taj safaris naturalist salary

Salaries can range from Rs 10,000 per month for a junior level naturalist, to the highest of Rs 75,000 though that is quite rare.

"Personally I don't find hierarchical growth would fit to jobs such as this where you learn a lot on the job; its growing through what you are going through," says Vineith.

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How to be naturalist – careers in travel & tourism.

Starting a new series on IndiTales – the potential travel careers. When I looked at new travel career options, I was surprised to not too many options except being a travel agent or an approved tour guide. Hence began my exploration to look for some exciting travel careers in an industry that is bound to grow in the coming years. This is an on-going search and I would be happy to get feedback, suggestions, and ideas. A Naturalist is the first one I choose to write about.

Table of Contents

Who is a Naturalist?

When we travel to regions full of bio-diversity we are surrounded by a variety of flora and fauna. A good example would be the national parks or the western ghats or Sunderbans. Most visitors do not understand the word of plants, birds, and animals and their interdependence. This is where a nature guide comes in. He or she guides and introduces visitors to the natural world. Some of the key activities involve:

• Taking groups of tourists for nature trails – safaris, walks.
• Study and document flora and fauna of the region in various seasons and at various times of the day.
• Be a part of the conservation and preservation of the ecosystem around your workplace.

Mahes Gurung

Mahes has been a nature guide for almost 13 years now. He comes from Nepal. He grew up in and around Chitwan National Park in Nepal. His father was a tiger-trapper, so he grew up hearing stories of the wild. Though his informal training for his future career began when he started volunteering for the projects at Chitwan National Park. He would help in data collection on the animals or for the census. He would escort safaris.

When I asked Mahes how did he learn – he said by observing. The whole jungle is in front of you – start observing and start learning. My little research would later tell me that most nature guides at this point in time are self-trained like Mahes. He indicates that sensing animal behavior is very important. If the animal is in a good mood you can take some leverage but if it is a bad mood, you must leave it alone.

Mahes came to India or rather Kanha national park in 2006 and joined Pugdundee Safaris. He went on a 10-day training that introduced him to the local species of Reptiles, Mammals, birds, and plants.

What Skills do I need for being a Naturalist?

Like any other profession, being a nature guide has its own skill requirements, here are some of them.

• Have a genuine interest in nature.
• Ability to lie in isolated locations for long stretches of time.
• A keen eye for spotting new species or learning about themselves.
• Good command of languages – languages that your visitors speak and local language.
• Ability to work long hours – most safaris begin the early morning.
• Ability to handle difficult situations with calm.
• Willing to work with people from across the globe.
• A keen sense of observation so that you can sense the animal behavior.
• A fit and agile body to deal with long hours in the jungle.
• Driving, Storytelling & Photography skills are an added advantage.

Are there any courses for Naturalists?

In India there are no formal courses that I am aware of that can help you with a career as a nature guide. However, the following courses can definitely help.

• Bombay Natural History Society
• Nature Conservation Foundation
• Nature Foundation of India
• Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History

You can learn basic astronomy and give stargazing sessions with your guests.

Women nature guides are less in number, but they are there, the lure of wild is gender-neutral I guess.

Naresh Singh

Naresh Singh who is fondly known as Gudda comes from the forests of central India, more precisely Bandhavgarh. Born to a farmer, Naresh grew up playing in the forests. His first brush with his future career as a naturalist was when he started preparing checklists for birds and butterflies in his region.

Naresh is a self-trained professional. He learned everything on the job. Of course, little training provided by his employers helped give the much-needed start.

Where can a Naturalist work?

• Most high-end jungle lodges like Pugdundee Safaris and Taj Safaris have a team of them. They not only hire but also train their staff on a regular basis.
• National Parks and forest departments also need naturalists.
• Agencies like WWF need nature specialists, at times on a project basis.
• You can be a nature entrepreneur too. For e.g, you can have stock of nature photographs & videos that you sell online.
• After 10-12 years of experience, you can start training the younger ones. There is an opportunity in developing a curriculum for the naturalists.

Watch the Video

Hear Anurag talk about the flora & fauna of Satpura jungles.

How much can I earn as a Naturalist?

• The starting salary is about Rs 10,000 – 12,000 + accommodation and food.
• Growth may be a bit slow compared to counterparts in the corporate world. But you lead a life as close to nature as possible.
• It is a career that people would choose for passion rather than money.
• Recognition can come in the form of awards like TOFT Awards. Yes, they have a category for the Naturalist of the year.
• As wildlife tourism picks up in India, I am sure, the need for more and more professional nature guides will come up.

Video: Naturalist – Career Options Who Love Nature and Wildlife with Manav Khanduja

Do watch this video of my conversations with Manav Khanduja on career options as a naturalist.

At this point in time, the Nature guide is an evolving career in India. The first generation of professionals would play a strong role in defining how this profession shapes up.

Recommend you read the following travel blog posts on wildlife sanctuaries of India.

