Coexistence
110 Results
Farmers Suffer as Nilgai Numbers Rise
The uncontrolled proliferation of nilgai along the India-Nepal border regions has forced many farmers to abandon agriculture due to crop damage by the antelope
Conservation
The Titans: Hefty, Dark, and Handsome Gaur
Though deceptively calm-looking, these bovids are the largest and heaviest wild cattle in the world. As their natural territory in forests has increasingly been lost to humans, they may enter agricultural fields and graze alongside domestic cattle, sometimes getting into conflict situations with them
Species
Operation Bhediya Unveils Loopholes in Human-wildlife Conflict Mitigation
The Uttar Pradesh forest department identified predators that attacked people in an Uttar Pradesh district as wolves based on drone footage and people’s descriptions, which experts have contested
Conservation
The Flooding of Kaziranga
Observing and living through the annual flooding of Kaziranga over ten youthful years has brought many insights about the nature of the flood and its part in the ecosystem and livelihoods of local people
Conservation
Wildlife Tourism: Perilous or an Opportunity to Aid Conservation?
While some of the negative impacts of wildlife tourism are clear and hotly debated, it can also aid conservation efforts, helping both forests and forest communities
Conservation
In Search of Kasturi: Musk Deer of the Himalayas
Filming the musk deer is like chasing a ghost. Found deep within the snow-covered Himalayan mountains, the deer has been hunted for thousands of years for a powdery substance found in a pouch near its abdomen. Highly valued for its fragrance, this rare musk sells at a premium. Beyond its prized musk, we know little about the deer.
Filmmaker Neha Dixit and team embark on physically and emotionally challenging journeys to spot this elusive creature. Will they succeed?
Video
Animal Rescuers Face an Uphill Battle as Human-wildlife Interactions Rise in Kashmir
There are regular reports of wild bears and leopards in Kashmir, venturing out of forests in search of food, resulting in encounters with humans and their livestock
Conservation
The Manas Story: From Hunters to Protectors
In the 1980s, political unrest ravaged Assam's Manas National Park. But in the 2000s, local youth, the forest department, and the new government united to restore it. Today, Manas is a UNESCO World Heritage site and biodiversity hotspot.
Video
Bar-Headed Geese: The Migrant Crisis
Every winter, the bar headed geese fly thousands of kilometres from Central Asia to spend their days in the Indian subcontinent. As several wetlands in North India are being taken over by agricultural farms, these glorious vistors are no longer welcomed. Watch the film to find out why.
Video
Hope in the Land of the Rising Sun: Hunting and the Adis of the Siang River Basin
From practising ritualistic and sustenance hunting, the Adi have now banned it. Recognising the biodiversity crisis, the community is trying hard to revive the harmony between human activity and nature
Conservation
Population Control of Animals to Resolve Conflict
A new report by the Wildlife Institute of India suggests population control of four species that are most in conflict with humans
Conservation
Coexisting with Snakes in Goa – A Utopian Dream?
A concerted effort by individuals and NGOs over the last two decades has increased awareness about snakes in Goa, reducing the number of snakebites and human and snake mortality from encounters
Conservation
Loss of Habitat Forces Indian Crested Porcupines to Enter Saffron Fields in Kashmir
Experts estimate that in recent years nearly 5,000 hectares of land growing saffron has been impacted by porcupines that are coming into fields in search of food due to loss of their natural habitats
Conservation
Behavioural Shift: Tigers Attack Bike Riders Along Corbett
In a period of nine months, five such attacks on bikers were recorded around Corbett Tiger Reserve. Four people were killed, and one was seriously injured
Conservation
The Resonance of Restoration
Scientists are stringing recorders around trees in eastern Madhya Pradesh to listen to bird calls and monitor changes in health of restored dry, deciduous forests after the removal of invasive shrub Lantana camara
Conservation
The Basket Weavers of Dang
The Kotwalias are one of the most marginalised communities in South Gujarat’s Dang district. They are skilled bamboo artisans who rely on the forest for their lives and livelihoods
Hero
Protecting Land and Life: Dibang Valley’s First Community Conserved Area
Idu Mishmi efforts in biodiversity conservation and camera trapping in Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh
Conservation
Living With Elephants: Can Mobile Technology Help Mitigate Human-wildlife Conflict?
