our team
Sunita Dhairyam (Jayapathy) is a renowned wildlife artist and conservationist, activist, and entrepreneur, residing in Bandipur, at the edge of its Tiger Reserve. She founded Mariamma Charitable Trust in 2007 to mitigate human-wildlife conflict through compensation for livestock losses and free clinics. Soon after, she launched Temple Tree Designs with sales of personally designed clothing and home décor to supplement MCT’s funds supporting the cause of reducing human-wildlife conflict.
Ajay has spent over a decade in animal welfare, a journey that began when he volunteered with animal welfare organisations in Delhi during his college days. After moving to Bangalore, he launched India’s largest community-driven cat sterilisation programme, supported by the Murty Trust. He has since played a key role in shaping, securing and managing CSR funding for leading animal welfare organisations in Bangalore, including CUPA and WRRC. With a postgraduate diploma in journalism, he pairs a storyteller’s instinct with a deep command of grant writing, which remains his forte. He is also the co-founder of Curious Cat Company, one of India’s first cat-only brands, working holistically with cats and their welfare, especially in lifestyle and grooming. That same love for animals and wildlife conservation has brought him to the board of The Mariamma Charitable Trust.
“All credit to Sunita and her dedicated team who run the Mariamma Charitable Trust against all odds. We greatly admire the spirit and the zeal she displays to help the needy be it wildlife, the poor or the suffering. It is individuals like Sunita that bring about radical transformation in the world.”
Roop Singh brings to the Trust extensive experience in the fields of business administration, development, finance and management. He is a lifelong advocate for the welfare of animals and people alike. He oversees the animal birth control (ABC) program, guiding and counseling village folk who regard and trust him as their friend and champion. He is a trained counselor and fluent in six languages. Roop is currently vice-president of the Special Olympics Bharat Karnataka.
Sitara McMillin (BS Environmental Science, University of Washington) is the Sustainability Coordinator and analyzes cattle kill data to visually interpret trends in compensation expenditures, predator-specific kill rates, and village-level impacts, supporting coexistence between wildlife and local communities in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. She is deeply passionate about protecting communities by protecting wildlife, combining data-driven insights with a commitment to conservation.
