{{Short description|Indian wildlife conservation magazine}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox magazine | image_file = Sanctuary-Asia.jpg | caption = | frequency = Monthly (including editions for young readers) | category = Wildlife, conservation, ecology | founded = {{start date and age|1981}} | company = Sanctuary Nature Foundation | country = India | based = Mumbai | editor = Bittu Sahgal | website = {{Official url}} }}

'''''Sanctuary Asia''''' is an Indian nature and wildlife conservation magazine founded in 1981 by Bittu Sahgal, its current editor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://baliparafoundation.com/en/team/bittu-sahgal-editor-sanctuary-asia|title=Bittu Sahgal, Editor, Sanctuary Asia|date=2017-10-24|website=Balipara Foundation|language=en|access-date=2019-03-13|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809205658/https://baliparafoundation.com/en/team/bittu-sahgal-editor-sanctuary-asia|url-status=dead}}</ref> The magazine expanded in 2015 to become established as a non-profit foundation (Sanctuary Nature Foundation).

Sanctuary Nature Foundation also publishes other conservation-focused reading material, like coffee table books and national park guides.

==History== Editor Bittu Sahgal founded the magazine ''Sanctuary Asia'' in 1981 at the suggestion of Fateh Singh Rathore, the Field Director of Ranthambore National Park, urging him to educate the Indian citizen on the importance of wildlife conservation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/interviews/saving-the-tiger-dont-get-angry-get-involved-says-sanctuary-asia-founder-bittu-sahgal/1323881|title=Saving the tiger! 'Don't get angry, get involved,' says Sanctuary Asia founder Bittu Sahgal|date=2018-07-29|website=Freepressjournal : Latest Indian news,Live updates|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref> After receiving support nationwide, a second magazine was launched in 1984 for a younger audience, ''Sanctuary Cub''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.milliondollarvegan.com/en-in/about/|title=About|website=Million Dollar Vegan|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref>

In the 1980s, Sanctuary Films produced the television shows ''Project Tiger'' and ''Rakshak''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jpfCbYIhXZkC&q=%22sanctuary+films%22+doordarshan&pg=PA68|title=Green Productivity in Small And Medium Enterprises (in 2 Vols.)|last=Soundarapandian|first=M.|date=2007|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=9788180693700|language=en}}</ref>

In the early 1990s, the magazine began to syndicate some of its articles to reach a wider audience.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vAIMAQAAMAAJ&q=%22sanctuary+features%22|title=Sanctuary Asia|date=1998|publisher=S. Kumar|language=en}}</ref> the Sanctuary Photo Library<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/landoftigernatur00thap|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/landoftigernatur00thap/page/288 288]|quote=sanctuary photo library.|title=Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent|last=Thapar|first=Valmik|date=1997-01-01|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520214705|language=en}}</ref> was founded in 1990.

Since 2000, the organization has run several projects, including the Kids For Tigers programme, which has reached rural and urban children across 500 schools in 20 Indian cities through nature walks, fests and workshops.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2014/02/21/kids-in-india-come-together-to-save-tigers/|title=Kids in India Come Together to Save Tigers|date=2014-02-21|website=National Geographic Society Newsroom|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-13|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925154341/https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2014/02/21/kids-in-india-come-together-to-save-tigers/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

It was in 2015 that ''Sanctuary Asia'' established Sanctuary Nature Foundation, the nonprofit foundation that now publishes the magazines and several other publications and also leads conservation projects.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zaubacorp.com/company/SANCTUARY-NATURE-FOUNDATION/U74120MH2015NPL270033|title=SANCTUARY NATURE FOUNDATION - Company, directors and contact details {{!}} Zauba Corp|website=zaubacorp.com|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref>

==Publications== Both ''Cub'' and ''Asia'' publish six editions a year each.

=== ''Sanctuary Asia'' === Its first edition was published in October 1981. The bi-monthly publication prints stories and photographs by scientists, conservationists, naturalists, photographers, filmmakers and writers. The primary aim of the magazine is to communicate the urgent rationale for environment protection.

