Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India.
+91-9997999970
prashant20 [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in
About
I am a wildlife ecologist, holding a master’s degree in Wildlife Science from Aligarh Muslim University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Zoology (H) from Delhi University. My dissertation study focused on human-carnivore conflict, wherein I examined the ecological factors governing kill site selection by large carnivores, particularly leopards. Post that, I completed a project on the ecology of wolves in Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary with Tiger Watch. Subsequently, I joined the Wildlife Institute of India with the All India Tiger Estimation project. Over the past many years, my focus has been on studying the ecology of large carnivores and mammals in India, particularly wolf, tiger, leopard, elephant, and rhesus macaque. For my Ph.D. I shifted my focus to the ecology of mesocarnivores, for which I was awarded the Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF). I joined the Wildlife Institute of India as a Scientist C in September 2023.
My broad interests revolve around carnivore ecology, predator-prey interactions, and human-animal interactions. I am particularly interested in answering “how questions” that relate to species perception and its response under the risk of predation. My other areas of interest include population ecology, particularly understanding the different methods used to estimate mammal populations.
Academic Positions
September 2019 - May 2022 : Project Fellow at Wildlife Institute of India
June 2022 - August 2023: Prime Minister Research Fellow at Aligarh Muslim University
September 2023 - Present : Scientist - C at Wildlife Institute of India
Education
B.Sc. Zoology (H), University of Delhi (DU): From 2013 to 2026
M.Sc. Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU): From 2016 to 2018
Research Interest
Carnivore Ecology
Publications
Mahajan, P. and Khan, A. 2022. Ecological drivers of livestock depredation by large predators. In: Case studies of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation in India, eds. O. Ilyas and A. Khan. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. [Contributed Book chapter]
Mahajan, P., Chaudhary, R., and Kazi, A. and Khandal, D. 2022. Spatial determinants of livestock depredation and human attitude towards wolves in Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 10:855084. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.855084
Mahajan, P., Khandal, D. and Chandrawal, K. 2021. Factors Influencing Habitat-Use of Indian Grey Wolf in the Semiarid Landscape of Western India. Mammal Study 47(1): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3106/ms2021-0029
Mahajan, P. and Khandal, D. 2021. Preliminary status of the Indian grey wolf in Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India. Canid Biology & Conservation 23(3): 8-14. http://www.canids.org/CBC/23/Indian_wolf_Rajasthan.pdf
Dr. Prashant Mahajan
Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India.
+91-9997999970
prashant20 [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in