At 26, Pawan Sharma has rescued over 10,000 animals from life-threatening situations.
Hemchhaya De speaks to the wildlife crusaderT
he year was 2015. Amidst
incessant downpour in
Mumbai, Pawan Sharma,
founder and president, Resqink
Association for Wildlife Welfare
(RAWW), an NGO, and his team had
set out on a risky mission. An
11-feet-long crocodile had washed
ashore, thanks to an overflowing
lake, and ended up near an adivasi
neighbourhood. When Sharma’s team
reached the spot, they found over 200
people assembled, ready to kill the
reptile with sticks and stones. Taking
score of the situation, the team deftly
handled the mob, keeping the safety
of both the animal and people in mind.
“It was one of the most challenging
operations I had conducted along with
my team,” recalls Sharma, who is also
an Honorary Wildlife Warden with the
Maharashtra Forest Department.
Founded in 2013, RAWW is
dedicated to rehabilitating wild animals,
birds, and reptiles that have lost their
natural habitat. The volunteers, most
of them in their twenties, also ensure
that these hapless animals are in no
way harmed when they stray into
human settlements. At the moment,
the organisation has 90 members and
volunteers. In addition, the 26-year-
old Mumbaikar and his team work
closely with the state forest department.
“Rescue is one of the major areas of our
work. We are trying our best to assist
and support state machineries with our
limited resources and expertise. Until
now, we have been able to serve over
10,000 lives including mammals, birds,
reptiles, insects, and anarchids, directly
and indirectly,” states Sharma.
Passion for wildlife came naturally to
Sharma, who, since childhood, wanted
“It isn’t necessary
to be a scientist or an
expert to be able
to help environment
and wildlife.”SERVING THE WILD
to volunteer for any organisation that
helped animals. However, it was
a rocky beginning. He would often be
rejected for his age or for a non-science
academic background. “I wanted to
help the environment and animals.
Eventually, I realised, it isn’t necessary
to be a scientist or an expert to be able
to do that. What matters is the
availability of a platform for those
willing to serve,” he says, stating it as the
basis of setting up RAWW.
Until early this year, Sharma was
“living a student’s life”, juggling lectures
and rescue operations. He recently
completed his degree in law. Ask him
what does a typical day in his life
look like, and he says, “It starts with
calls from people from residential/commercial areas or from the control
room of the forest department,
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation,
and the police, seeking help for animals
in distress. It proceeds with scheduling
rescue teams, treating injured animals,
taking care of animals in foster
care, managing paperwork, driving
ambulances during emergencies, and
assisting vets during treatment, among
other things.”
Having spent considerable time
towards the betterment of wildlife,
Sharma says that human-wildlife
conflict management and urban wildlife
conservation are few of the focus areas
globally, and more people should get
involved. “Empowering the younger
generation, creating job opportunities
for them, and building capacity are
aspects I want to look into, along with
policy and protocol-making from
ground level. At RAWW, we are open
to working with like-minded individuals
and organisations for the best of
environment and wildlife.”