A trailblazing conservation scientist and educator has been named the 2026 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Already a Rolex Awards Laureate, Indian conservationist Krithi K. Karanth has dedicated her career to reducing wildlife-human conflict in India, launching multiple ambitious conservation programmes that impact 100 wildlife reserves.

Despite being the world’s most populous nation, only five per cent of India’s terrain is reserved for nature. Yet it has 70 per cent of the world’s tigers and about 60 per cent of its Asian elephants.

Karanth grew up passionate about India’s natural wonders, spending most of her childhood outdoors in the wild. She spotted her first leopard when she was two years old and by eight, she was tracking tigers with her father, a renowned tiger biologist and conservationist. But this was not the case for the majority of the population, and most children in India have a very different relationship with nature.

As Karanth explains, this is largely because many people in India are not aware of the country’s incredible biodiversity, let alone of its importance. To some of them, the animals are simply a threat to their crops or livestock. Her research estimates about 100,000 incidents of wildlife-human conflict are reported to the government each year. Determined to change this, Karanth launched Wild Seve in 2015, a conflict response system with a toll-free number for people to report incidents and receive support in filing for ex-gratia compensation from the government when they suffer losses. What began in just two wildlife reserves has since expanded to over 30 reserves across India.

Three years later, Karanth expanded the project by addressing the root of the problem: education. In 2018, she established Wild Shaale, an education programme for children who frequently come into contact with wildlife. Since the initial launch across 38 classrooms, the programme has grown and has now been implemented in 1,626 rural schools, inspiring more than 72,000 children. Wild Shaale has reached 39 wildlife reserves in India.

“I believe Wild Shaale should empower every kid on the planet to champion wildlife, whether it’s somebody growing up in India or elsewhere. Our fun and experiential learning programme can very easily be replicated in South America with the jaguar, North America with bears and wolves, Africa with lions and elephants.” 

– Krithi K. Karanth, 2026 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year

An inspirational conservationist, Karanth is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) in India and has garnered more than 50 awards and recognitions during her career, including a Rolex Awards for Enterprise in 2019. In 2011, she became the recipient of the National Geographic Society’s 10,000th grant. In 2025, she won the McNulty Prize, and this year received the Royal Geographical Society’s Esmond B. Martin Prize. 

In 2020, Karanth established Wild Surakshe, a programme working with community leaders, and forest and health workers to build awareness, foster partnerships, and safeguard lives and livelihoods. To date, the programme has conducted more than 1,300 workshops, engaging an estimated 50,000 participants as part of the effort to strengthen management of wildlife conflict and disease.

“To be named Explorer of the Year by National Geographic Society and Rolex is an incredible honour and profound responsibility. At this critical moment for our planet, the need for science-based conservation, grounded in evidence and collaboration, has never been greater. Where iconic megafauna share space with people, there is an urgency to design dynamic programmes that are deeply-rooted in lived realities of people. We can co-create and reimagine a world through courage and persistence to ensure wildlife and people thrive.”

– Krithi K. Karanth, 2026 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year.

The title of Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year is given to leaders in exploration who, through storytelling, shine a critical light on important issues, discoveries and challenges facing our planet, inspiring action for a more sustainable future. Rolex and the National Geographic Society’s long-standing partnership dates back more than 70 years and includes, since 2011, the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year award. By fostering partnerships like these through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex supports pioneering individuals including Karanth, whose achievements in the field of conservation demonstrate the excellence the brand strives for. 

Karanth’s work is far-reaching. Her scientific research across India and Asia spans 28 years and encompasses a range of issues involving the wildlife-human interactions. She has mentored more than 300 young scientists from across the globe and engaged some 1,000 citizen science volunteers in her research and conservation efforts. Her projects have been featured in three award-winning BBC series. In time, Karanth hopes that her key programmes – Wild Seve, Wild Shaale and Wild Surakshe – will become worldwide models for conservation, demonstrating her groundbreaking work in protecting the planet for future generations.

ABOUT THE PERPETUAL PLANET INITIATIVE 
Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing journeys marked by milestones and emotions that culminate in defining moments. 

For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers to help them achieve countless historic feats. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside those building a better future for all life on earth. 

The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative was launched in 2019 and now has a portfolio of more than 30 partners, active in three main focus areas: Oceans; Landscapes; and Science, Health, and Technology.
 
For the Oceans, Rolex supports a wide range of projects such as: Mission Blue and Rolex Testimonee Sylvia Earle; Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen; and Coral Gardeners. 

The Landscapes roster includes: a strengthened partnership with the National Geographic Society; Rewilding Argentina and Rewilding Chile, offspring organisations of Tompkins Conservation; and Steve Boyes and the Great Spine of Africa series of expeditions. 

Rolex also supports partners in Science, Health, and Technology, such as: Rolex Awards Laureates Andrew Bastawrous; Felix Brooks-church; and Miranda Wang.

Rolex also supports organizations and initiatives fostering the next generation of explorers, scientists and conservationists, such as the Royal Geographical Society, The Explorers Club, the CERN & Society Foundation.