Jignasu Dolia

Jignasu Dolia is a herpetologist studying King Cobras in northern India for 16 years, a Ph.D. scholar at Wildlife Institute of India, studying its distribution and nesting ecology. His king cobra studies began in the foothills of Western Himalayas in 2009. Has monitored 50 king cobra nests till date, in the Shivalik ranges of Uttarakhand. Involved in raising awareness on snakes, especially king cobras, among key stakeholders. Provides expertise and hands-on training for frontline staff of the Uttarakhand Forest Department. Involved in on-ground conservation actions, especially on king cobras and venomous snakes in general, as they are feared, maligned and harmed by people. He has received competitive grants, published his research in peer-reviewed journals, and presented his work at international conferences. He is currently a member of IUCN’s Snake Specialist Group.