Resistance Radio - Guest: Rom Whitaker

Rom Whitaker was born in New York City and came to India when he was seven. He is a herpetologist with hundreds of publications and co-founder of the Madras State Park, Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust (ANET), and the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. In 1984 Whitaker won a Rolex Award for Enterprise for starting a snake venom Cooperative for Irula tribals and again in 2008 for his efforts to create a network of rainforest research stations throughout India. In 2005 he was the winner of a Whitley Award to found the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in Karnataka, for the study of King Cobras and their habitat. To spread his messages Whitaker has made 30 documentaries for channels such as Nat Geo, BBC and Animal Planet and a children's feature film. For his work in wildlife conservation, he received the Government of India's Padma Shri Award in 2018.