2017

My name is Nimalka Sanjeewani from Sri Lanka. I graduated from the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka with a bachelor of Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management.

In 2009, I engaged with The Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT) and doing research on the Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya). Determination of prey abundance of Panthera pardus kotiya in Central hills of Sri Lanka was my undergraduate research. I’m working as an outreach officer of the WWCT: my main responsibility is public awareness toward conservation. The knowledge and experience gained from the WWCT directed me on human wildlife interaction management through the community base conservation practices. Furthermore, I enrolled to do my Master’s degree on human wildlife interaction management in Sri Lanka.

From the WildCRU program, I expect to enhance my knowledge on wildlife conservation practices including interaction management, data analysis and GIS mapping. Moreover, I wish to apply modern technology for conservation practices to improve my research ability toward biodiversity conservation.

Update September 2019

Nimalka has started her MPhil degree, which will be upgraded to a PhD next year. She is still involved in raising on human-leopard interaction in Sri Lanka, and will try and keep involved alongside her increasing studies.