K. Ramkumar (43), a wildlife biologist from Tamil Nadu who died of COVID-19 on Tuesday, is remembered by conservationists as a person who dedicated his entire profession for the conservation of elephants and protection of corridors.
A native of Sirkali in Mayiladuthurai district, Ramkumar died at a hospital at Kumbakonam early on Tuesday.
A wildlife biologist attached to the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), he was central in securing the Wayanad corridor over seven years and was also working to secure another corridor in BRT-Sathyamangalam landscape, WTI remembered Ramkumar in an obituary.
“He was the backbone in mapping the first edition of the ‘Right of Passage’, the corridor book that has become the go-to reference for elephant conservation in India. He has authored several research reports,papers and popular articles, and is co-editor of ‘Right of Passage: Elephant Corridors of India (2nd Edition),” it said.
Condoling Ramkumar’s demise, a colleague of his wrote on Twitter that his death came on the very day of completing his 13th year of his stint with WTI. A wildlife biologist with a doctorate on human-elephant conflict, Ramkumar was a regular presence in events related to conservation in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
“He will always be remembered for his extensive research on the identification and protection of elephant corridors,” said K. Kalidasan of Osai, a Coimbatore-based environmental organisation.
“He played a critical role in identifying and meticulously mapping the elephant corridors in the Nilgiris-Wayanad landscape. It is very sad that we lost him too soon. A big loss to conservation and WTI,” said Rajah Jayapal, Senior Principal Scientist, Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History.
I. Anwardeen, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Coimbatore Circle), recalled that Ramkumar worked closely with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in working out strategies to reduce elephant casualties on railway lines at Madukkarai.
Ramkumar is survived by his wife and two children.