Collarwali Tigress – Queen of Pench National Park & Tiger Reserve

Meeting Munna – Rock Star Tiger at Kanha National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park Wildlife – Beyond the Tigers

5 ways to Explore the Forests of Satpura National Park

Birds of Pench National Park – Bird Photography

16 COMMENTS

Very interesting Anuradha, and inspiring too!! Would just like to add, with few years of experience, you could also help in administration and conservation of National parks!! Few earlier generation Naturalists have set up their own NGOs which get funds from corporates and employ budding Naturalists! I am currently undergoing a workshop in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, where they are training volunteers to be ambassador of the park and it’s forest and biodiversity. They intend to run many such workshops

Great Shweta. Can you please share more information about the courses available. I will update the post with them.

Hello Shweta Can u please tell us more about such workshops ..n if any special qualifications are needed apart from a graduation of course..! I’m an mbbs passout this year itself..and I’ll really love to know!

It’s nice to see diversified career options slowly gaining momentum in India. I would love to know more, and get some details of the courses available as of today.

Neha, check out the options mentioned in the post. If you come across anything that I can add here, I would be happy to add.

A profession that anybody would die for. I am envious of these people. I have met naturalists, but they don’t call it that, but their job description is something similar. Nice informative post. Thanks.

I think ‘Naturalist’ as a profession is evolving and soon we would hear people wearing those designations.

Glad you liked the post !

That was very interesting.. I love to go on wildlife tours. More than the animal sighting it is the tales that these naturalists tell that am super hooked too. On one such safari, the naturalist picked a dangling spider from the jeep and dropped it so carefully far from the jeep tracks so that it is not harmed.. I was in super awe. And from then on I give the insects their way. 🙂

Chittra, your observation is bang on. Naturalists can help raise awareness about the conservation of bio-diversity. Most of us living in urban settings hardly understand the relevance of small insects or anything that is beyond ur imagination. They can also make us visit the wild in a responsible way.

The concept of careers is undergoing a sea-change and people are rethinking the reasons to choose career streams. Unconventional choices are becoming more popular. In that context, hopefully your post will inspire more people to think differently.

Yes, Punita.I think it can be a great option for people living in and around national parks, people living closer to bio-diversity hot spots like western ghats. If they find engaging employment closer home, migration to urban areas would hopefully slow down a bit. More importantly, people can live in their own environment.

Namaste!!! Dear Sir/Mam, very great oppotunity for naturalist work ,my hometown is sasan gir forest , land of lions . i am totaly ready for do my mothers nature job , i am seen five yeasr still working with naturalist & recreation , my hobbies are living with five elements , Natures , i know about foana and flora , i take care of , herbles plants information , macro idification , birds watching , nature trails , trekking, mountain hiking ,yoga, mountain maditation , river meditation ,wildlife& nature photography , i was worked with club mahindra holidays resort india limited, , sterling holidays and thomas cook resort india limited , now asiatic lion lodge eco friendly ,

Warm regards Ramesh sarvani +91 8758801809

It was very interesting. I love to go on tours and travels . More than the animal sighting it is the tales that these naturalists tell that am super hooked too.

Ma’am, I’ve just completed my 12th commerce in Nagpur, I’m attached to the forests since birth as my parents are wildlife lovers, so much so that we have our own dwelling place in Kanha National Park.. I want to help give back to the depleting Mother Nature and save our limited forests,, please do guide me in becoming a professional naturalist. Thanks. Brendon GONSALVES

I’m interested for tour and travel. And I have also done my aviation hospitality and tourism. I’m very frank if u give me a chance I will do my best. Thankyou

Aditya – I think you should get in touch with Pugdundee Safaris.

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Call Of The Wild

Taj Safaris' naturalist Sangita Mani had a childhood fascination with nature and wildlife — a passion that she now hopes to evoke in guests, whom she leads on nature walks and safaris

December 2019     |     731 words     |     3-minute read

The seeds of Taj Safaris’ naturalist Sangita Mani’s future career were sown in her early childhood. “I loved being outdoors, surrounded by nature,” she says. “I didn’t know then that this is what I would gravitate to later in life.”

Her grandfather worked on a tea estate in the Nilgiris, a place blessed with abundant natural beauty. Sites like Bandipur, Mudumalai and Ooty were just an overnight trip away.

It was here that Sangita spent her summer vacations. Armed with a simple camera, she photographed the birds to whom she felt drawn even though she barely knew their names.

Round peg, square hole

But those were also times when such passions were not considered serious career choices. So, Sangita attained a BCom degree and stumbled into the corporate workplace. She tried her hand at human resources and recruitment, corporate communications and even marketing for a software company in Bengaluru. “But nothing felt right,” she says.

That’s when she heard of Taj Safaris. She wrote to them and was invited for their naturalists course. What followed was a long period of rigorous training, where the classroom was the jungle and the curriculum its beauty and unpredictability. The training also consisted of a personality assessment module that sought to confirm how fit the candidate was for the role.

She says, “Being a naturalist, going on safaris every day is seen as a glamourous job. But that’s just 10 percent of the job. The greater part involves interacting with guests, keeping cool under pressure, being good team players and making tough decisions when called to.”

