The news of Dr Rauf Ali's death circulated among friends and fellow wildlifers on April 1. Known for his jovial nature, everybody wondered whether it was an April Fool's Day prank. Sadly, it wasn't. His passing away was a blow to the scientific community. As the founder of the Foundation for Ecological Research, Advocacy and Learning (FERAL), and having been a faculty in almost all top conservation related courses, he was the towering dogma-breaker.

His professional demeanour would have his students and colleagues in splits, yet making them ponder upon conservation questions. There is no doubt that he had stepped out of the shadows of his world-famous uncle, Dr Salim Ali, and earned a wide-spread following of his own. After the tragic tsunami on December 26, 2004, that ravaged the Bay Islands and South India, Rauf toiled for the economic rehabilitation of the tribals, especially of the Nicobar Islands.