Human casualties are the dominant cost of human-wildlife conflict in India. A community-based initiative in Valparai attempts to mitigate this and help people and elephants coexist
Conservation
Shared Spaces: On the IISER Campus in Kerala
Discovering the art of chasing wildlife on a lush 200-acre educational campus a few hours from Thiruvananthapuram
Wild Vault
Mangalajodi: A Village that Guards a Wetland
For generations, the residents of Mangalajodi, a village in Odisha, hunted and feasted on birds that visited its local wetland. But in 1998, a conservation initiative turned the tide. Today, former hunters have turned into skilled naturalists and protectors of the habitat.
Video
Identifying Mugger Crocodiles Using Drones
Researchers in Gujarat believe the model could be useful in rescue and relocation efforts to minimise human-crocodile conflicts and in analysing mugger biology.
Conservation
Communities and the Heronries, Can They Save Each Other?
The relationship between the birds and humans in the coastal communities in Andhra Pradesh differs greatly from one village to the next
Conservation
Gadchiroli Adopts Drones and Thermal Cameras to Mitigate Human-Animal Conflict
Forest department turns to technology-oriented solutions to support the monitoring of animals and alert villages
Conservation
Communities and Authorities Clash at Namdapha as Deforestation Escalates
Park authorities consider the Yobin community to be main drivers of deforestation and poaching in the national park
Conservation
Woolly-necked Storks Thriving in Haryana
Despite a fragile relationship with farmlands, the birds are breeding in densely populated villages and towns that are heavily dependent on agriculture
Conservation
#WorldElephantDay: The Story of Chilli Komban, a Beloved Elephant
Ahead of World Elephant Day, Pravin Shanmughanandam tells us the heartbreaking story of a loved elephant who was recently declared "a rogue" by the media.
This not a story of just one elephant, but elephants everywhere that are struggling to make sense of a world, that we are constantly changing and destroying.
Multimedia
Anaimalai Roadblock: On the Trail of a Tusker
A majestic elephant that has been migrating through forest patches in the foothills of Anaimalai hills for many years suddenly faces an obstacle
Wild Vault
Resettlement Stories: Losing a Home to a Tiger Reserve
About a decade ago, people from six villages in Chhattisgarh were resettled from the area where the Achanakmar Tiger Reserve now lies. The people reminisce about their lost home
Conservation
Shared Spaces: Life Within Blurred Lines
In this collaborative photo essay that emerged from #TheUncontest, we bring together images from across India to tell a compelling tale of the importance of the overlapping spaces that humans and nature share
Photo Story
Desert Cat: Raising a Family Under a Thorny Bush
In a sacred grove in Rajasthan, an Indian desert cat has given birth to three mischievous kittens under a thorny bush where they play, fight and goof around. But one afternoon, they go missing, sending the grove’s local guardian on a desperate quest to find them
Video
The Endangered Bengal Florican and Koklabari's Fields of Hope
Every monsoon, the critically endangered Bengal florican leaves the protected grasslands of Manas National Park to move into the adjacent human-dominated agricultural farms of Koklabari. Why does it make this unlikely move?
Video
Innovation, Inspired by Nature
What do velcro, airplanes and F1 race cars have in common? They all have design elements inspired by the natural world. Here’s why nature has the solution to most of our problems
Multimedia
From Poachers to Protectors in Birding Hotspot Mangalajodi
In Odisha’s Mangalajodi, a community of former poachers is now committed to protecting the wetland ecosystem and its winged inhabitants
Conservation
Poornasmrithi Rumdali Rai: Saving the Chinese Pangolin
From launching the ‘Save the Pangolin’ campaign to sensitising the local community and penning a book on the critically endangered species, this former school principal, relentlessly works for the conservation of the animal in the Darjeeling Hills
Hero
Feast and Frolic: Winter Party of the Demoiselle Cranes
A party of charming guests has travelled hundreds of kilometres to spend their winters in Rajasthan. Watch them enjoy a feast, cool off by the lakes, charm a mate and shake a leg! Welcome to a virtual party with the demoiselle cranes
Video
Addressing the Human-wildlife Conflict Challenge
Can proactive measures and a multipronged approach avert or reduce conflict between human beings and animals?
Conservation
Can Feeding Wild Elephants Paddy Reduce Human-Wildlife Conflict?
