Tushar Kulkarni is not a zoologist; neither does he hold an academic degree in animal sciences. He had always had a desire to work in the field of wildlife and conservation, but never did he imagine that someday he would become a giraffe researcher.
After 10 years into service, Mr. Kulkarni quit his corporate job and started interning with zoos in India and abroad so that he could study the long-legged mammal’s behaviour and captive management.
The 42-year-old conservationist from Thane has carried out a pilot genetic research on giraffes, also known as the tallest living terrestrial animals. The groundbreaking study has fetched him international recognition. In May, his research paper was selected for the International Giraffe Conference held at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Ohio, U.S.
“From BNHS Conservation Education Centre at Goregaon to Uganda Wildlife Education Centre to Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo in Indiana, U.S., the experience I gained while working as a volunteer helped me in the research,” said Mr. Kulkarni.
His decision to choose the giraffes at Alipore zoo in West Bengal for his study resulted from the observations he made as an educator at the facility in 2015.
While educating tourists about giraffes at Alipore zoo, Mr. Kulkarni says, he noticed a certain behaviour in the animals. “They would often lick non-food objects like walls, doors and the metal fence of the enclosure. Since they were offered food in open trays, they would eat mouthfuls without using their tongues, which would lead to this behaviour and is a sign of stress.”
This went against their natural behaviour, says Mr. Kulkarni, a commerce graduate from Mumbai University. “I started recording their behaviour in the morning and evening, and then prepared a report. My study aimed at formulating methods for their better management at the zoo.”
The behavioural study made it to the International Giraffe Conference at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago in May 2016, where Mr. Kulkarni presented the paper.
Taxonomy trail
He says there are about 30 giraffes kept in 10 zoos in India. “The taxonomy (species or subspecies) of these giraffes is largely unknown as many zoos do not have an explicit record of initial giraffe acquisitions from the wild or from overseas facilities.”
As many of the facilities participate in breeding and exchange programmes, it was important to understand the genetics and phylogeny of these animals, Mr. Kulkarni says.
In October 2017, Mr. Kulkarni obtained permission from the West Bengal Zoo Authority to collect stool samples of the giraffes. The samples were then sent to the molecular biodiversity laboratory, Government Arts College, Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu. Geneticists at the laboratory extracted DNA samples from the mucous layers of the stool. The lab report that came out in March 2019 revealed that the giraffes at the Alipore zoo were subspecies of the Nubian Giraffe and species Northern Giraffe.
Sanil Pillai, who headed the team of geneticists at Ooty lab in examining the DNA samples, said since giraffes are not native to India, it was important to know the origins to ensure breeding between similar species. “Cross-breeding produces infertile hybrids, which is not good for the existing captive giraffes in the country.”
Throughout the research period, Mr. Kulkarni and his team were in touch with Giraffe Conservation Foundation in Namibia where he works, for its guidance.
Asked about being called a giraffe whisperer, Mr. Kurlkarni says, it is extremely difficult to communicate with the animal since it hardly makes any sound. “However, through positive reinforcement training, we can make it do certain things. For example, as their hoof overgrows, they might get arthritis. If we want a giraffe to participate voluntarily in the medical check-up like placing its hoof over the block for an X-ray, this training does the trick.”
