To teach us about this issue, in this episode we’re sitting down with Sarika Khanwilkar, founder of the non-profit Wild Tiger, a PhD student at Columbia University, and a tiger expert. Sarika discovered her passion for tigers during an internship studying human-tiger conflict in central India through TRACT, a well-known tiger conservation organization led by her aunt and uncle. She returned to the US a changed woman and decided to dedicate her life to tiger conservation. In keeping with that theme, Sarika recently published a paper examining the US’ role in the illegal trade of tiger parts, and oh my, is it interesting. Sarika teaches us all about the illegal tiger trade in the US, the conservation of wild tigers in India, and the actions we can take to protect this phenomenal cat.
Alright, let’s get to today’s episode with Sarika.