in remote field locations, in the dark, in collaboration with people who risk their lives to protect wildlife. We accept this honour on behalf of all of them.”

Justice Shri Dharmesh Sharma, Former Judge, Delhi High Court, mentioned, “Kartick Satyanarayan’s talk on anti-poaching and tiger protection was truly enlightening. The session highlighted the complex challenges surrounding wildlife crime and the urgent need for stronger public awareness and conservation action. Initiatives such as these play an important role in fostering greater understanding of wildlife protection, and the judiciary can also contribute by supporting stronger, timely legal action and prosecution of the offenders involved in wildlife crime to create a deterrent effect. I commend Wildlife SOS and International Tiger Week for their valuable work and wish them continued success in their conservation efforts.”

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS, added, “India has lost significant numbers of tigers, leopards, otters and other wild animals to organised poaching cartels led by notorious criminals such as Sansar Chand and Bhima Bawaria, who have been linked to major wildlife offences, including the disappearance of tigers and leopards from Sariska and Panna Tiger Reserves. The Wildlife SOS anti-poaching division has provided critical intelligence for coordinated enforcement operations, including a joint raid with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Haryana Police and Haryana Forest Department that led to Bhima Bawaria's arrest in Gurugram (Delhi NCR) with a tiger skeleton, tiger skin, two tortoises and other wildlife contraband. Despite convictions in multiple states, Bhima continues to secure bail and remains involved in tiger poaching & illegal trafficking of tiger body parts to this day. This highlights the need for sustained intelligence-led enforcement, stronger collaboration between NGOs and enforcement agencies, continued prosecution efforts, and greater public vigilance. Protecting India's tigers requires collective action, and Wildlife SOS is committed to this mission.”

Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder and Secretary, Wildlife SOS, stated, “India’s tigers have made a remarkable comeback, but that recovery is fragile and must not be taken for granted. Poaching remains one of the gravest threats to tiger survival, and ensuring their long-term survival requires unwavering commitment. We are deeply honoured by this recognition and remain committed to doing everything in our capacity to secure a safe future for India’s tigers.”

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Wildlife SOS (www.wildlifesos.org) is a non-profit conservation organisation established in 1995, working across India to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife in distress. In addition to its work combating illegal wildlife trade and mitigating human-wildlife conflict, the organisation actively collaborates with government agencies and local communities to protect habitats and promote sustainable livelihoods.

Wildlife SOS is also leading the national movement to end the exploitation of elephants in captivity through its Begging Elephant Campaign, which rescues abused elephants from urban streets, wedding processions and temples used for begging, providing them long-term medical care and sanctuary. It partners with organisations like the Responsible Tourism Society of India for its Refuse to Ride campaign where it raises awareness on the plight of captive elephants used in tourism.