The Chhattisgarh state government is trying to feed its surplus paddy to elephants in the hope that it will prevent them from coming into villages in search of food. Experts weigh in on the wisdom of this strategy
Conservation
Hunters to Guardians: The Extraordinary Story of Panna’s Pardhis
For nearly five centuries, the nomadic Pardhi community has lived in Panna's forests. Traditionally, they were hired by Maharajas to track big game. Today, the former hunters use the same skills to protect its wildlife
Video
Clear and Present Danger: Managing Free-ranging Dogs
The current rules and laws governing the control of free-ranging dogs don’t go far enough to mitigate wildlife deaths and injuries they cause
Conservation
Wild and Free: Where the Rock Bees Roam
These wild honeybees, called Apis dorsata, have cleverly adapted to the rapid changes in their habitat and make their hives with as much ease on urban high-rise buildings as they do in forests, cliffs, and tall trees
Species
India Has Lost 75-90 per cent of its Leopard Population
A recent study has claimed that India’s leopards are in danger and need as much attention and protection as the tiger
Multimedia
The Land of Naga Bana
Herpetologist Gowri Shankar, who has spent a lifetime studying and protecting the king cobra, demystifies the remarkable relationship between serpent and human
Video
Why the World’s Smallest Crane Flocks to a Dusty Village in Rajasthan
How one man's effort to feed 8O-odd migratory demoiselle cranes, attracted thousands and gave birth to one of Rajasthan's most famous bird sanctuaries. Welcome to Kheechan's annual bird feast — a party with the demoiselle cranes
Video
Wings of Hope: A Bustling Village and their Bird Friends
Menar is not a reserved bird area, yet thousands of resident and migratory birds feel secure in the heart of this bustling village. What makes them feel safe here?
Video
Sindhudurg’s Cashew Nut Plantations Offer Refuge to Wild Mammals
Sambar, porcupine, boar, gaur, hare, mongoose, leopard, and civets among the animals recorded in a study
Conservation
Muskaan: The Leopard Queen of Kumbhalgarh
Muskaan has found a secure home on the peripheries of Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, thanks to nomadic herders Raikas who have shared their space with leopards for decades. But new developments are tipping this fine balance. Will Muskaan have to abandon her home?
Video
Fishing Friends: Irrawaddy Dolphins and the Fishers of Chilika Lagoon
In Odisha’s Chilika Lagoon, researchers have confirmed that dolphins do assist fishers in getting a good catch
Species
Forest Fires Raise Questions Over Management of Similipal National Park
Forest department and local communities remain divided over cause of fires and ownership of the biosphere
News
Spectacled Cobra: An Unwilling Icon
Though worshipped, venerated, vilified, adored, and feared, this snake isn’t quite understood
Species
Leopards of Saswad: On the Edge of a Concrete Jungle
Wolves have ruled the Saswad grasslands for years, but recently an uninvited guest has taken over– the leopard. Now, the city threatens to take over these grasslands. Will the leopard survive the onslaught of the urban?
Video
A Reign at Risk: The Indian Grey Wolf and the Grasslands of Saswad
The Indian grey wolf is the apex predator of Saswad's grasslands, but defending its territory is not easy. It must chase away hyenas and aggressive packs of dogs. And now, a new challenger has shown up. Can the grey ghost of the grasslands retain its dominance?
Video
Saswad: In Harmony with Wild Neighbours
In Saswad, locals and the wild have learned to live with each other — leopards and wolves polish off poultry carcasses, birds show up to feast on the seasonal crop, and the timid Bengal fox builds homes in cultivated farms
Video
Junk Food: Why Migratory Gulls are Snacking on the Gujarati Gathiya
Every winter, gulls travel from faraway lands like Siberia and Alaska to warmer regions of India. In parts of Gujarat, they are getting hooked to a local fried snack — the gathiya
Video
Golden Jackals Find Shelter at Airports
Grasslands in and around airports in Kolkata and Guwahati offer refuge to these canids
News
A Family Saga: To Bee or not to Bee
The author and her father are fascinated by the leaf cutter bee’s nest in their garden, while her mother remains unmoved
Urban Jungle
Foraging Food: Eating Wild in the Andaman Islands
Eating from the forest, opens up the palate, but also brings up questions of how modern cultures have lost the knowledge of ancient foods that connect people and the land
Wild Vault
High and Dry: The Gradual Erosion of Ladakh’s ‘Dry Toilet’ Culture
Burgeoning tourism is pressurising locals in Ladakh to construct water-based toilets that are unsuited for its freezing terrain and only add to its water woes
Wild Vault
Love thy Neighbour: The Villagers of Paddapukur and the Fishing Cat
In Paddapukur, a small village in West Bengal, fishermen and farmers are finding harmonious ways of living with their fellow fish-loving neighbour — the endangered fishing cat
Video
Mugger: River Monster or Peaceful Giant?
