Ms. Prakriti Srivastava, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) Kerala cadre official, is appointed the Country Director of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)- India Program. The WCS's India Program was founded by Dr. Ullas Karanth with a mission to carry out research on tigers and other wildlife, with national capacity building and effective site-based conservation through constructive collaborations with governmental and non-governmental partners. Ms. Srivastava and her team have earned a reputation for effectively working against illegal encroachers, wildlife traffickers, timber smugglers and illicit timber factories in some of Kerala's most important landscapes for wildlife. She was working with key government colleagues to create four new National parks and to improve the protection status of many other forests and also initiating in collaboration with local communities a highly successful Olive-Ridley Turtle conservation program.