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{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bittu Sahgal
| image = Bittu sahgal.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|10|12}}
| birth_place = [[Shimla]]
| education = [[B.Com]]
| employer = [[Sanctuary Nature Foundation]]
| occupation = Writer, [[environmental activist]]
| years_active = 1981–present
| spouse = Madhu Sahgal
| children = 2
}}
'''Bittu Sahgal''' is an [[environmental activist]], writer,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.governancenow.com/views/interview/in-conversation-with-environment-activist-bittu-sahgal|title=In conversation with environment activist Bittu Sahgal|date=30 June 2015|website=Governance Now|language=en|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> and the founder of [[Sanctuary Nature Foundation]], an Indian nonprofit conservation organization that works on [[environmental policy]], advocacy, science, on-ground support and habitat management. He is also the founding editor of ''[[Sanctuary Asia]]'', a [[wildlife]] and ecology magazine.

==Early life==
Sahgal was born on 12 October 1947 in [[Shimla]], where he attended from Bishop Cotton High School. He graduated with a B.Com from St Xavier's College, [[Kolkata]]. He worked at a chartered accountancy firm during this time. He resigned later and moved to [[Mumbai]], where he currently lives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newsarchive.woodstockschool.in/wca/writersfestival/2010participants/bittusahgal.htm|title=Bittu Sahgal – Winterline Centre for the Arts – Woodstock School, Mussoorie, India|website=newsarchive.woodstockschool.in|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> He has been associated with [[Project Tiger]] since its inception and was greatly influenced by [[Salim Ali|Dr. Salim Ali]], the famous "Birdman of India", [[Kailash Sankhala]], the first director of Project Tiger and renowned conservationist [[Fateh Singh Rathore]], the former field director at [[Ranthambore National Park|Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve]].<ref name="YB">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.youngbuzz.com/content/bittu-sehgal-environmentalist-and-editor-sanctuary-magazine-–-his-story
|title=Bittu Sehgal, Environmentalist And Editor of Sanctuary Magazine – His Story
|publisher=Youngbuzz
|accessdate=30 September 2011
}}</ref>

== Career ==
After Sahgal moved to Mumbai, he began working as an advertising professional.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/interviews/saving-the-tiger-dont-get-angry-get-involved-says-sanctuary-asia-founder-bittu-sahgal/1323881|title=Saving the tiger! 'Don't get angry, get involved,' says Sanctuary Asia founder Bittu Sahgal|date=29 July 2018|website=Freepressjournal : Latest Indian news,Live updates|language=en-US|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> Over the years, he became a regular visitor to [[Wildlife Sanctuary|wildlife sanctuaries]] and [[national park]]s around the country. His interest in wildlife conservation grew through interactions with locals on his trips.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/YH3C64E6E63DtCQG3ipxPN/Bittu-Sahgal.html|title=Bittu Sahgal|last=Sharma|first=Sanjukta|date=11 August 2007|website=Mint|language=en|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> In 1980, Rathore urged Sahgal to start a wildlife magazine, stressing on the importance of educating the public.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Sunderbans-is-a-sinking-ship-Bittu-Sahgal/articleshow/49701527.cms|title=Sunderbans is a sinking ship: Bittu Sahgal – Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> The first issue of ''Sanctuary Asia'' was published the following year in October. In 1984, he founded ''Sanctuary Cub'', to reach a younger audience. ''Cub'' is currently edited by his younger daughter, Tara Sahgal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://newsarchive.woodstockschool.in/wca/writersfestival/2010participants/bittusahgal.htm|title=Bittu Sahgal – Winterline Centre for the Arts – Woodstock School, Mussoorie, India|website=newsarchive.woodstockschool.in|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

In the year 2000, Sahgal instituted the Sanctuary Wildlife Awards to honour men and women working on groundbreaking projects in the conservation sector and excelling wildlife photographers. Later in 2017, a separate Awards event for photography, the Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards, was established solely to promote [[wildlife conservation]] through photography.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/903231/yawning-leopards-duelling-cobras-and-other-winners-at-the-sanctuary-wildlife-photography-awards|title=Swooping eagles, duelling cobras and other winners at the Sanctuary Wildlife Photography awards|author=Scroll Staff|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