Seen as dangerous predators and banished from most of their original habitats, marsh crocodiles suffer a perilous existence in India today
Species
Five Chandrapur Tigers Make a Thermal Power Station their Home
The striped cats have been roaming freely in the power station since the past four to five years, and frequenting nearby residential areas
Wild Vault
Coexistence with Critters: Lessons in Harmony from Bhutan’s Countryside
In parts of rural Bhutan wild animals like gorals, and birds like the Himalayan monal, satyr tragopan and black-necked crane share close living spaces with villagers
Photo Story
Songs of Love: Sarus Cranes’ Lifelong Romance
Sarus cranes are sentient beings — they pair for life, feel emotions like humans do, and express love with great tenderness
Video
How Local Communities Help Conserve the Snow Leopard
Community-led initiatives in Ladakh’s Sham Valley have deterred the ‘revenge killing’ of snow leopards and encouraged locals to participate in their conservation
Wild Vault
Accidental Ecosystem: How a Rooftop Garden can be a Thriving Habitat
When a few potted plants were left to grow wild on a Delhi terrace, they attracted an entire ecosystem — from delicate butterflies to foot-long colour-changing lizards
Urban Jungle
Saltwater Crocodile: Dragons of the Sundarbans Swamps
Basking in the sun, the saltwater crocodile is a study in stillness but once it enters the brackish waters of the Sundarbans, it is the top aquatic predator
Species
Cross Connections: Time to Rethink Human-Wildlife Conflict
From conflict to interaction – calling for a nuanced understanding of human-wildlife encounters
Conservation
Painted Storks: The Winged Daughters of Kokkarebellur
Every year, for about six months, the village of Kokkarebellur is taken over by painted storks. Locals believe the loud and beautiful visitors are like their own children
Species
Tribal Districts in Odisha Lead the Way in Coexistence with Environment
A culture of conserving nature among indigenous communites in Rayagada and Koraput spell hope in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Conservation
Shadow in the Swamp: The Aberrant Tiger of Sundarbans
The Sundarbans tiger is unlike its counterpart on the mainland — it drinks saline water, is an expert long-distance swimmer, and hunts with as much finesse in tidal currents as it does on land
Conservation
Lessons in Citizen Science and Community Stewardship in Latpanchar
Creating a safe haven for the rufous-necked hornbill and its habitat has brought socio-economic rewards to this little hamlet in West Bengal
Conservation
Lives in the Balance: Unravelling Koppal’s Shared Spaces
The rocky outcrops and grasslands of Koppal are under threat causing a decline of large carnivore populations and disrupting human-wildlife coexistence
Conservation
Nandini Velho: Community and Conservation
Nandini Velho’s extensive work with local communities makes her an unusual conservationist — one who stands up for humans as much as animals
Hero
In Search of a Panacea: Herb Collection in the Himalayas
Himalayan medicinal plants and herbs play an important role in the ecosystem, and in the lives of the humans and animals that live in the region
Wild Vault
Why Human-nature Relationships are Complicated
When large and potentially dangerous carnivores are involved, the relationship between humans and nature becomes complex
Wild Vault
Deep Wells of Danger: Karnataka’s Leopards in Peril
A study finds that between 2OO8 and 2O17, Karnataka witnessed 7O instances of leopards falling into open wells
Conservation
Urban Ecosystems: Snakes and the City
Unbeknown to most of us, snakes are often permanent residents of urban environments. We have to find the happy balance of human-snake coexistence
Urban Jungle
Lockdown Lessons in Human-Animal Coexistence
Will the environmental tranquillity resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown really help wildlife?
