There’s an emptiness in the wild forests of Varagaliar in southern Tamil Nadu. The untimely demise of Dr. Ajith Kumar, who conducted seminal research on the lion tailed macaques of these forests in 1987 has rendered both the forests that he loved and the wildlife conservation community in India, silent.

Lion tailed macaques have loomed large in Ajith’s life – from the walls of a temple at Thalayolaparambu, near his native village in Kerala, to his more recent concerns about the urbanisation of these macaques in the town of Valparai, in the Anamalai hills. His long days of tearing up and down the hills of Varagaliar with binoculars trained on these primates prepared him for a life of endless travel, watching the lives of people that he encountered, and just as with the macaques, enmeshing himself with those lives.

Monkey business

In the early 2000s, we had gone for field work to the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in the Anamalais, and were trying to return to Valparai through a forest checkpost. Despite showing our research permits to the forest guard, he refused to open the gate. During the conversation, we happened to mention, “We are students of Dr. Ajith Kumar who studied lion tailed macaques in Varagaliar many years ago”. The guard’s eyes flew open and he said, “Ajith Kumar Sir?! Oh, he is a LIVING LEGEND”. The guard opened the gates in a flash! After that every time Ajith visited us, we welcomed him with, “The living legend is back!” – T.R. Shankar Raman, Batch of 1993-1995 at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

There used to be two male Bonnet macaques that roamed the NCBS canteen corridors. One sunny afternoon, the macaques decided to join the humans for a spot of snacking. General pandemonium predictably followed. Amidst it all sat Ajith sir eating a pack of biscuits whilst being curiously watched by one of the macaques. After a few minutes of munching, Ajith handed over the pack to his observer with a chuckle, who turned it over eagerly, only to find it empty. As a very disappointed monkey hauled himself off to look for better luck, Ajith giggled away. No matter who the primate was, he couldn’t resist teasing. – Meghna Krishnadas, Batch of 2008-2010 of the Post Graduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, NCBS

Dr. Ajith was my thesis supervisor when I was studying diet selection by capped langurs in Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. He instructed that by the time he visits me on field, I should have located and habituated two study groups in the forest. “Get the langurs lined up”, he said. During his field visit, we encountered the first group of capped langurs within the first walk in the field. I turned to him and said, “My langurs are all lined up to meet you, just as you asked”. He laughed sheepishly and said, “Did you train them for this or what?” – Uddipana Kalita, Batch of 2010-2012 of the Post Graduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, NCBS

Ajith redefined what it means to be a good teacher – put him in a classroom setting and he was uncomfortable, his somewhat unintelligible classroom lectures leading to looks of confusion on students faces. Outside the classroom, he exceled, whether in the field or leading by example, his lessons were gentle explorations of life around us, in all its forms. Every observation, whether of forests, animals or people was made with kindness and equanimity, and most importantly without judgement. Yet, every observation was placed in context, and the patterns that emerged were analysed and filed away for future reference. Ajith taught his students about natural history, responsibility, and relationships, through his own astute observations of plants and animals, recognising primates and the reasons for their behaviour, diligent financial support to his Ph.D. field assistant, Thangavelu, from the 1980s, until his death in the mid 2010s, and using any opportunity to connect with people, however far removed they may have seemed, about wildlife conservation. A teacher, he taught us, was not simply one who engaged in a classroom, but more importantly, one who engaged in real life.

Teacher extraordinaire

We put together a six-month-long Wetland Ecology Biodiversity and Conservation course (in collaboration with IUCN) without much dedicated funding. Ajith sir agreed to be in the advisory committee and selection panel for the course, without any honorarium.  Not only did he help select candidates, he also joined our field course for two days, during which he charmed the course participants so much that many of them continued to remain in touch with him. – Tiasa Adhya, Batch of 2010-2012 of the Post Graduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, NCBS

During our 32 year-long association, I never saw him lose his temper; he always maintained his characteristic humour, even in the most demanding situations. He never spoon-fed students – even as a Ph.D. guide in the early years of his career. He encouraged independence, instilling in me the confidence and skills to reach my goals. He was my go-to person whenever I faced issues, even after the end of his formal mentorship. Beyond academics, his unwavering support and well wishes for me and my family have been invaluable. – G. Umapathy, Ajith’s first Ph.D. student at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History