=== Sanctuary Cub === First published in 1984 by its current editor Tara Sahgal, ''Sanctuary Cub'' was begun with the belief that a love for the environment and keen interest in conservation needs to be instilled in every child at a young age, encouraging them to get involved hands-on through volunteer programmes, events, nature camps and internships.

=== Other publications === Aside from the magazines, the foundation publishes various other material, like coffee table books and guidebooks on wildlife sanctuaries and national parks across the country.

== Contributors == Following is a list of some of ''Sanctuary Asia'''s key contributors (both photographers and writers). {{colbegin|colwidth=18em}} * Bikram Grewal * Peter Jackson * George Archibald * Dr AJT Johnsingh * Lavkumar Khachar * Shekar Dattatri * Renee Borges * Fateh Singh Rathore * Salim Ali * Dhritiman Mukherjee * Prerna Singh Bindra * Valmik Thapar * Romulus Whitaker * Billy Arjan Singh * HS Panwar * Kailash Sankhala * Ullas Karanth * Sunderlal Bahuguna * Isaac Kehimkar * Kalyan Varma * Sandesh Kadur * Madhaviah Krishnan * N A Naseer * Ravi Sankaran * Rishad Naoroji * Valmik Thapar * Belinda Wright * Aishwarya Sridhar {{colend}}

== Photography == ''Sanctuary Asia'' has been using photography as a conservation tool since the first issue, through the publication and the annual photography awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://scroll.in/article/903231/yawning-leopards-duelling-cobras-and-other-winners-at-the-sanctuary-wildlife-photography-awards|title=Swooping eagles, duelling cobras and other winners at the Sanctuary Wildlife Photography awards|author=Scroll Staff|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref> Editor Bittu Sahgal believes that "wildlife photography is a conservation tool. Images have the power to communicate across language barriers. Sanctuary regards photographers and photography as a critical foundation on which the world's conservation movement has been built."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/wildlife-photo-contest-highlights-our-shrinking-urban-wetlands/articleshow/66779325.cms|title=Wildlife photo contest highlights our shrinking urban wetlands |website=The Times of India|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref>

==Awards== The Sanctuary Wildlife Awards are held annually at the end of each year to honour Indian conservationists and naturalists who do exceptional work.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/123988/sanctuary-wildlife-awards-2017-environmentalists-protecting-india-natural-habitat/|title=These 5 Environmentalists Just Won Sanctuary Wildlife Awards & You Must Know Them|date=2017-12-11|website=The Better India|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref> The recipients of these ongoing awards later find their work bolstered by many quarters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-18th-sanctuary-wildlife-awards-from-saving-tigers-to-teaching-conservation-know-these-green-crusadors-2566044|title=18th Sanctuary Wildlife Awards: From saving tigers to teaching wildlife conservation; know these green crusaders|date=2017-12-08|website=Daily News and Analysis|language=en|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref>

As a natural corollary, the Sanctuary Nature Foundation's Mud on Boots programme has been providing small grants to grassroots conservationists in the most remote corners of the country since 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/mud-on-boots-project-launched-to-support-conservationists/articleshow/57132094.cms|title='Mud on Boots' project launched to support conservationists |website=The Times of India|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref> The Foundation also holds the Wildlife Photography Awards to applaud deserving photographers, drawing thousands of entries from all over Asia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/120464/sanctuary-wildlife-photography-awards-9-stunning-photos-will-blow-mind/|title=Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards: 9 Stunning Photos That Will Blow Your Mind|date=2017-11-09|website=The Better India|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-14}}</ref> This led to the recent institution of the Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Festival.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Official website}}

Category:1981 establishments in Maharashtra Category:Bi-monthly magazines Category:Environmental magazines Category:Environment of India Category:English-language magazines published in India Category:News magazines published in India Category:Magazines established in 1981 Category:Mass media in Mumbai