New Delhi: For Saket Badola, joining the Indian Forest Service was a dream that began in a humble family in Uttarakhand. After years spent working in forests, tiger reserves and wildlife conservation, the 2008-batch officer has decided to seek voluntary retirement, saying the decision came after months of serious contemplation.

Badola, who was serving as Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve, announced his decision on X on Friday, citing personal grounds. His message was a reflection on his years in service, with gratitude for the opportunity to serve the public, work for nature and wildlife, and understand the challenges faced by people at the grassroots.

After months of serious contemplation, I have decided to voluntarily retire from the Indian Forest Service on personal grounds. For someone from a humble family hailing from the land of Maa Vindhyavasini and Baba Neelkanth in Pauri district of Uttarakhand, joining a prestigious All India Service was nothing short of a dream. Today, as I look back on my long and fulfilling career, I feel deeply grateful for the opportunities I have had to serve the public, contribute to nature and wildlife conservation, and, most importantly, understand the grassroots challenges facing our nation. Throughout my service life, I have endeavoured to give my best. I hope to continue doing so in the future as well and contribute towards nation-building in whatever way I can. I shall always remain grateful to the various governments I have served, my colleagues in the Service, the brave forest staff, my family, my friends, and the public at large for their immense support, countless blessings, and unconditional love. I sincerely hope to continue receiving the same warmth, affection, and support, in whatever path destiny may carve out for me. With a heart full of gratitude. 🙏🏻 Jai Hind. 🇮🇳

— Saket Badola (@Saket_Badola) October 23, 2026

Looking back on his journey, Badola recalled how joining a prestigious All India Service had once seemed like a distant dream. He thanked the governments he had served, his colleagues, forest personnel, family, friends and the public for their support and affection.

“I hope to continue doing so in the future as well and contribute towards nation-building in whatever way I can,” he wrote, leaving open the possibility of continuing his work in a different capacity.

Corbett has been a significant part of Badola’s recent career. He took charge of the tiger reserve in January 2026, overseeing conservation in one of India’s best-known wildlife landscapes. His responsibilities involved the wider challenges of protecting habitats, managing human-wildlife conflict and working across the forest landscape.

Before Corbett, Badola served as Field Director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve and held other assignments in Uttarakhand’s forest administration. His career also took him beyond protected-area management. As Country Head and Director of TRAFFIC India, the wildlife trade monitoring network, he worked on issues related to illegal wildlife trade and wildlife crime.

His conservation work has also included efforts to reduce wildlife deaths on railway tracks, including elephant fatalities, through coordination involving institutions such as the Wildlife Institute of India and Indian Railways. These efforts reflect the challenges of protecting wildlife as infrastructure expands across animal habitats and movement routes.

In October 2026, Badola also spearheaded the first Corbett Literature Festival, an initiative that brought wildlife and environmental conservation into conversations around literature, storytelling and the experiences of communities living close to forests. The festival sought to widen public engagement with conservation beyond the familiar focus on tiger sightings and tourism.

For Badola, the decision to seek voluntary retirement comes after a career spanning forest administration, wildlife protection and conservation outreach. His message, however, focused less on his achievements than on the people and opportunities that shaped his professional life.

He expressed hope that he would continue contributing to the country and that the warmth and support he had received during his service would remain with him in the years ahead.

His announcement confirms his intention to seek voluntary retirement on personal grounds. Formal acceptance of his application by the government has not been established.

BI Bureau