E.R.C. Davidar, a lawyer by profession, was a noted naturalist. He is remembered in particular, for undertaking the first survey of the Nilgiri tahr over its entire range, conducting the first study in India on elephant corridors and taking an active part in the protection of the Nilgiris. He has been a member of various conservation organizations and the Secretary of the Nilgiri Wildlife Association. He has published several books, including stories for children and guidebooks on wildlife sanctuaries.
For his contribution to wildlife conservation E. R. C. Davidar, has joined eminent foresters and conservationists in the Hall of Fame of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. The Hall of Fame was inaugurated on the 31st January 2016 by Thiru M. S. M. Anandan, the Minister of Environment and Forests, Government of Tamil Nadu, Thiru Hans Raj Verma, I.A.S, Principal Secretary to the Government, Dr. Krishna Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and HOD, and Dr. V. K. Melkani, PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden. The Hall of Fame is now permanently at the Tamil Nadu Forest Academy, Coimbatore.
Reggie was the visionary behind the Sigur Nature Trust. Sadly, he passed away in April 2010. If you would like to know more about Reggie, please refer to the article by Mr. S. Theodore Baskaran in the Hindu (25 April 2010). –Reggie
The late Margaret Davidar was a medical doctor, who started her career in the Nilgiris with the mobile medical unit which was involved in providing health care to far flung tribal settlements in the Nilgiris. She was an animal lover and shared Reggie’s passion for wildlife, but preferred the comfort of the cottage to the thorns of the jungle. –Margaret
Priya Davidar, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (FAAAS), former President of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, she is the first female professor of ecology in India (please correct us if we are wrong). She has published ca. 100 papers in scientific journals and has guided dozens of post-graduate students in the field of ecology. There is a nice brief of her career in the AAAS website where the scientific giant and conservationist Dr. E.O. Wilson speaks of her! Priya.
Mark Davidar has an MSc in Marine Biology. He worked for the Snake Park in Chennai and then decided to move to the Nilgiris. Mark had operated a guest house called Jungle Trails (now closed), for more than 20 years. On 13 April 2013 Mark suffered a diabetic stroke. He was hospitalized and quietly passed away on 19th October 2013. Because of his love for nature and elephants, and his care for the environment, Mark was an inspiration to a lot of people. –Mark
Peter Davidar has an MSc in Biology. Peter was Assistant Manager of a tea estate, worked at the the Vandalur Zoo and cared for disabled children in Puducherry. He is now based in Cheetal Walk, the property that’s part of Sigur Nature Trust. –Peter