Into the Wild - Updates from April
Centre for Wildlife Studies
Wildlife Research | Science-based Conservation | Policy | Education
Dear Reader,
April was a month of exciting developments! We are thrilled to share that we have made significant progress towards conservation?with new initiatives and partnerships, highlighting our commitment to driving positive change and Rewilding India.
In addition to our initiatives, we collaborated with other organizations and individuals to celebrate Earth Day and spread awareness about the importance of conservation. We hope you enjoy reading Into the Wild and are inspired to join us on our mission to protect India's wildlife and wildlands.
It gives us immense pleasure to share the remarkable progress made by the Centre for Wildlife Studies in 2022-2023. Our expansion of research, conservation and education programs from Western to Eastern Ghats, fostering deeper connections with our teams and partners, and groundbreaking achievements have been deeply fulfilling. Our journey has been teeming with learning experiences at CWS, and we thank you for playing an indispensable role in making all this possible.?
Please read the full report?here ?and learn more about our adventures in the past year!
In partnership with Pernod Ricard Foundation India, we are excited to support innovative conservation projects that make a measurable impact in the Western and Eastern Ghats regions of India.
Our 'Wild Incubator Program '?invites organizations to submit proposals for innovative conservation projects. We are particularly interested in projects that focus human-wildlife interactions, combat wildlife trade and illegal hunting, promote biodiversity conservation and one health, and focus on restoration and rewilding. We believe that conservation solutions that engage with local stakeholders, use strong science, and have compelling storytelling have the greatest potential to create positive change.
Celebrating MOU with WildCRU, 英国牛津大学
We are thrilled to announce that we have just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), a pioneering inter-disciplinary research unit at 英国牛津大学 , to elevate our commitment and collaborate on wildlife research, training and education!
We can't wait to see what amazing things we'll achieve together in the coming years!
Celebrating Earth Day at Adobe, Bengaluru
On 21st April,?we were delighted to collaborate with Adobe , Bengaluru on Earth Day as part of their Sustainability Week initiative. Our Associate Director, Sumit Arora was invited to speak about our various research and conservation programs and the work that CWS is doing across the Western Ghats.
The finale of the event was a captivating activity that encouraged every participant to channel their artistic expression onto a canvas that showcased an intricate artwork of the stunning biodiversity of the Western Ghats, crafted by our illustrators. Both the participants as well as some of their children who were a part of the crowd participated in this engaging activity and brought the artwork to life with unbridled enthusiasm and creativity.
CWS Conservation Offsite 2023
We are thrilled to share that our annual conservation offsite was a resounding success. Held at H.D. Kote, Mysuru?from April 16th to 19th, we were joined by 39 of our team members from across the Ghats, representing a wonderfully diverse group of people.
The?offsite presented an opportunity to enhance the skills, capabilities, and knowledge of individuals and teams in our organization. Through attending various sessions that covered a broad range of scenarios, we had the opportunity to brainstorm and collaborate on ways to help CWS function at its very best, while supporting each other's professional development.
As the event drew to a close, we emerged with stronger bonds and a deeper sense of connection, having had the chance to meet new colleagues and reconnect with familiar faces. The offsite was a thoroughly enriching experience for everyone involved, and we are already looking forward to next year's event.
Media Coverage
In a recent interview with NDTV, our Emeritus Director, Dr. K. Ullas Karanth,?highlights the need for clear vision and a science-based action plan to achieve the goal of having 10,000-15,000 tigers in the wild in India.
Dr. Karanth emphasizes the importance of habitat conservation, community engagement, and the use of?technology. Dr. Karanth also discusses how poaching of tigers and their prey species drove tigers to the brink of extinction by the early 1970s and how efforts were made to stem poaching in many locations across India.
A recent article by India Development Review explores the issue of human-wildlife conflict in the context of climate change. As climate change alters habitats and disrupts ecosystems, wildlife is increasingly forced to move into human settlements in search of food and shelter, leading to conflicts between humans and animals.
The article features the work done by the Centre for Wildlife Studies and our Chief Conservation Scientist, Dr. Krithi K. Karanth , in addressing human-wildlife conflict in India and implementing solutions that benefit both people and wildlife.
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Stories From The Field
“In the Dighol Haku village in Tinsukia, Assam, a small population of the Western Hoolock Gibbon lives in close proximity with local Assamese communities.
During the week of Bihu in January, I took a break from my observations of gibbon behaviour to spend a day with the school children in the village. With my local collaborators, Mantu and Luja, we had lively conversations about gibbons with the children. They mimicked the gibbons’ territory calls - striving to be just as loud and impressive - callling "hukuuu-hukuuu-hukuuu"! They drew the gibbons in their village - the only habitat they've ever observed them in. The older children also wrote poems about the threats that gibbons face and performed them.
It was wonderful to be back in a classroom, drawing inspiration from when I was a part of the Wild Shaale program at CWS. These children, by living among the gibbons and watching them closely every day, truly embodied the spirit of experiential learning.”
– Ishika Ramakrishna , Doctoral Fellow
During one of our?Wild Surakshe ?workshops implemented for the Forest Department at Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Palakkad, the Forest Department Paper Bag Unit officials shared their experiences of living in such close proximity to the protected area. They spoke about how they had learned to live in harmony with the animals and how the lack of negative interactions was a testament to their successful coexistence.
They shared stories of encounters with animals?such as elephants and leopards, and how they were able to avoid any negative interactions by being mindful of their behavior and surroundings. It was a powerful reminder of the fact that we are all part of the same ecosystem, and we must strive to live in harmony with nature.
On 13th April, we had a fascinating discussion with Dr. Tony Simons (former head of CIFOR-ICRAF) and our Principal Scientist Dr. Bindu Raghavan about how forest management practices such as agroforestry and afforestation can help in biodiversity conservation.?Check it out as they discuss approaches to better understand forestry practices and land management!
On 20th April, we held a discussion with renowned herpetologists Romulus Whitaker and Dr. Simon Pooley , moderated by our Research Fellow Yashendu Joshi , as they explored the intriguing relationship between people and crocodilian species.?We also discussed how cultural and religious belief systems, as well as moving away?from them, play a role in conservation of crocodiles.?
When people and large carnivores like the sloth bear interact, there could be negative consequences. Hence, it is essential to understand ecological and social factors that could help identify high-risk regions for human-sloth bear conflict. This study by Dr. Mahi Puri looked at Sloth bear distribution through direct ecological surveys.
Landscape connectivity is the degree to which the movement of organisms between areas of habitat is?facilitated or impeded. The study by Dr. Divya Vasudev and Dr. Robert J. Fletcher?show that small-scale behavioral observations can provide an important source of information for connectivity assessments.
As we wrap up another eventful month, we would like to thank you for your continued support and encouragement towards our mission of protecting India's wildlife and wildlands. With May just around the corner, we are excited for the upcoming special days that are dedicated to raising awareness about wildlife conservation. Stay tuned for more updates and inspiring stories in the next edition of Into the Wild.
Warm regards,
Media and Outreach Team?
Centre for Wildlife Studies
Technology | Impact | Sustainability
1 年What a fabulous month!
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