Dr. Tapendra Saini is a veterinarian by training, hailing from the Nagaur district of Rajasthan. His journey in veterinary sciences began in 2015 at the College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, SDAU, Gujarat. During his undergraduate studies, he received training in the treatment and handling of both small and large domestic animals. As part of his internship, he gained valuable experience in wildlife healthcare and management at the Kamla Nehru Zoological Garden in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Dr. Saini's research journey commenced with a Master's degree in Veterinary Science, specializing in Animal Genetics & Breeding, from ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute. His work focused on genomic data analysis, specifically developing a low-density SNP panel for the identification and discrimination of pig breeds, as well as conducting selection signature analysis. Following his post-graduation, he served as a Scientist at the P4 Tasar Breeding Station in Chakradharpur, Jharkhand, for one year. There, he was actively involved in the development of breeding plans and development of high fecundity line of wild tasar silkworm in the Saranda forest. In April 2025, Dr. Saini joined the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) as a Scientist-C. Here, he looks forward to exploring areas such as evolutionary perspective of wildlife diseases, landscape epidemiology, understanding disease spillover from livestock to wildlife, and disease management in both captive and free-ranging wild animals. Beyond his professional pursuits, Dr. Saini has been actively involved in basketball, volleyball, and various extracurricular activities throughout his academic journey.
Dr. Tapendra Saini
Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun 248001, India.
+91-9461688377
ts [at] wii [dot] gov [dot] in