Jungle Camps India has announced the appointment of Dhanya Venkatesh as Lodge Manager at Tadoba Jungle Camp, strengthening its leadership team with an experienced wildlife hospitality professional.

With nearly two decades of experience across India’s forests, Dhanya brings extensive expertise in wildlife tourism, lodge operations, safari experiences, guest engagement, and conservation-focused hospitality. Her career has combined deep field knowledge with operational leadership, enabling her to create meaningful and immersive experiences for wildlife travellers.

Dhanya’s journey in wildlife hospitality began as a naturalist, guiding guests through some of India’s most diverse wildlife landscapes and interpreting animal behaviour, ecology, and conservation challenges. Over the years, she progressed into leadership roles managing lodge operations, guest services, team coordination, and safari programmes while maintaining her connection with wildlife interpretation.

A multilingual professional, Dhanya is proficient in English, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu, with basic knowledge of Spanish, allowing her to connect with diverse groups of travellers and teams.

A trained naturalist and wildlife guide, Dhanya has worked across several renowned wildlife destinations including Corbett, Satpura, Pench, Tadoba, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Gir, and Kaziranga. She has held roles across leading wildlife lodges, contributing to guest experiences, naturalist training, operational management, and sustainable tourism initiatives.

One of the significant milestones in her career was becoming the first and only female driver registered by the Forest Department to operate a 4x4 vehicle inside Corbett Tiger Reserve. The achievement reflected her expertise in safari operations, forest terrain, and wildlife interpretation.

Beyond wildlife guiding, Dhanya has actively contributed to sustainability initiatives within hospitality operations. Her experience includes managing organic gardens, greenhouse production, orchard development, and beekeeping programmes, including initiatives that supported food and beverage operations through locally produced ingredients. She has also worked on composting systems and community-driven sustainability projects involving neighbouring villages.

Commenting on the appointment, Gajendra Singh Rathore, Chairperson & Managing Director, Jungle Camps India, said, “Dhanya's understanding of wildlife, years of operational experience and ability to connect with guests and teams make her a wonderful addition to Tadoba Jungle Camp. Her career reflects the many facets of wildlife hospitality — from guiding in the forest to managing the people and processes that shape a guest's stay.”

In her new role, Dhanya will oversee lodge operations, guest services, team coordination, and wildlife-related experiences at Tadoba Jungle Camp, bringing her field expertise and operational understanding to one of Maharashtra’s important tiger habitats.

The appointment reinforces Jungle Camps India’s focus on strengthening wildlife hospitality through experienced professionals who combine operational excellence with a deep understanding of conservation and destination-led experiences.

About Jungle Camps India Limited

Jungle Camps India Limited (BSE: 544304) was founded in 2002 with Pench Jungle Camp at the edge of Pench Tiger Reserve. It is India’s only publicly listed wildlife safari company and operates five properties across four Central India tiger reserves — Pench, Kanha, Tadoba, and Bandhavgarh.

The group follows a field-intelligence-led approach, with each property positioned near safari gates and supported by experienced naturalists. The company has planted more than 400,000 native trees across its properties and surrounding areas while focusing on sustainable wildlife tourism practices