In October 2012, Sangita became a part of the Taj Safaris family. She had found her true calling

Out in the field

As a naturalist, Sangita takes guests out on safaris or nature walks customised to their interests. The Taj Safaris team consists of the naturalist and a park tracker or spotter, who is a local resident and knows his way about the jungle. “Together we try to offer our guests the best experience possible,” she says.

Sangita has gone on competitive safaris and come away underwhelmed with those experiences, and doubly convinced about the Taj Safaris way of making the jungle come alive for guests. “We tell stories about the sights we see, and help our guests discover new things,” she says. “Often, we have guests who come in and say that they want to see a tiger. But we also tell them about birds and butterflies and fruits and flowers.”

A lot of people think that the wildlife is only about elephants, rhinos and tigers, but Sangita and the other naturalists show the guests that the jungle isn’t about one creature alone. They evoke in them a sense of awe and respect for the ecosystem and how each fragile thread in it connects to another. This gives the guests a more wholesome experience.

The extra mile

Sangita also regularly takes time out to add to her knowledge. When a guest expressed an interest in orchids, she read up on the subject so she could provide the right information.

While Sangita often goes out of her way for the guests, what is non-negotiable for her is respecting the jungle. There is a list of dos and don’ts that guests are expected to follow, and she enforces the rules. She says, “The experience of our guests would be marred if they did not follow certain ground rules.”

In a difficult situation, these rules could be lifesavers. Guests have to understand the importance of keeping a respectable distance from wildlife. Any attempt to get too close could disturb the animal. “These animals are wild creatures, especially the carnivores, and we don’t understand them as well as we think we do. It’s best not to push our limits with them,” she adds.

Sangita’s sense of responsibility for the environment has led her to volunteer in Nature Education programmes, conducted by the Kanha Park Authority in association with the Last Wilderness Foundation, Mumbai. She has also conducted awareness programmes for children from local communities on sustainable livelihood.

Over the last seven years, she has worked in several of the Taj Safaris parks, beginning with Pench, then Bandhavgarh and now Kanha. She says, “The parks are different in terms of the wildlife and vegetation, but they are all spectacular.” And it is this spectacle that she seeks to bring alive for her guests.

— Cynthia Rodrigues

Would you like to take a trip with Sangita or her colleagues? Book a Taj jungle getaway.

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• Russian Federation

Wildlife Naturalist

1 353 954 ₽ (rub)/yr, 650,94 ₽ (rub) /hr, 28 162 ₽ (rub) /yr.

The average wildlife naturalist gross salary in Moscow, Russian Federation is 1 353 954 ₽ or an equivalent hourly rate of 651 ₽. This is 8% higher (+97 015 ₽) than the average wildlife naturalist salary in Russian Federation. In addition, they earn an average bonus of 28 162 ₽. Salary estimates based on salary survey data collected directly from employers and anonymous employees in Moscow, Russian Federation. An entry level wildlife naturalist (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of 977 359 ₽. On the other end, a senior level wildlife naturalist (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of 1 690 191 ₽.

Data powered by ERI's Salary Expert Database .

This page is a promotion for SalaryExpert’s Assessor Platform and is not intended for professional use.

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ERI’s compensation data are based on salary surveys conducted and researched by ERI. Cost of labor data in the Assessor Series are based on actual housing sales data from commercially available sources, plus rental rates, gasoline prices, consumables, medical care premium costs, property taxes, effective income tax rates, etc.

1 725 790 ₽ (RUB)

Based on our compensation data, the estimated salary potential for Wildlife Naturalist will increase 27 % over 5 years.

This chart displays the highest level of education for: Wildlife Naturalist , the majority at 33% with high schools.

Moscow, Russian Federation

The cost of living in Moscow, Russian Federation is 25% more than the average cost of living in Russian Federation. Cost of living is calculated based on accumulating the cost of food, transportation, health services, rent, utilities, taxes, and miscellaneous.

Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at over 13 million residents within the city limits, over 18.8 million residents in the urban area, and over 21.5 million residents in its metropolitan area. The city covers an area of 2,511 square kilometers (970 sq mi), while the urban area covers 5,891 square kilometers (2,275 sq mi), and the metropolitan area covers over 26,000 square kilometers (10,000 sq mi)....

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Average Salary / Moscow

Average salary in Moscow is 4,133,801 RUB per year. The most typical earning is 2,741,020 RUB . All data are based on 741 salary surveys. Salaries are different between men and women. Men receive an average salary of 4,531,249 RUB . Women receive a salary of 3,169,304 RUB .

The most paid careers are Automobile with average income 7,178,047 RUB and Management & Business with income 6,424,266 RUB .

Based on education, the highest salaries receive people with Doctorate Degree with salary of 4,693,997 RUB . The second most paid education level is Masters Degree with salary of 4,471,289 RUB .

Different experiences affect earning as well. People with 16-20 Years of experience receive salary of 6,921,076 RUB . Employees with 12-16 Years of experience receive 6,252,952 RUB .

Levels / Moscow (Gross RUB)

Gender / moscow (gross rub), education / moscow (gross rub), experience / moscow (gross rub), age / moscow (gross rub), work type / moscow (gross rub), career groups / moscow (gross rub), careers / moscow (gross rub), people's individual salary examples (surveys).

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