When I joined the M.Sc. program, I was terrified. After having a job for nearly seven years, the thought of returning to subjects like Math and Statistics (never my strong suit) felt overwhelming. Ajith immediately recognized my struggles and handed me books with titles like ‘Maths for 11th Graders’, gently reassuring me while we laughed—me still teary-eyed from a meltdown. He had this rare gift of offering support without making you feel embarrassed or judged.”– Uttara Mendiratta, from his first brood at NCBS

His approach to conservation science was equally unassuming, despite a wide breadth of work, ranging from north to south India and from the mountains to the sea. Whether at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) or the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Ajith left his mark on the field of conservation through landmark projects. Although trained as a primatologist, he along with colleagues (Dr. Ravi Chellam and Dr. B.C. Choudhury) at WII undertook a watershed project in the Kalakkad Mundunthurai Tiger Reserve and Anamalai Hills that enabled Ph.D. students to examine the ecology and conservation of reptiles, amphibians and small mammals in the landscape. These students went on to shape the field of wildlife science for decades to come. Similarly, while at SACON in 2002, he undertook a project on the carrying capacity of the Teesta River basin in collaboration with colleagues (Dr. Tamang) at the Sikkim University. This project went on to stimulate interest in Sikkim’s ecosystems resulting in a follow-up project between 2018 and 2021, through which he continued to guide Ph.D. students in Sikkim.

Similarly, when he realised that marine mammals were relatively under-studied, he rallied institutional and financial support for the formation of a marine mammal consortium and helped to create at-sea training opportunities for students. He also used the opportunity to undergo ship-based training himself! He was the central node that connected almost every wildlife related NGO, serving on the advisory bodies of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Centre for Wildlife Studies, Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning, Nature Conservation Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Trust of India, WWF, and many more. While underplaying his own vast achievements, he put his prodigious memory to good use, providing feedback on multiple theses and papers, while also engaging with the state environmental clearance board in Kerala, remembering the names of the family members of hundreds of his students, or filing away information in the recesses of his mind to serve as fodder for future jokes.

Dr. Ajith Kumar or Ayya, as we called him, was in charge of the computer labs at WII. We had just received 286 machines from the USA and early SPSS had been installed, which needed manual coding. A simple misplaced syntax would throw up errors, and he would patiently sit and correct our code. He was single-handedly responsible for setting up a robust IT infrastructure at WII and making it a quantitatively rigorous research institute. – RaghuRam Tata, who met Ajith when he was a Junior Research Fellow at WII

When Ajith came to WII to join as faculty, he brought with him an old Lambretta scooter that needed major repairs to become road worthy. Once it was running it became the property of the junior researchers who used it to buy fish, meat and old monk. I had a new Vespa LML scooter, which Ajith took over, and he would use it to pick me up for work every day. I had a Cambridge University Ph.D. as my chauffeur. – B.C. Choudhury, who first met Ajith when they were both faculty at WII

As a Master’s student, after being berated with his usual statement, “All that is ok, but what about your paper?”, I got flustered and asked, “Why should you use scientific publication as a measure of anyone’s scientific contributions?”. He responded with characteristic equanimity, “Ok, I agree scientific publications may not be the best indicator. But can you think of something better? If you find something better, I will use that”. I was caught completely off-guard, as I was expecting a lecture about my impertinence. His ability to disarm with charming innocence, made him one of the best collaborators in the conservation sector. – Divya Karnad, Batch of 2006-2008 of the Post Graduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, NCBS

Ajith’s most important characteristic was his big heart. He made space for everyone in it – from family to students, colleagues and acquaintances. Everyone knew that they could rely on him, and that he, in turn, wouldn’t hesitate to ask them for help. He was everyone’s friend, agony aunt and family member. Every now and again he would pop up after having met his daughter, his siblings, his mother-in-law or his nieces, proving that he was just as much a family man as a wildlife enthusiast. Whether sharing a picture of the latest plant, or even of a spider that was named in his honour, he made sure to keep track of the many hundreds of people in his life. Generous to a fault, with his time, his alcohol and his cooking, he made sure to keep in touch and keep all the relevant people informed of his whereabouts, so that he could catch up with them for a drink! Warm and completely authentic, no matter the context, his personality stood out even more than his accomplishments as a scientist.

