Every academic year, before schools reopen inside Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve, nearly 300 tribal children wait for a familiar visitor. He does not arrive as a government official or the head of an NGO. Instead, carrying bags filled with notebooks, textbooks, pens and other school essentials, Rahul Bavaji, 45, makes his way through the forests of Dandeli. For more than 12 years, a corporate professional-turned-conservationist has been funding the education of children from remote anti-poaching camps through the earnings of his homestay, quietly ensuring that the families protecting Karnataka’s forests do not have to compromise on their children’s education.The initiative began more than a decade ago when Bavaji started visiting anti-poaching camps inside the Kali Tiger Reserve. The frontline forest staff, many employed on temporary contracts, lived in isolated camps with minimal facilities, often travelling long distances for water, healthcare and other necessities. At the time, many earned between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000 a month, with salaries frequently delayed for months.“They were risking their lives to protect our forests and wildlife, but their own children didn’t have notebooks, pens or even basic school supplies. Initially, I distributed sweaters and clothes, but after visiting the camps I realised education was their biggest need,” Bavaji told The Indian Express.His first visit left a lasting impression. Instead of helping only a few children, he decided every student deserved support. What started with one school gradually expanded to 13 schools inside the reserve before village relocations reduced the number to eight. Today, nearly 300 students, primarily from the Kunbi, Gowli and Siddi tribal communities, receive educational assistance and environmental awareness sessions every year.The Kunbi, Gowli and Siddi communities are indigenous and forest-dependent populations with deep roots in the Dandeli landscape. While the Siddis are an Afro-Indian tribal community known for their centuries-old presence in the Western Ghats, the Kunbis and Gowlis have traditionally relied on agriculture, cattle rearing and forest resources for their livelihoods. Limited economic opportunities and access to education continue to affect many families in these areas.When compassion became a lifelong callingBavaji says his journey into wildlife conservation began long before he rescued his first animal. Growing up in Dandeli, where his mother worked as a matron at the government hospital, he learnt compassion through the stories she narrated.“Whenever children caught parrots or other birds, my mother would tell us that somewhere, the bird’s mother would be waiting for it to return. That stayed with me. It completely changed how I looked at every living creature,” he recalls.Story continues below this adHis first rescue came while he was studying in Class 6, when a snake entered one of the hospital quarters. While others wanted to kill it, Bavaji insisted on saving it. “They asked me if I could catch it if they spared its life. I did. That was my first rescue, and after that there was no looking back,” he says.Over the years, he has rescued countless snakes, king cobras, hornbills, and even tigers.Bavaji completed his BCom in Dandeli before moving to Dharwad to pursue an MCom specialising in Corporate Secretaryship, taxation, and GST. He later studied law, also equipping himself to fight legal battles concerning wildlife conservation.‘My heart belonged to forests’Although he secured a well-paying job in Bengaluru in 2006, he chose to leave the city behind. “I always wanted to work for wildlife. Money alone was never enough. My heart belonged to the forests,” he says. He returned to Dandeli in 2011 and volunteered with the Kali Tiger Reserve for seven years, balancing his legal profession with conservation work.Story continues below this adDuring this period, he participated in many rescue operations, illegal activity busts, and hornbill poaching interventions, which shaped his advocacy in wildlife and aided many legal matters related to wildlife cases.Bonding with tiger cubAmong the many wildlife rescues Bavaji has carried out, one continues to remain close to his heart.A young tiger cub had become separated from its mother and was found weak and starving. Rahul helped rescue the animal without using tranquilliser darts. The cub was later shifted to a zoo, where he named it ‘Veeru’ after the forest range where it was rescued. Veeru, the tiger cub that was rescued by Rahul without using tranquilliser darts. (Express Photo/Special Arrrangement)“When I visited the zoo a year later and called out ‘Veeru’, it recognised my voice and came running towards me with its ears raised. It is a moment I can never forget.”Story continues below this adEqually memorable has been his work with hornbills, one of Dandeli’s most iconic birds. The forests of the Kali landscape shelter all four hornbill species found in Karnataka — the Great Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill and Indian Grey Hornbill — making the region a vital habitat for these