THE FOUNDER
Venerable Panadure Vimukthirathana Thissa (Formerly Dr. B. Vijitha Perera)
BVSc, MSc (Wild Animal Health), MSc (Biodiversity), DESMAN, PhD
Conservation Veterinarian: Wildlife Health, Rehabilitation, Translocation and Human-Wildlife Conflict Management.
Member IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist group & Conservation Translocation Specialist Groups
From Compassionate Fieldwork to Conscious Conservation
For 26 years, the Founder served at the physical frontlines of one of the world’s most complex biodiversity landscapes. His career helped shape the standards for ethical wildlife medicine and conflict mitigation in Sri Lanka.
Today, he bridges the rigor of a scientist with the clarity of a monk, establishing the Noble Conservation Center to treat the mind where all action begins.
A Career of Direct Action: Serving the Giants of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka holds one of the highest densities of free-ranging Asian elephants in the world, while also experiencing intense human–elephant conflict. During his government service, Dr. Perera:
Injured Wild Elephants Treated
Orphaned Calves Rehabilitated
Elephants Released to Wild
Post-Mortem Examinations
His field operations were often carried out under extreme and high-risk conditions, including rescues of animals injured by gunshots, landmines, railway collisions, and agricultural conflict - including critical service in war-affected regions. This long-term field engagement forms the empirical foundation of his conservation perspective.
- Conducted thousands of veterinary interventions involving mammals, reptiles, birds, and marine species.
Academic Foundations in Wild Animal Health and Conservation
Dr. Perera’s field experience is supported by an international academic record reflecting sustained engagement with the biological, ecological, and ethical dimensions of wildlife survival. His academic formation includes:
Doctoral Research
Elephant Rehabilitation: Univ. of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka), RVC (UK), and Smithsonian Institution (USA).
Wild Animal Health
Advanced specialization: Royal Veterinary College in partnership with the Zoological Society of London.
Biodiversity Conservation
Postgraduate studies in Management at the University of Peradeniya.
Endangered Species
Professional training at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Academy.
Advanced Bioethics
Certification through WHO and King’s College London partnership.
Bachelor of Veterinary Science
University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka).
This academic pathway reflects interdisciplinary engagement across wildlife medicine, conservation biology, ethical governance, and global health perspectives.
From Emergency Response to Systemic Reflection
Years of direct intervention in wildlife crises revealed that ecological emergencies often arise from deeper structural causes - including land-use pressure, policy gaps, institutional limitations, and social dynamics. Repeated exposure to conflict landscapes led Dr. Perera to examine:
- check_circle Root causes of human–wildlife conflict
- check_circle Institutional strain within conservation systems
- check_circle Ethical fatigue among field professionals
- check_circle Gaps between policy frameworks and field realities
- check_circle The connection between human decision-making and environmental outcomes
This transition marked a shift from reactive wildlife treatment toward systemic, cause-and-effect–based conservation thinking.
The Founding of the Noble Conservation Center
The Noble Conservation Center was established from a central realization: Sustainable conservation requires strengthening both ecosystems and the people entrusted to protect them. The Center was founded to:
Promote cause-and-effect awareness in environmental decision-making
Support conservation professionals facing ethical and psychological strain
Integrate wildlife science with systems thinking and reflective practice
Encourage long-term ecological responsibility
Prepare future conservation leaders with grounded, field-informed insight
Rather than focusing solely on technical intervention, the Center addresses the human foundations of conservation systems.
Core Perspective
"Conservation is not only about managing landscapes. It is about cultivating clarity in those who make decisions affecting them. When cause and effect are understood deeply, conservation becomes stable, ethical, and sustainable."
Continuing Engagement
Ven. Vimukthirathana Thissa continues to engage with:
- Conservation practitioners
- Universities and research institutions
- Students and early-career professionals
- Interdisciplinary environmental platforms
His work remains grounded in decades of field experience while oriented toward long-term systemic resilience.