Rushi Pathak is a wildlife conservationist working with multiple stakeholders in the government and non-government sectors to preserve wildlife and spread awareness in local communities. He is based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat where his passion started with a snake rescue in his society which made him curious about snakes and later on about wildlife and its conservation. Rushi has worked tirelessly at the grassroots level collaborating with multiple groups to form a network of volunteers who consistently work with educational institutions, government agencies, and national and International organizations.

Rushi Pathak
Field Coordinator and Wildlife Conservationist

A few of Rushi’s work under the aegis of SHE-INDIA are as follows:

    • Private & Government Schools/Universities (Gujarat): Conducted workshops in rural and urban areas, educating youth on snakebite issues, treatments, and emergency protocols, focusing on rural regions with high snakebite incidents.
    • Velavadar Government School: Held awareness programs in the village near Velavadar National Park to highlight the seriousness of snakebite accidents to the local community.
    • Doctor Training (Botad & Bhavnagar): Arranged training workshops for doctors on snakebite treatment to enhance their ability to manage and treat snakebite cases effectively.
    • Science Carnival (2023, 2024) Science City, Ahmedabad: Organized awareness programs at Science City, addressing snakebite mitigation scientifically and dispelling myths. Approximately 7000 individuals attended the awareness drive.
    • National Cadet Corps (Nadiad & Ahmedabad): Trained NCC cadets in snakebite mitigation, emphasizing their role in community education.
    • Civil Defence, Ahmedabad Division: Conducted workshops for Civil Defence personnel on snakebite first aid and emergency response.
    • Ahmedabad Rural Police: Educated police staff on snakebite treatment, ensuring they can respond effectively as first responders.
    • Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation (GEER): Provided snakebite awareness training to Range Forest Officers (RFOs) and Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACFs) to improve response during snakebite incidents during fieldwork.
    • BAPS Akshardham Temple: Conducted workshops for temple staff to raise awareness on snakebite prevention and treatment for visitors and staff.
  • Ahmedabad International Airport: Trained airport and airline staff on snakebite awareness due to the biodiversity-rich environment surrounding the airport.
  • Student Police Cadet Program, Ahmedabad Rural Police: Collaborated with the program to educate students on snakebite prevention and response.
  • Local NGOs: Partnered with NGOs across districts to spread snakebite awareness to a broader audience.

Rushi has brought together local NGO’s from 15 districts to collectively work on snakebite mitigation using scientific IEC materials in local languages and SOP to conduct awareness campaigns in their respective areas. With his holistic approach and community outreach skills he has been able to spread the awareness for Snakebite mitigation, snake identification, dispelling myths regarding snakes and its importance to a wide range of audience including Animal shelter volunteers, community workers, medical professionals,fire staff, children with special needs, and school-college students.