As Kaziranga National Park in Assam reopened this tourist season, there were many ‘firsts’ in its history. Leading the list is its first ever woman field director, Dr. Sonali Ghosh, IFS.
And, within a month of her joining, the new field director took many new initiatives and added many new features to the world heritage park, famous for its one horned rhinos.
The new features include opening up new ranges for visitors as well as many exciting trails, treks, cycling circuits, and river tours. A ‘Run for Rhino’ marathon is also planned for 3 December.
A 2000 batch IFS officer, Dr. Ghosh is from Uttarakhand but has lived in different regions of the country as her father was in the army. She attributes her interest in Indian Forest Service to her growing up years in Dehradun where the National Forest Academy and the Forest Research Institute are located, and so is the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in close proximity, in Mussoorie.
Watch this exclusive video interview to know Dr. Sonali Ghosh more intimately, as she reveals about her family, her future plans for Kaziranga, and also how difficult it is to perform in limelight, especially in the face of acute scrutiny for being a woman trailblazer.