S S Notey
Wildlife Service Award (2002)
S.S. Notey has made a name for himself by his fearless and persistent efforts to crack down on the illegal wildlife trade in Maharashtra. Notey is the epitome of a committed forest officer, offering his very best to every responsibility and post he has been assigned to. He laughs off death threats, believing that his god, not his enemies will determine when his time has come! Over the course of a 20-year career, he has taken to motivating departmental colleagues as a personal mission. He can be seen writing and promoting wildlife management literature for guards and foresters, conducting nature education programmes for city and village children and crafting interpretation centres in various Protected Areas (PAs). His contribution in the fight against poaching and in boosting the protection of different PAs, especially the Pench Tiger Reserve, are well-known. Together with RFO Kishor Mishrikotkar, he appeared in the Supreme Court on behalf of Maharashtra state in the Pench fishing case. A sensitive soul, he personally conducts medical camps in the villages around Pench Tiger Reserve to mitigate the suffering of local communities. One of his biggest contributions in the battle against poaching thus far was his role in the seizure of 6,894 and 1,340 kg. of antlers from Nagpur and Mumbai respectively in May 2001, from a powerful and politically well-connected individual.