Draft:Cheetah Lady of India- Dr. Prdanya Giradkar

| name          = Dr.PradnyaGiradkar

| name          = Dr.PradnyaGiradkar

| image         = https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cheetah_Lady.jpg

| image         = https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cheetah_Lady.jpg

| caption       = Dr.PradnyaGiradkar, "Cheetah Lady of India"

| caption       = Dr.PradnyaGiradkar, "Cheetah Lady"

| birth_place   = Umred, Nagpur district, Maharashtra, India

| birth_place   = Umred, Nagpur district, Maharashtra, India

| nationality   = Indian

| nationality   = Indian

| organization  = Wildlife Conservation and Rural Development Society (WCRDS)

| organization  = Wildlife Conservation and Rural Development Society (WCRDS)

| website       = <!-- Add if available -->

| website       = <!-- Add if available -->

}}

}}[[File:Cheetah Lady.jpg|thumb|Cheetah Lady of India- Dr.PrdanyaGiradkar]][[File:Pradnya working with Hereiro community people Namibia.jpg|thumb|'''Pradnya working with Hereiro community people Namibia''']]

[[File:Cheetah Lady.jpg|thumb|Cheetah Lady of India- Dr.PrdanyaGiradkar]][[File:Pradnya working with Hereiro community people Namibia.jpg|thumb|'''Pradnya working with Hereiro community people Namibia''']]

[[File:Maruti pench.jpg|thumb|'''Maruti pench''']]

[[File:Maruti pench.jpg|thumb|'''Maruti pench''']]

'''Dr.PradnyaGiradkar''' is an Indian wildlife conservationist, researcher, and social reformer best known for her leadership in the [[Cheetah Reintroduction in India]] and grassroots environmental advocacy. Popularly called the '''"Cheetah Lady of India"''', she is the founder and President of the Wildlife Conservation and Rural Development Society (WCRDS), based in Umred, Maharashtra.

'''Dr.PradnyaGiradkar''' is an Indian wildlife conservationist, researcher, and social reformer best known for her leadership in the [[Cheetah Reintroduction in India]] and grassroots environmental advocacy. Popularly called the '''"Cheetah Lady"''', she is the founder and President of the Wildlife Conservation and Rural Development Society (WCRDS), based in Umred, Maharashtra.

== Early Life and Education ==

== Early Life and Education ==

Dr.Giradkar was born in Umred, Nagpur district, Maharashtra, into a farming family. Her father, '''Shri GopalraoSadashivGiradkar''', was President of the ''SahakariKharediVikriSangh'' and was honored by the Home Minister of India in 1983 for transforming the organization into one of Maharashtra's top cooperative societies.

Dr.Giradkar was born in Umred, Nagpur district, Maharashtra, into a farming family. Her father, '''Shri Gopalrao Sadashiv Giradkar''', was President of the ''Sahakari Kharedi Vikri Sangh'' and was honored by the Home Minister of India in 1983 for transforming the organization into one of Maharashtra's top cooperative societies.

Inspired by a college excursion to [[TadobaAndhari Tiger Reserve]] in 2003, she developed a strong interest in wildlife conservation. She earned a Ph.D. in Wildlife Science under a UGC Research Fellowship in 2008. Her doctoral research focused on tiger conservation, habitat degradation, and human-wildlife conflict in Tadoba, including field-based studies on ecological fragmentation and tribal displacement.

Inspired by a college excursion to [[TadobaAndhari Tiger Reserve|Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve]] in 2003, she developed a strong interest in wildlife conservation. She earned a Ph.D. in Wildlife Science under a UGC Research Fellowship in 2008. Her doctoral research focused on tiger conservation, habitat degradation, and human-wildlife conflict in Tadoba, including field-based studies on ecological fragmentation and tribal displacement.

== Career ==

== Career ==

== References ==

== References ==

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https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/how-a-nagpur-scientist-played-a-key-role-in-bringing-cheetahs-to-india-2002977-2022-09-21

https://sputniknews.in/20230716/cheetah-lady-opens-up-about-challenges-faced-in-reintroducing-big-cats-to-india-2995315.html

https://www.dw.com/en/india-is-the-reintroduction-of-cheetahs-from-africa-a-success/a-65236779

https://www.globalindian.com/story/conservationist/pradnya-giradkar-the-cheetah-ladys-big-role-in-project-cheetah/

https://science.thewire.in/environment/india-project-cheetah-progress/

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