Wildlife Conservation India Project #9807

Equip Forest Guards to Protect Wildlife in India

by Wildlife Trust of India

Project Report | Mar 22, 2024
Thank you for empowering Assam's guardians of the wild

By Monica Verma | Officer in Charge

Equipment Handover

Dear Esteemed Supporter,

We are thrilled to share an inspiring update with you, showcasing the tangible impact of your generous support in safeguarding Assam's rich biodiversity.

Assam, blessed with diverse forests and wildlife, stands as a beacon of India's natural heritage. From majestic elephants to elusive tigers, the state's ecosystems teem with iconic species, making it a vital hotspot for conservation efforts.

However, with human populations expanding and agricultural lands encroaching upon traditional elephant ranges, conflicts between humans and wildlife have become increasingly prevalent. In response, the frontline forest staff of Assam's Forest Department play a pivotal role in mitigating these conflicts, employing various strategies. They patrol the forest-fringe areas and surrounding human habitation on foot to prevent negative interactions between humans and wildlife. They are also responsible for community engagement and sensitisation, as well as habitat management.

Recently, a Rapid Action Project was sanctioned in two conflict-prone areas of Assam: the Soraipung range within the D'ehing Patkai National Park and the Lanka range bordering Lumding Reserve Forest. In a bid to support the valiant efforts of these frontline staff, we provided essential equipment including torchlights, jackets, water filters, and GPS devices to 75 dedicated individuals working tirelessly in these regions.

The impact of this support cannot be overstated. Equipped with these vital tools, our frontline heroes are empowered to navigate the challenges of conflict mitigation with renewed vigor and efficiency. Their gratitude for this assistance is palpable, and their commitment to protecting Assam's biodiversity is unwavering.

As we celebrate this support, we extend our deepest gratitude to you for your unwavering commitment and generosity that continues to drive positive change in the conservation landscape of Assam and other states in India.

Moving forward, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) remains steadfast in our pledge to support frontline staff with essential equipment and resources. Together, we will continue to enhance their effectiveness in managing conservation challenges and safeguarding India’s precious biodiversity.

Once again, thank you for being a vital part of this journey towards a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife in Assam.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Team WTI

Dawn Patrol: A forest ranger on a watch tower

Permalink

Nov 20, 2023
Untold Stories From the Wild

By Monica Verma | Project Leader

Govind's* bamboo hut where he lives and operates

Greetings from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)!

India’s frontline forest staff risk their lives every day for a job vital for preserving the country’s forests. They protect vast areas of land, our entire ecological heritage, but many of them are temporary staff bereft of even basic insurance.

Injuries and sadly deaths are a part of their job as they combat poachers, criminal gangs, wild animals, forest fires, and other disasters. Your gift will honour their dedication, pay for their medical bills, and provide the necessary support and dignity to their bereaved families in the most difficult times.

WTI runs a unique supplementary accident assurance scheme, which covers both temporary and permanent forest guards and watchers, against accidental deaths or injuries on duty. We provide immediate ex-gratia financial support to these guardians of the wild, when they need it the most.

Your support will help people like Govind* who works as a daily-wage watcher in Kerala's Wayanad Sanctuary. In addition to helping the forest department with everyday labour work, such as – maintenance and installation of fences, clearing invasive plants, handling forest fire emergencies etc. – Govind* is a part of the forest patrolling team.

In this part of the world where humans and wildlife live in close proximity, he is the de facto peacekeeper. During his regular night-time patrols, Govind* is responsible for guiding tigers, elephants, and other wildlife away from human habitations to prevent animals from damaging crops and property, and also to prevent the animals from getting killed in retaliatory attacks by humans. He also keeps guard against poachers and their criminal activities.

On the night of the fateful incident, a cracker flung by Govind* to safely usher a lone elephant tusker away from human habitation hit a gate and bounced back toward his stomach.

Despite low visibility and being alone with a torchlight, he quickly dodged the firecracker with his hand, saving himself from a more severe stomach injury but rupturing his finger, which bled profusely.

Rushed to Government Medical College, Mananthwady, by forest department staff, the ring finger of his left hand had to be amputated. WTI immediately sanctioned ex-gratia support to cover his medical expenses.

After the injury, Govind* worried about providing for his family, consisting of two daughters and his wife. It took him nearly two months to overcome the initial shock and for the pain to subside, but he is grateful for the support from the forest department and WTI for helping him through this tragic incident.

Today, Govind* has re-joined duty, continuing to guard the forests he loves. He mentions, “My left hand no longer has the same strength, and it still hurts due to the surgery, but I believe I will get better eventually.”

Your support is critical for providing immediate relief to the forest staff and temporary wagers like Govind* during such challenging times.

This #GivingTuesday (on 28^th November), help India’s Guardians of the Wild and participate in GlobalGiving’s exciting campaign!

*Name changed for confidentiality

The crackers used to guide wildlife back to safety

The gate hitting which the cracker bounced back

Govind* few months after surgery

Permalink

Sep 4, 2023
Equipment support to Forest Staff on World Elephant Day

By Monica Verma | Project Leader

Equipment Handover Ceremony

Greetings from Wildlife Trust of India!

We hope this email finds you in good health and high spirits.

With this email, we share with you the updates on our project ‘Equip Forest Guards to Protect Wildlife in India’. We would also like to express our heartfelt appreciation for your generous donation to the project. Your support means the world to us and will make a significant impact in our efforts to protect wildlife and its habitat across India.

Your support for us goes beyond the financial contribution – it is a powerful statement of your trust in the work we do and a testament to your compassion and dedication to making a difference in wildlife conservation. Thank you for understanding the importance of WTI's work so we can continue to make a positive impact.

The updates from the project are as follows –

Located in the eastern part of India, West Bengal is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Over 10,000 species of animals (approximately 11% of our country’s fauna) inhabit West Bengal state which comprises tropical semi-evergreen forest, tropical moist deciduous forest, tropical dry deciduous forest, littoral and swampy forest, sub-tropical hill forest, eastern Himalayan wet temperate forest and alpine forest. Of this, around 4692 sq km has been designated as Protected Area – comprising 6 national parks and 15 wildlife sanctuaries.

In West Bengal, there are about 650 elephants spread across North Bengal and South Bengal. In addition, the state hosts 100-150 visiting elephants from Assam and Jharkhand. Of late, there has been an increase in the human-elephant conflict in several villages of West Bengal. Extensive damage to crops by elephant, attacks on humans, and retaliatory killing of elephants are all a part of the equation. Jalpaiguri village had been particularly affected and was recently in news for the extensive damage to crops and elephant attacks.

Staff from the forest department as well as many local wildlife organizations and experts have been working to mitigate human-elephant conflict in the state. In addition to this they are handling other responsibilities such as – eco-development, eco-tourism, patrolling, wildlife conservation, awareness programs etc.

To recognize and felicitate the impressive work done by frontline forest staff, conservation organizations, and individuals who have been committed to protecting elephants and their habitat; a mega felicitation and celebration event was conducted on World Elephant Day (12th August). The event also aimed to raise awareness among the people of Jalpaiguri village and over 350 school students and teachers from 14 different schools who participated. The event agenda included cultural shows, live quizzes, elephant-themed skit, and an elephant documentary screening. Frontline forest staff from Goruma Wildlife Division, Jalpaiguri Division, and Baikunthpur division also participated.

During the event photographer jackets, winter jackets, headlamps, and tents were awarded to frontline forest staff; with your generous support.

That’s all for today. We’ll be back soon with more updates on the project. Till then, take care!

Wishing you continued success and happiness!

Warm regards,

Team WTI

Permalink

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ... 15 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can recieve an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.