Sahgal established the Mud on Boots project in 2017, which seeks to empower grassroots conservationists in India. These conservationists often come from humble backgrounds, and find themselves limited in their ability to expand and fund their work because of the challenges posed by language barriers, geographical remoteness and restricted access to technology and education. These individuals are identified for Sanctuary by credible conservation leaders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://homegrown.co.in/article/803329/mud-on-boots-an-initiative-empowering-grassroots-conservationists-of-india|title=Mud on Boots – An Initiative Empowering Grassroots Conservationists of India|last=Homegrown|website=homegrown.co.in|language=en|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> The same year, he launched Community Owned Community Operated Nature (COCOON) Conservancies, a [[Rewilding (conservation biology)|rewilding]] initiative outside India's Protective Area Network which seeks to improve the lives of Indian farmers who live near forest land by rewilding their failed farms back to biodiverse forest status, and helping them find new sources of income, like [[ecotourism]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.devex.com/news/sponsored/a-community-led-vision-for-india-s-rural-future-93796|title=A community-led vision for India's rural future|date=8 November 2018|website=Devex|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

Sahgal has served on a number of government and non-government bodies, including the National Board for Wildlife,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://moef.nic.in/divisions/wildlife/NBWL-21.pdf|date=25 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725083915/http://moef.nic.in/divisions/wildlife/NBWL-21.pdf|access-date=18 March 2019|archive-date=25 July 2011}}</ref> [[Animal Welfare Board of India|Animal Welfare Board]], State Wildlife Board of Maharashtra,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/maharashtra-state-wildlife-board-reconstituted/articleshow/22239487.cms|title=Maharashtra State Wildlife Board reconstituted|date=3 September 2013|work=The Economic Times|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature|IUCN]] (World Conservation Union), The Wild Foundation (U.S.A)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wild.org/who-we-are/board-trustees/|title=Board & Trustees {{!}} WILD Foundation|date=27 February 2015|language=en-US|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> and the Expert Appraisal Committee for Infrastructure, Ministry of Environment and Forests, [[Government of India]]. He works with policymakers, social workers, economists and scientists at the tri-junction of biodiversity, climate change and economics, speaking at national and international platforms in support of wilderness conservation while continuing to spearhead the work of the Sanctuary Nature Foundation.

==Publications==
Besides the ''Sanctuary Asia'' and ''Cub'' magazines, Sahgal has published numerous works in both English and regional languages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://asiasociety.org/india/events/himalayan-meltdown|title=Himalayan Meltdown|website=Asia Society|language=en|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref> He has authored coffee table books on wildlife, including a series on some of India's national parks and sanctuaries; ''The Bandhavgarh Inheritance, The Sundarbans Inheritance, The Bharatpur Inheritance, The Kaziranga Inheritance, The Corbett Inheritance'' and ''The Periyar Inheritance'' and a stand-alone, ''India Naturally''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://baliparafoundation.com/en/team/bittu-sahgal-editor-sanctuary-asia|title=Bittu Sahgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia|date=24 October 2017|website=Balipara Foundation|language=en|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

He also produced 30 wildlife documentaries.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wildlifeconservationtrust.org/about-us/trustees/|title=Trustees|website=Wildlife Conservation Trust|language=en|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

==Kids for Tigers==
Sahgal founded Kids for Tigers in the year 2000. Kids For Tigers is an educational outreach programme targeting rural and urban kids across India through nature walks, fests and workshops. The programme started in urban cities—New Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore—and then branched out into smaller towns and cities like Chandrapur that border tiger reserves. Kids For Tigers has reached out to over one million children. The tiger, a metaphor for all of nature, is a rallying point for children working to safeguard their own future. The goal is "to give city kids the opportunity to fall in love with tigers and with nature, and to teach them that we can’t save tigers without saving their home".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2014/02/21/kids-in-india-come-together-to-save-tigers/|title=Kids in India Come Together to Save Tigers|date=21 February 2014|website=National Geographic Society Newsroom|language=en-US|access-date=12 March 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sahgal, Bittu}}
[[Category:Indian environmentalists]]
[[Category:Writers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:People from Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Indian editors]]

Bittu Sahgal - Revision history

imported>Citation bot at 12:15, 23 August 2021