iconic birds of the Western Ghats. “Hornbills are indicator species. If hornbills survive, the forest is healthy,” he says.Rescuing hornbillsOver the years, Bavaji has rescued numerous hornbills after they became trapped in power lines or were targeted by poachers.In one incident in 2023, he rushed to douse a fire allegedly set to clear forest land. While battling the flames, he noticed a hornbill nesting cavity on the burning tree. Fortunately, the fire stopped just below the nest.Fearing for the birds, Bavaji documented the nesting cavity for nearly three years, observing the male hornbill feeding the female sealed inside the cavity and later watching the chick emerge safely.Story continues below this adThe documentation later earned him recognition during the Hornbill Festival, adding to several honours he has received for his conservation work, including the Green Crusader Award.Bavaji believes awareness is as important as rescue. Every week, he visits schools inside the reserve, speaking to children about wildlife conservation, snake safety and biodiversity using photographs and stories from his own rescues.Also Read | Unsung Heroes: How ‘Naada’ Maninalkur uses music to break social barriers in KarnatakaSetting the next generation readyFollowing a series of fatal snakebite incidents several years ago, he designed educational posters explaining how to identify venomous and non-venomous snakes and distributed them across forest villages.Story continues below this adToday, many of those students have become his eyes and ears inside the forest. “They are often the first to alert me about forest fires, injured animals, or suspicious activities. Many wildlife cases have been detected because these children informed me.”Rahul also believes conservation depends as much on committed forest officials as it does on public participation. He recalls the 1991 case in which actor Sanjay Dutt was booked by Karnataka forest officials in Dandeli for alleged wildlife offences. For Rahul, who was a child at the time, the case demonstrated how the determined action of a single officer could have a lasting impact. “That one officer made a difference. It sent a strong message, and hunting gradually reduced,” he says.A homestay that funds educationWhat makes Rahul Bavaji’s educational initiative distinctive is that it grew from the earnings of his homestay. Rather than treating the property as only a source of livelihood, Rahul used its income to support the education of tribal students from communities around Dandeli.The revenue generated from the homestay has helped fund essential needs such as notebooks, school bags, uniforms, and other educational materials for children who often come from financially vulnerable families. Over time, several well-wishers who were inspired by his work also began contributing to the initiative.Story continues below this adThe challenge became more pronounced during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many tribal students struggled to continue their education due to a lack of basic learning materials. “I couldn’t let them stop studying,” Rahul recalls.To ensure that children did not fall behind, Rahul even broke his daughter’s fixed deposit to purchase books and educational supplies for nearly 400 students.Today, his daughter continues to be part of this effort, choosing to celebrate her birthdays with tribal children by distributing books instead of receiving gifts. Recently, Rahul also arranged bicycles for 10 students to help them travel to school more easily.Conservation beyond the forestFor Rahul, his work has always extended beyond wildlife conservation. He has consistently raised concerns about the welfare of frontline forest workers, particularly anti-poaching camp staff who often faced delays in receiving their salaries.Story continues below this adFour years ago, he staged a hunger strike outside the office of the Conservator of Forests, demanding timely wages, better recognition for frontline forest personnel, and the creation of a society to support tribal communities. His efforts contributed to the formation of a workers’ society aimed at improving the welfare of these employees.For Bavaji, protecting forests is closely linked to supporting the communities that live alongside them.“The people protecting our forests deserve dignity. If we support them, we strengthen conservation itself,” he says.Over the past 12 years, Rahul’s efforts have helped hundreds of tribal children continue their education while also creating awareness about the importance of protecting forests, continuing to share his mother’s story with them, which once changed his perspective. Many of the students he once supported have now become local conservation partners, alerting him about forest fires, injured wildlife and suspected illegal activities.For Bavaji, conservation is ultimately about people, forests and their shared future.“If you want water in your taps, you first need tigers in the forest. When forests are protected, rivers survive. And when rivers survive, people survive. Conservation is not just about saving wildlife; it is about protecting our own future,” he says.