‘A Good Year for Species’: Conservationist Vivek Menon on His Journey From the Wild to World Leadership

As a teenager, Vivek Menon was handed a book by his father — Among the Elephants by Iain Douglas-Hamilton. The moment he flipped through its pages, he was captivated by the gentle giants.

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“To read about the British Oxford don who left the comforts of the West to live in Africa among the elephants was fascinating,” he recalls. Years later, he would count himself fortunate to be mentored by Hamilton himself.

Among the many bonds Menon holds dear, one is with Hamilton; another, with Jane Goodall. 

Though much of his life’s work has revolved around elephants — protecting them from the illegal ivory trade and rehabilitating orphaned calves into the wild using science-based methods — his love for all species remains boundless.

Now, as he creates history by becoming the first Asian Chair (for the 2025-2029 quadrennium) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), it feels like a moment that’s been a lifetime in the making.

A look at Menon’s journey reveals a balance between duty to community and duty to the wild — a belief that one need not come at the cost of the other.

As a wildlife conservationist, environmental commentator, author, and photographer, he has dedicated his life to creating meaningful, global change for wildlife and natural habitats. Over the years, he has led landmark conservation initiatives and trained enforcement personnel across more than 50 countries.

Now, as IUCN SSC Chair, Menon is set to embark on a new journey. The Species Survival Commission plays a crucial role in IUCN’s mission — assessing the conservation status of species (including through the IUCN Red List), shaping conservation policy, and driving species recovery initiatives.

His appointment, announced at the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Abu Dhabi, marks a historic first: an Asian leading the science-based network of more than 11,000 volunteer experts dedicated to conserving biodiversity and ensuring species survival in its 75-year history.

Menon says he is “deeply honoured” to take on this role and is determined to strengthen the SSC into a more resilient, inclusive, and globally impactful network.

“We need to focus on the impact we have on reversing the extinction risk of species and strategising to put as many of them back on track. We have a large job to make sure the Red List (a database that assesses the global conservation status of animal, plant, and fungi species, categorising them by their risk of extinction) is supported to move our assessments faster and more precisely while planning robustly to save species. An exciting time ahead, and I am ready for the challenge,” he shares.

Shaping conservation from fieldwork to policy

Menon harbours a deep reverence for elephants — a bond that defines much of his life’s work.

This shines through his role as Chair of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group for the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), a position he has held for the past 12 years. In this capacity, he advises governments across Asia on how to “do things right for elephants”.

“Unfortunately, almost all our elephants are endangered; the Sumatran subspecies is critically endangered. My fascination with these ‘near persons’ will always be there till the end of my life, and I hope I can continue to alleviate their suffering and give the species a better chance at surviving for our children to see,” he notes.

Menon is also the founder of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), an organisation dedicated to conserving wildlife and their habitats while working closely with the forest departments and state governments to advocate for policy shifts. Under his leadership, WTI, along with the Government of India, has surveyed over 101 elephant corridors across 11 states for the roughly 29,000 Asian elephants in the country.

The organisation has spearheaded several pioneering initiatives — from identifying and protecting critical elephant corridors to leading large-scale anti-poaching efforts, wildlife crime training, and numerous species-specific recovery and rehabilitation programmes.

Despite a nomadic career that has taken him to more than a hundred countries, Menon’s life remains rooted in his love for the wild.

His many accolades reflect this enduring commitment: the Clark R. Bavin Award (2019), the Whitley Continuation Award (2018), the Samskara RoundGlass Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), and the Rufford Award (2001) for his work on Asian elephant conservation.

In 2024, he was made a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and granted the Freedom of the City of London by the Lord Mayor.

When I congratulated Menon on his appointment, he said, “This has been a good year for species.” With him now at the helm, it promises to only get better. 

All pictures courtesy Wildlife Trust of India