Sanjay Molur

President / Executive Director Zoo Outreach Organization

What does it take to have a spider and a fish named after you ? Just ask passionate wildlifer, versatile conservation biologist, and seasoned mentor, Dr. Sanjay Molur.

A discreet trailblazer in conservation science, Dr Molur specialises in risk assessment and conservation planning of wild species and has assisted in the assessment of more than 10,000 taxa within India, South Asia, and around the world.

With 29 years in the field, Dr Molur is the Executive Director, Zoo Outreach Organization Trust [India], President / Chief Executive Officer, Zoo Outreach Organization [USA] |, and Founder / Secretary, Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society.

Dr Molur is co-chair of five species specialist groups; runs two networks for reptile and amphibian researchers in South Asia; was part of the international panel that refined the IUCN Red Listing process; and is also Founder and Chief Editor of Zoos’ Print Journal and the Journal of Threatened Taxa since 1999 – India’s only platinum open access, monthly, international, peer-reviewed journal.

For his years of dedicated research, and in recognition of his endeavours, two species have been named after him – a thomisid spider found in the southern western ghats, Strigoplus moluri Patel, in 2003, and a species of freshwater fish, Pethia sanjaymoluri from the northern Western Ghats in 2016.

Dr Sanjay Molur is the recipient of the Wildlife Service Award in 2020.