India, July 19 -- For Siddesh Shekar, a childhood fascination with wildlife documentaries and weekend visits to Mysuru Zoo sparked a lifelong love for nature. But it wasn't until recently, at 33, that he found a structured pathway to turn his passion into a professional calling.

After years of working informally with private wildlife tour operators and stints at national parks like Jim Corbett, Shekar enrolled in India's first government-certified course for naturalists, the Certified Naturalist (CNAT) Course. The three-and-a-half-month programme, offered by Bengaluru-based The Naturalist School, is designed to formalise the profession of nature guiding and interpretation, news agency PTI reported.

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