Protect Bandhavgarh's Tigers From Poachers

Firstly we would like to wish all our supporters a happy and peaceful new year. It is hard to believe that 2018 is already over and we’re already into the third week of 2019, so much has happened with the wild tigers and with Tigers4Ever over the last twelve months.

From January to March 2018 we had to deal with increased incidence of human-animal and tiger-tiger conflict due to the early onset of severe drought in Bandhavgarh; whilst operating with a 17% reduction in our Anti-Poaching patrols due to a lack of funding. In the same period we managed to install a solar-powered bore-well to provide permanent year-round water for the 3 orphaned cubs. We also started work on a second waterhole which is used by up to 9 different tigers, some of which appeared in the BBC wildlife documentary “Tiger Dynasties” which aired in December in the UK and just last weekend on BBC-America. This work was completed by the beginning of April and harmony was restored as wild tigers and other wildlife stayed out of the villages as their natural waterhole has been replenished by water from underground sources.

Funds were still tight in the second quarter of 2018, so patrolling continued with a 17% reduction, we had to do this so that we could increase patrolling during the monsoon period which is peak tiger poaching season throughout India, due to the washing away of human tracks which makes tracking poaching activity so much harder. It was quite remarkable, therefore, that there were no tigers killed by poachers or poisoners during the first 6 months of 2018. Our patrols, manage to maintain this because of the way they deal with miscreants when they find them in the forest and by the communication they have with the villagers so that they are left with no doubt that miscreant activity will not go unchecked.

The biggest impact of our lack of funds came in May and June when we had to reduce the number of education packs we could distribute to the poorest children in the villages most impacted by human-animal conflict by over 56%. The consequence of this was we could only distribute education packs to the children in 2 villages instead of 3; and we needed to reduce the number of education packs provided for the pop up schools in the remotest poorest villages by 70%. June also saw a visit from GlobalGiving to each of our project sites to verify the work we are doing and assess the impact on the tiger community. Thankfully, by the start of the monsoon in July, we were able to increase our patrolling by 240% and maintain this increase throughout July, August and September. This was only possible thanks to the amazing help we have received from supporters like you.

October saw the anniversary of the last tiger poaching case in Bandhavgarh, which had left 3 orphaned cubs, which survived with our help including the provision of a permanent year-round water source for them. November saw Tigers4Ever start work on another major waterhole in Bandhavgarh, providing a solar-powered borehole pump and dry-lined core waterhole at the site of the Rajbehra dam featured in the BBC Tiger Dynasties programme. This waterhole helps to sustain the lives of up to fifteen tigers, including seven tigers which were featured in the programme, and appear in our 2019 Calendars. Work on this waterhole was critical as natural water sources had run completely dry in each of the last 3 years leading to repeated incidents of human-animal conflict in the villages which surround Bandhavgarh. We were delighted, therefore, to see the work on the solar-powered borehole pump completed before the end of December, the final stages will be completed in the coming weeks, and we are delighted to hear that there is currently plenty of water in the waterhole for tigers and other wildlife. We are also delighted to report that in the final quarter of 2018 we were able to complete our patrolling at normal levels in each of the three months; and that it is now 1 year and 111 days (476 days) since the last tiger poaching incident in Bandhavgarh. It is 3 years and 7 months since the last case of retaliatory tiger poisoning in Bandhavgarh, too, which is quite an achievement for our patrollers.

On a sour note, Ravi (name changed for anonymity), a senior Tigers4Ever Anti-Poaching Patroller, was brutally attacked and hospitalised, by a gang of poachers, at the beginning of December. Ravi sustained a fractured skull and nose together with broken ribs and multiple bruises during the attack. He spent most of December in hospital and had to be moved to the nearest large city some 400 miles away for treatment at a specialist hospital. Whilst Ravi was in hospital, times were quite hard for his family due to the increased burden of his medical bills. We are delighted to say that Ravi is feeling much better now, and although he still has some pain in his wounds, he returned to his duties as a Tigers4Ever Anti-poaching Patroller last week. Ravi is a true hero for the wild tigers.

For January 2019, we have kept the patrolling at optimum levels, but this is currently under review as we may need to reduce our patrolling again over the next few months to ensure that we will be able to patrol during the monsoon peak-poaching season this year. Much will depend on the funds we manage to raise over the next few weeks. We know that this is an expensive time for everyone and appreciate that you may not have much to spare right now, but if we can get 80 of our supporters to donate just £20 (US$26) each over the next few weeks, we will be able to keep our patrols protecting wild tigers at optimum levels for the next three months. Throughout 2018, our Anti-Poaching Patrols helped to keep Bandhavgarh free of poachers’ traps; and we hope to continue this success throughout the whole of 2019, but we cannot do this without funds to keep our patrols in the field.

If you can help us to give these precious wild tigers a safer wild future, even the smallest donation can help: £10/US$13 can provide 3 hot meals each for 2 patrollers whilst they are on duty, whilst £38/US$50 will help to provide transport and fuel to get a team of 6 Anti-Poaching Patrollers to their patrolling area for the day/night. Your donations help us to feed & pay the patrollers, they also help to provide a safe haven for our patrollers, transport, fuel, and any vital equipment which needs replacing. Transport and fuel are vital for our patrollers who help to protect 1598 square kilometres (993 square miles) of precious tiger habitat. All donations, however large or small, will help to keep these brave men and women protecting wild tigers from perishing at the hands of humans.

We have also reduced the price of our 2019 Calendar which is available from our website at: http://www.tigers4ever.org/onlineshop.html at £5.00 plus post & packing each. This beautiful A3 full colour calendar contains 14 original images of the tigers your donations are helping to protect plus details of how our work helps to make a real difference for wild tigers. We think this would also make a perfect gift for a special someone in your life who loves wild tigers.

