This paper examines different meanings of care in India’s wildlife conservation. Drawing on my fieldwork and case studies from across the country, I discuss various forms of care in protecting endangered species and preventing extinction. Addressing the role of wildlife conservationists and Indigenous people, the paper asks how and in what ways the notions of care for humans and nonhumans among these groups vary, overlap and sometimes compete against each other. How do we reconcile the conflicts emerging through the hierarchical nature of ethics of care in wildlife conservation?

Ambika Aiyadurai is Associate Professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar. Her research interests include human-animal relations and community-based wildlife conservation.

This talk is a part of the Ecologies of Care 2024-25 Lecture Series.