WildlifeConservation
Conservation
Over the last 8 years, Dax has been working with vulnerable crocodiles primarily in the Kutch region of India, under the Mahim Pandhi Wildlife Foundation. His work specializes in using UAV/drones and leveraging technology to help with conservation.
The focus has been on conducting surveys, understanding peaceful co-existence with humans, habitat destruction, and the impact of climate change. The Foundation team along with the Indian Forest Department, conducted the first full crocodile survey of Kutch and discovered vital information that will impact wildlife management in the near future.
His work has contributed to cutting edge scientific solutions such as crocodile identification with dorsal scute patterns by Brinky Desai, the IUCN task force for a poster species for climate change, crocodile roadkill assessments, and more.
He is currently part of the team at Early Crocodile Career Network.
Brinky Desai, Arpitkumar Patel, Vaishwi
Patel, Supan Shah, Mehul S.
Raval, Ratna Ghosal,
Identification of free-ranging mugger crocodiles by applying deep
learning methods on UAV imagery. Ecological Informatics, Volume 72,
2022, 101874, ISSN 1574-9541
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101874.
Mobaraki, A., McCaskill, L., Schepp, U.,
Abtin, E., Masroor, R.,
Pandhi, D., Desai, B., Mukherjee, S., Rasheed, T., Razzaque, S.A., de
Silva, A., Stevenson, C., Rauhaus, A., Le, M.D., Rödder, D. and Ziegler,
T. (2021). Conservation status of the Mugger (Crocodylus palustris):
Establishing a task force for a poster species of climate change.
Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter 40(3): 12-20.
Pandhi, D., Ansari, P., Shah, H., (2022).
Status of Crocodylus palustris
in Kutch District, Gujarat, India.
Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter 41(2): 4-8.
Crocodylian Cinematography
In 2022, Dax presented a brief talk about using a UAV for Crocodile conservation and awareness at the 26th IUCN Crocodile Specialist Group Meeting in Chetumal, Mexico.
Education
Education is the key to solving a lot of ecological problems. The Foundation makes it a priority to provide necessary information to the people, and especially to dispel rumors, superstitions and incorrect assumptions.
The Foundation has also helped train Forest Department personnel and citizen volunteers in safe and proper technique for wildlife conservation. This has ranged from crocodile surveys, tracking migrating crocodiles across habitats, and even sea turtle egg collection for safe hatching.
We also hold educational events from time to time for the public at large. For example, on World Crocodile Day, June 17, 2022, working together with AFWWA (Air Force Wives Welfare Association) we created a special program for children from the local Air Force families (who live near crocodiles at the base!) to learn about crocodiles and their importance in the ecosystem.
We took nearly 100 children, several parents, and a small group of officers to the field where they could observe crocodiles in their natural habitat.