I would like to thank you on behalf of the wild tigers, which we are keeping safe; on behalf of the patrollers we are keeping in work (and their families who have food on the table). I would also like to thank you on behalf of the wider tiger community in Bandhavgarh, which benefits from providing food/uniforms/equipment for our patrols and from the safety/education advice given by Deepak, Vidya, Prahlad and our Anti-Poaching patrolling team.

We have now completed more than 12 months since the last case of wild tiger poaching in Bandhavgarh, which is quite an achievement as tiger poaching continues to increase elsewhere. Our dedicated patrollers have also achieved success in helping to eliminate retaliatory poisonings of wild tigers in Bandhavgarh for the 40^th successive month. All this has only been possible due to the amazing support we have received from you throughout 2018. As the year draws to a close we must build on this success to ensure that the wild tigers of Bandhavgarh can continue to have safer wild futures.

This week, we learned the devastating news that China has revoked its 25 year ban on the use of tiger bones and rhino horn from captive bred animals in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) used by hospitals; and has also lifted the ban on the domestic trade of antique tiger bone and rhino horn products (the Chinese Government announcement (in Chinese) can be viewed here: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2018-10/29/content_5335423.htm). This decision could have a devastating impact on wild tigers and rhinos globally as users of TCM believe that tiger bones (and rhino horn) from the wild populations have far greater medicinal potency. The fact remains that the claims of medicinal prowess from tiger bones and tiger bone wine are completely false. Poachers will now look to increase their efforts to acquire bones of elusive wild tigers knowing that rich rewards will await those who can successfully procure the much sought after commodity.

As those of you who have read our previous newsletters will know, all our projects are community focussed to ensure that those who live with wild tigers will have a vested interest in their long term survival. Our Anti-Poaching Patrols are no exception to this, as we recruit our patrollers from the villages affected by wild tiger attacks on livestock and crop raiding by herbivores. We also get uniforms and equipment for our patrollers made by businesses in the villages around the wild tiger habitat, so these businesses know that future work is dependent on the survival of wild tigers. Right now, the night-time temperatures are dropping close to freezing which makes night patrolling a challenge for our patrollers, we are addressing this by getting some warm jackets made up for the patrollers to wear whilst on duty. Each jacket costs just £15 and will last the patroller up to 3 years dependent upon snagging in the forest whilst on duty. To help us buy warm jackets like these and other equipment for the patrollers please donate now at: https://goto.gg/34704 and help us to ensure that 2019 will be another good year for wild tigers in Bandhavgarh.

In our recent report on our 2018 patrolling project: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/saving-bandhavgarhs-wild-tigers/reports/#menu we told you how our work has contributed to an overall 94% decline in poaching incidents since 2015, which compared to the rest of India, where tiger poaching is increasing, is quite remarkable. We have received recent news of even more cubs being born, in addition to the six cubs born at the onset of the monsoon,  which means another increase Bandhavgarh’s tiger numbers, and sadly puts poachers on alert especially as the tiger census results are expected to once again confirm Madhya Pradesh as the tiger state. This again increases the need for protected tiger habitat, something which we are trying to address through new projects which will help to restore depleted tiger habitat, including tree planting schemes and our waterhole project, see more at: https://goto.gg/34315, which we hope will continue to stabilise prey numbers so thatsmaller territories can be adequate for young tigers searching for new territories to establish as their own.

In 2018, our Anti-Poaching Patrols have helped to keep Bandhavgarh free of poachers’ traps; and we hope to continue this success throughout the remainder of this year, and into next year but we cannot do this without funds to keep our patrols in the field. Giving Tuesday is almost here (27 November 2018) and during the lead up to the Year End, we hope our supporters will help us to raise 50% of what we need for our 2019 patrolling - £4820 (US$6363) so that we don’t have to reduce patrolling at this critical time (with the lifting of the ban on trading tiger bones by China, see above). Remember every £20 (US$26) we raise can help us to pay the wages of a patrolling team for a day. Please help if you can at:https://goto.gg/34704. We have already increase our Quarter 4, 2018 patrolling by 20% compared to 2017 to help to address the increased risks but sustaining this will only be possible if we can raisesufficient funds to cover the increased costs going forward to keep our patrollers protecting wild tigers throughout 2019.

If you can help us to give these precious wild tigers a safer wild future, even the smallest donation can help: £10/US$13 can provide 3 hot meals each for 2 patrollers whilst they are on duty, whilst £38/US$50 will help to provide transport and fuel to get a team of 6 Anti-Poaching Patrollers to their patrolling area for the day/night. Your donations help us to feed & pay the patrollers, they also help to provide a safe haven for our patrollers, transport, fuel, and any vital equipment which needs replacing. Transport and fuel are vital tools for our patrollers who need to cover 1598 square kilometres (993 square miles) of precious tiger habitat. All donations, however large or small, will help to keep these brave men and women protecting wild tigers from perishing at the hands of humans.

We have also produced a 2019 Tigers4Ever Calendar which is available to buy from our website at: http://www.tigers4ever.org/onlineshop.html priced £9.99 plus post & packing each. This beautiful A3 full colour calendar contains 14 original images of the tigers your donations are helping to protect plus details of how our work helps to make a real difference for wild tigers. We think this could be a perfect gift for a special someone in your life who loves wild tigers.

I would like to thank you on behalf of the wild tigers, which we are keeping safe; on behalf of the patrollers we are keeping in work (and their families who have food on the table). I would also like to thank you on behalf of the wider tiger community in Bandhavgarh, which benefits from providing food/uniforms/equipment for our patrols and from the safety/education advice given by Deepak, Prahlad and our patrolling team.

Links:

• Tigers4Ever online shop