Help is available, if someone needs it…

When I had a health scare, one of the first people I reached out to was Ajith Sir. “Just eat fish”, he said. He proceeded to narrate a story about his relative whose response to a heart condition was to become fitter than he ever had been. He also added that the person continued to have a drink every night! “Come home, I will make you fish. Everyday!”, he said. In 10 short minutes, he’d disarmed my fears, brewed hope and extended help unconditionally. My friend, Avishkar Munje calls Ajith Sir, “Dumbledore”. He swears he has heard Ajith say, “help is available at NCBS if someone needs it”. I believe him! – Akshay Surendra, Batch of 2016-2018 of the Post Graduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, NCBS

About 20 years ago, I was sitting on the sofa in the wildlife guesthouse, when Ajith Sir and Sanappa walked in. I got to my feet, and the next thing I knew, was that I found myself waking up to Ajith’s worried face asking Sanappa to get me a glass of water. I had fainted! On Ajith’s insistence, I went to see the doctor the next day, and the doctor asked me to check whether my eyes had rolled to the back of my head when I was regaining consciousness. I called to ask Ajith, and he said, “I don’t know about you, but my eyes definitely rolled when you fell!” – Chaitanya Krishna, from his first brood at NCBS

He was one of the first people I informed about my cancer diagnosis, outside of family. He had seen me struggle through ill health in the months preceding the diagnosis and would check for updates after each visit to the doctor. His optimism at seeing me back in the field, and wrapping up the Masters course, kept me going through my chemotherapy and radiation. In the cancer-free decade that followed, he would never fail to follow up and check in on not only me, but my spouse and family as well. – Kadambari Devarajan, Batch of 2012-2014 of the Post Graduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation, NCBS

A keen traveller, he never let a chance go by to explore different field sites with his students and friends. His last five years, after his “retirement”, were perhaps some of his busiest. He travelled the length and breadth of the country (and the eastern part of the world) meeting old friends and making new ones. Whether exploring mountains, forests or archaeological ruins, he took it all in with characteristic gusto! The joy of meeting people, seeing wildlife, experiencing amazing landscapes, pushing himself physically to reach new heights, as well as the enjoyment of good food and drink were characteristic of Ajith’s honest and spontaneous approach to life. For all these reasons and more, hundreds of people from across the country and the world lament his passing. No doubt, we all have a lot to learn from the wonderful life of Dr. Ajith Kumar!

Intrepid traveller

He once suggested that we trek to Munnar, one morning, aiming to get there in time to have some beer with his friends in Eravikulam in Kerala. And we took off. Needless to say, we never made it, got lost and had to overnight in the open; completely exposed to hunger, biting cold and rain. Only his humour saw us through! He then revealed to us that this was his fourth attempt!! Without food, he asked us to forage for berries and tubers, while also remarking, “Once you start foraging for food, you won’t have time to find your way out… We are all going to die here and will be found centuries later by anthropologists who would claim that they discovered a polyandrous society! (I was the only woman with a group of 5 men!) – Divya Mudappa, Ajith’s first Ph.D. student at WII

After I finished my doctorate, I shifted to Kashmir and Dr. Ajith complained, “You live on Mars now!”. Nevertheless, after his retirement he visited me in Kashmir, and we went and saw brown bears in Dras together. He even came home and cooked some fish for my whole family! – Tanushree Srivastava, the last of Ajith’s many students to be officially awarded her Ph.D. under his guidance

The author Divya Karnad is an Associate Professor at Ashoka University and was a student of the batch of 2006-2008 of the Post Graduate Program in Wildlife Biology and Conservation at the National Centre for Biological Sciences which was headed by Ajith Kumar till 2020.

Banner image: Ajith Kumar conducts a field trip. Image by Shishir Thantya Rao.

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Aditi Tandon Senior Production Editor

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