Humans of RESQ- Akash Raut

Standing up against the entire village, at the young age of 13, to save an animal from being killed after it was spotted in a household, is what courage looks like. The animal was a snake, and the boy, Aaksh Tanaji Raut, not only started rescuing animals at that age but also started working towards spreading awareness about peaceful coexistence and animal welfare. “The look in the eyes of the snake I saved and released, changed my life forever, and in that very moment, I knew what I wanted to dedicate my life to.”, he says proudly. Along with working as a full-time rescuer, which, he adds, is his dream job, Aakash is also simultaneously pursuing his MSc in Botany. Two of his research papers have already been published, and thanks to his profound knowledge of the field, he is fondly addressed as the ‘encyclopedia of ‘vanaspati’ (plant kingdom), at RESQ. What he loves the most about working at RESQ is the fact that he gets to do what he is passionate about, and is respected for his choice of work. His most memorable day at RESQ so far has been the day he witnessed the leopard cubs being reunited with their mother. Being an avid trekker, when Aakash is not at work, he is scaling some of the highest peaks in Maharashtra. He also has some remarkable trekking achievements to his credit, like completing the Trans Sahyadri in 2020. Owing to this, he is literally like the human Google Maps as far as Maharashtra is concerned.

Having grown in the lap of nature, the statement he lives by is, “Respect nature, and it will respect you back” When asked what animal would he have loved to be born as, he thinks a little and says, “A striped hyena, for their witty, smart and courageous traits”.