Wildwatch - Biography - Shreenidhi Jayadeva

Name: Shreenidhi Jayadeva

Nickname: Nidhi

Country: India

Profile: Having grown up in the city, I always wanted to do something more peaceful. I got my first chance at an urban wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Here I grew very close to animals in general and snakes in particular. After volunteering at the centre for almost three years, I realised that the best career for me would be something to do with wildlife. As I had just finished my schooling and was free to do things I wanted to, I went on an eco-tourism course in the pristine jungles of the Western Ghats, one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world.

The six months I spent in the jungle with no contact with the outside world made it clear to me that I should have a career in the wild. After the course, I went on to work on a project on king cobras headed by well known herpetologist Romulus Whitaker. By the time this ended I decided that my volunteer days were over and took up the job of naturalist at &Beyond, turning my dream into reality.