A lifetime of hands-on research in field conservation, research, and advocacy, coupled with the strength of his personal convictions, have made Manoj Gautam uniquely effective in mobilizing communities and uniting people for the common goal of conservation. His collaborative approach to human behavior change in wildlife conservation has been gaining ground not only in Nepal, but internationally. “I am just one person,” says Manoj. “Think of the effect that hundreds, or thousands, of individual conservation advocates could have.”

Born and brought up in a remote village in Western Nepal, Manoj grew up in a tight-knit community very much in tune with the natural world around it, as well as being vulnerable to human-wildlife interactions.

Always passionate about wildlife and all animals, Manoj read about Dr. Jane Goodall at the age of 7 and ever since pursued the dream of meeting Dr. Goodall. His first-ever email in 2004 was addressed to “Dr. Jane” and he received a handwritten thank you note from her in 2004.

In 2005, Dr. Goodall visited Manoj in Nepal and he has been a special protégé of hers since, rising to his current position as director of the Jane Goodall Institute of Nepal in 2013.

Starting in 2008, Manoj set in place a network of youth-led environmental organizations and initiatives in Nepal on behalf of Jane Goodall’s global youth program Roots and Shoots.

Fearless advocacy, active mobilization of young people, and rapid expansion of the Roots and Shoots Nepal sparked an awareness among young people for the interconnection of environmental protection, habitat conservation, and humanitarian work.

The program harnessed its members’ youthful energy and helped establish Roots and Shoots Nepal as a highly effective youth-led conservation movement.

Following his tenure at Roots and Shoots, Manoj Gautam became executive director of the newly formed Jane Goodall Institute of Nepal in 2013.

In this short time, he has established JGIN as one of the country’s leading conservation organizations and as an effective institution in the field of animal welfare throughout the region. In his capacity as JGIN director, Manoj frequently travels to speak at conferences in South Asia, Europe, and the U.S.

Manoj was elected as president of the Animal Welfare Network of Nepal and served the youngest member of the board. On behalf of AWNN, Manoj worked together with many leading international organizations and the government of Nepal for the institutionalization of Animal Welfare practice, upgrading Animal Welfare from a least concerned status and establishing it as an important cross-cutting subject that touches economy, human rights, environment and national soft power for Nepal. Manoj worked as the head of drafting of the Animal Welfare act of Nepal, which the government currently is processing for the launch. This will be the first National Legislation on Animal Protection and will lift Nepal’s name from the list of few Asian countries without animal welfare law.

From suing the government to uprooting the companies harming animals (including US funded breeding facilities intending to send animals to US based Bio-medical labs) and the environment Manoj has used legal and policy tools to deal with many situations. A good grip on Nepalese context, a deep understanding of humans and communities, extended international contacts, serious love for nature and unshakable loyalty towards the cause makes him unstoppable fighter.

Manoj is a strong communicator of ideas and has made a mark in public speaking. His lessons from the field come from dealing with thousands of people and masses from communities all in different circumstances in Nepal are known to be very simple yet very practical and powerful and his real life perspectives are counted as life changing by people from all walks of life.

THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE NEPAL

• Carefully established network of informants and personally led over 200 confiscation missions with the support of District Forestry Officers, rescuing thousands of wild animals from the illegal wildlife trade;
• Lodged successful petitions at the Supreme Court securing a ban on dog poisoning and a national phase-out of animal sacrifice;
• Organized and hosted ​Asia for Animals 2017​, one of the world’s largest and most progressive animal welfare conferences;
• Secured a ban on poison-fishing in the Karnali after exposing its impact on Nepal’s last population of Ganges river dolphins;
• Launched ‘Stop Monkey Business’ campaign which successfully brought an end to Nepal’s breeding and export of macaques for vivisection and rehabilitated more than 300 macaques from the National Biomedical
  Research Centre;
• Designed the ‘Vulture Restaurant’ (a system where safe carrion is fed to vultures) to prevent loss of last populations of critically endangered vulture species (nests increased ninefold and the concept has been replicated across south Asia);
• For the first time secured government funds (c. US$300k) for humane animal management and launched an ​innovative system​ empowering communities to manage local animal issues such as stray dogs and urban wildlife conflict.
• Brokered an agreement with private elephant owners in Nepal to work together towards a sanctuary model and the end of elephant riding.

ANIMAL WELFARE NETWORK NEPAL

• Was elected the ​President of the Network in 2013​ becoming the youngest president.
• Institutionalised AWNN with more membership, more transparency and collaborations among members.
• Created the National Animal Welfare Priority Strategy
• Created the first functional mechanism for Disaster Response for Animals in Nepal.

THE CARTER CENTER

Responsible for observing and assessing key indicators of the peace, constitution drafting, and voter registration processes at the district and regional levels.

SOCIETY OF WETLAND SCIENTISTS, ASIA CHAPTER

Petitioned SWS-USA to launch the Asia chapter, resulting in the first active inventorying of Nepal’s wetlands and heightened awareness for wetland conservation.