Couple Spends 30 Years Replanting Rainforest to Restore Nature Reserve (14 Photos)

Pamela Gale Malhotra and her husband Anil Malhotra are the owners of Sai Sanctuary, India's only private nature reserve, which opened in 1991. Today, the 300-acre reserve is home to more than 200 endangered species of plants and animals, including the Asian elephant and Bengal tiger.

“When we bought this land, it was completely ruined,” Pamela said. “Abandoned rice paddies, coffee plantations, and cardamom fields. Most of the area was severely deforested. Restoring nature here took us decades of hard work.”





In the region of India where the sanctuary is located, forest cover dropped from 86% in the 1970s to just 16%.





According to Pamela, this isn't an isolated issue—it's happening all across southern India.

The Malhotras are reconnecting wildlife with nature, reforesting the land so native species can return to their natural habitat.

“Walking through the sanctuary brings us immense joy. I’ve never been happier.”







“I remember a time when there was no sound here at all, except the dry crunch of our footsteps.”

“Now, it's alive and teeming with sound.”