Tough Girl Podcast Dr Latika Nath – Nat Geo's Tiger Princess: Pioneering Conservation and Studying Big Cats in the Wild
From the jungles of India to the global stage of wildlife conservation, Dr Latika Nath has spent her life studying and protecting big cats, becoming the first woman in the world to study tigers in the wild. Known as Nat Geo's "Tiger Princess," she shares stories from deep in the forests where she observed tigers using tools, hunting porcupines, and navigating complex human-wildlife conflicts.
In this episode, Latika takes us on her journey from a childhood spent exploring the outdoors to pursuing her dream in a male-dominated field, studying elephants and tigers in the wild. She shares the challenges of working in remote areas, the lessons learned from female tigers, and her tireless efforts to combat poaching.
We also dive into her work as a conservation photographer, using images to tell stories that inspire action, and her advice for women and girls aiming to make their mark in conservation. Latika's story is one of courage, dedication, and the belief that one person's passion can make a world of difference.
This episode is for you if:
- You love wildlife and big cats
- You're curious about conservation and sustainability
- You want inspiration from a trailblazing woman in a male-dominated field
- You're motivated by stories of courage, resilience, and following your passions
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Show notes
- Who is Dr Latika
- Working as a Conservation Ecologist and conservation photographer
- Being based out of Indian
- Studying big cats all over the world
- Using her photography to share stories about conservation
- Working as an expert on Tourism and sustainability
- Working with the Indian Planning Commission as an in-house advisor
- Being an only child and spending most of her time outdoors
- Living close to a National Park
- Deciding at 6 years old that she wanted to be an ecologist
- Being encouraged to pursue her dreams
- People in the 1970s not knowing what an ecologist was
- Not being able to study the subjects she wanted to
- Being a girl in a male dominated field
- Being the first woman in the world to study tigers
- Moving over to the UK to continue her education at Bangor University, Wales
- Doing her masters thesis on elephant and human conflict in Indian
- How elephants follow the old memories
- Her passion and interest in tigers
- Wanting to study snow leopards initially
- Terrorism in Kashmir and how it changed the direction of her life
- Being inspired by Dr HS Pabla
- The tiger population in India currently
- Project tiger - being responsible for the conservation of the tiger in the wild
- Being the only person in the park and being truly on her own in the wild with the animals
- What it was like studying the tigers and the relationships that developed
- Discovering new knowledge about tigers
- Seeing tigers using tools
- How tigers eat porcupines
- The expedition logistics
- Lessons learned from female tigers
- The biggest danger to tigers going forward
- How to combat poaching
- Getting the nickname - The Tiger Princess
- Being filmed by National Geographic for a 1hr documentary
- Advice and tips for women and girls who want to enter the space of conservation
- Advice for women around self belief and self confidence and why there work is important
- What's next for Dr Lakita
- Writing her next book
- Having a photography expedition in London in June 2026
- How to connect with Dr Lakita
- Final words of advice around following your passions and interests
- Having good days and bad days - go one day, one step at a time and why it can make a big difference
- Hang in there and take that one step everyday
Social Media
Website: www.latikanath.com
Instagram: @latikanath
Facebook: @nathlatika