Jose Louies – Chief of Enforcement

One of the most versatile members of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), Jose is the Chief of Enforcement and leads the division that handles wildlife trade control and litigation, arguably the most ‘glamourous’ positions in the organisation.

A graduate in computer sciences, Jose started his career in a multi-national company, working as a network techie. For about six years, he spent time fixing computers, crashed hard drives, dealing with network security issues and teaching how to fix computers & install networks.

However, his passion for wildlife, that was evident since his childhood, took over. Things changed for him when he rescued a baby cobra with Snehal Bhatt in Vadodara. Soon, he found himself rescuing snakes and other reptiles in and around Vadodara, working as a volunteer for GSPCA. This lasted for two years, and then, he moved to Delhi.

“As a kid, I had all kinds of pets – a mouse, birds, and occasionally baby snakes kept in glass bottles hidden behind books in my room” he recalls fondly.

“I cannot keep track of how many times I tried to explain to my mother that the baby snakes were harmless and they are to be released in the wild. Each time getting good scores in the class was rewarded with permission to keep one more pet at home (the only clause….no snakes!),” he chuckles.

In Delhi, Jose joined Wildlife SOS, and started exploring various avenues of wildlife conservation. Eventually, in 2007, Jose joined WTI in the communications division. His knowledge of computers and wildlife in general, helped him grow quickly within the organisation. Soon, he was handling the Wild Aid Programme, facilitating Rapid Action Projects across the country.

Described by his colleagues, as an adrenaline junkie, Jose is not one to be bound in a desk job. He soon moved on to enforcement work to minimise poaching and trade in wildlife.

“I enjoy my work as it is round the clock, includes a lot of travel and occasional testing of nerve and wits,” he adds.

In line with his adventurous inclinations, Jose loves photography and biking. He also has a keen eye for online marketing, which he uses for some fund raising for the organisation.