Dr Sonali Ghosh, field director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve became the first Indian to win the prestigious WCPA-Kenton Miller Award for innovation in national parks and protected area sustainability.
The award was presented at the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi on Friday by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), a global body that recognises individuals who have made innovative contributions to wildlife area conservation.
The award is named after Dr Kenton R. Miller, a pioneer in conservation and former director general of the IUCN.
Born into a family of Army personnel, Dr Sonali Ghosh grew up close to nature, the open fields and quiet cantonments shaping her earliest connection with the wild.
In a 2015 interview with Sanctuary Nature Foundation, she recalled, “My army background and time spent outdoors subconsciously instilled a love for nature. The real initiation came during my MSc days at the Wildlife Institute of India, where the rigorous field-based education and training left a long-lasting impression.”
A topper of the Indian Forest Service batch of 2000–2003, Ghosh went on to earn post-graduate degrees in forestry and wildlife science, a diploma in environmental law from the National Law School of India, and another in systems management.
Reflecting on her work in the first successful rehabilitation of captive-bred clouded leopard cubs in the wild, she noted that India’s captive breeding “needs a complete revamp.” “I feel the main objective of zoos should be only of conservation education,” she said, adding that ex-situ breeding “needs a rethink on what we are trying to achieve.”
For her, the effort was one of “trial and error,” guided by the presence of trained animal keepers and veterinarians.
She strongly believes that every rescued wild animal “must be given a chance of rehabilitation in the wild,” and that the veterinary wing of the forest department must be “completely revived” with better technology, manpower, and expertise, because, as she put it, rescue and rehabilitation “should be recognised as an integral part of wildlife management.”
Congratulatory messages poured in soon after the announcement.
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) posted on X: "Hearty congratulations to Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director, Kaziranga on being conferred the prestigious IUCN Kenton Miller Award at the @IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to protected and conserved area management. We at IBCA are proud of your remarkable achievement!"
The WCPA-Kenton Miller Award, instituted by the IUCN, is one of the world's most respected honours in the field of environmental conservation. It celebrates professionals who have developed effective management strategies for parks and protected areas.
In 2023, the award was presented to Maria del Carmen Garcia Rivas of Mexico for her pioneering work in advancing marine protected areas through community-led governance and scientific monitoring.