Rosila Wadher shot to fame in 2008 when she became the first woman forest guard of Gir National Park which is renowned as the last abode of the majestic Asiatic lions. The 33-year-old is in the limelight again as she becomes the first woman to head the wildlife rescue department of the sanctuary.

Fearless Lady With Love For Wildlife

What fills our minds with wonder is the fact that the gun-totting fearless lady, who was promoted as the sanctuary inspector two months ago, is the mother of a nine-month-old child whom she takes along if no one is there to take care.

In 2008, Wadher was offered a posting in the back office of the forest department, but she was not one who would be content with a desk job. She yearned to go out in the wild and for that reason, she applied for the post of forest guard and she was fortunate enough to be selected for her dream job.

Rescue Operations

Wadher has rescued 1,100 wild animals in a career that spans a decade. She will now head the wildlife rescue department which was formed 22  years ago and which conducts around 700 rescue operations in a year in the districts of Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Amreli, and Bhavnagar. However, her work is not restricted to these four districts. Wadher states that if there is a rescue call anywhere in Gujarat and there are no experts available, her team rushes to those places to help.

Wadher’s job has become even more challenging due to lions residing close to human habitations. Wadher is enthusiastic about her work which she says is a 24 hours job because one never knows what happens when and where.

Image Courtesy: India's Endangered