Wild Vault
It’s Complicated: Bats as the Most Vilified Creatures of the Night
Known to play a very significant role in maintaining our ecosystem, bats are now demonised and dreaded as carriers of deadly diseases. Virologists studying viruses, and chiropterologists who are bat researchers, disagree on how the pathogens they harbour have spilled over to humans
Conservation
A Forest of Folklore: Myths, Gods, and the Many Faces of the Tiger
How culture, traditions and gods of the Sundarbans are inseparable and intertwined with the forest and its most charismatic creature the swamp tiger
Wild Vault
Bishnois: Guardians of the Chinkaras
Meet the graceful chinkara that springs across the Thar. Also, meet its guardian angels — the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan, who watch over everything that thrives in the hot desert
Video
Unregulated Leopard Tourism Worries Conservationists
Private leopard safaris around the periphery of protected areas with claims of “guaranteed sightings” causes concern
Conservation
Dhangars of Saswad: How Traditional Livelihoods Conserve Unique Ecosystems
Climate change and infrastructure projects are threatening the traditional pastoral occupations that have helped preserve the grasslands of Saswad for centuries
Conservation
Aarey: The Wild Heart of Mumbai
Few cities in the world have large swathes of jungles within their borders, even fewer have leopards living within. Unfortunately, the green cover of India’s maximum city is under grave threat
Urban Jungle
Shared Spaces: The Leopards of Jawai in Rajasthan
The absence of human-animal conflict in a small area of the Aravalli Hills makes us re-examine our knowledge of leopard behaviour and their interactions with humans
Photo Story
Bugun and a Forest of Hope
In the dense forests of western Arunachal Pradesh, lives a rare, critically endangered bird that brought a community and its forests together. Meet the Bugun liocichla and the people that help secure its home
Video
Behind The Lens: An Unusual Encounter With a Snow Leopard
At a time when the relationship between big cats and humans is only spoken of in the context of conflict, Dhritiman Mukherjee shares his unusual, heart-warming exchange with a snow leopard in Ladakh
Multimedia
The Ever-Changing Lives of the Soligas in BR Hills
In southeastern Karnataka, indigenous communities like the Soliga renegotiate their relationship with their forest home
Hero
Marina Juliet: A Conservationist in the Making
Marina Juliet defies gender stereotypes as she trains to become a grassroots conservationist in rural Karnataka
Hero
Flight of the Amur Falcons: Migration, Conservation, and Great Resilience
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Amur falcons congregate at the Doyang Reservoir in Nagaland, on their epic annual migration from East Siberia to southern Africa.
Photo Story
Anil Mistry: The Ex-Poacher Who Rescues Tigers
How a poacher turned conservationist, and became one of the leading voices fighting for the survival of the maligned Sundarbans tiger
Hero
Problem Elephant or Elephantine Problem?
The words we use to label animals involved in human-animal conflict situations can make a big difference to their conservation status
Conservation
The Himalayan Brown Bear’s Life in Snow
It has been a cold and harsh winter in the snow-clad mountains. As the snow melts, a very rare animal wakes up from its long slumber. Meet, one of the most elusive animals of the snow mountains — the Himalayan brown bear
Video
The Fishing Cat in Laxmi’s Backyard
A study of the biodiversity of the Godavari delta offers a glimpse into the conservation status of the wetland dependant fishing cat that lives in the mangroves and swamps of this coastal region of Andhra Pradesh
Conservation
Challenge and Change in the Changthang
In this remote, high-altitude plateau of Ladakh, inhabited by Changpa nomads, a worrying transformation of habitat, climate, and lifestyle is under way
Conservation
There’s a Caterpillar on Your Palm Plant, Daddy
They are many a gardener’s bane, but with a little time, caterpillars can bring great benefits to their habitat
Urban Jungle
Crisis in Kodagu: Can Humans and Elephants co-exist?
Kodagu’s people live in constant fear of elephant encounters, but strengthening wildlife corridors and educating locals can mitigate the situation. This is the second story in a two-part series on human-elephant interactions in Kodagu
Conservation
Crisis in Kodagu: Reports from the Epicentre of Human-Elephant Conflict
Escalating human-elephant clashes in Kodagu are causing economic loss, and endangering lives of both, man and animal. This is the first story in a two-part series on human-elephant interactions in Kodagu
Conservation
Conflict and Coexistence: Leopards and the Residents of Valparai
How leopards adapt to human presence and communities learn to live in close proximity to the big cat, in the Anaimalai Hills of Tamil Nadu
Conservation
What are Wildlife Corridors?
Wildlife corridors connect isolated patches of forests or landscapes, so animals can get from one habitat to another without any obstacles
Explainer
Man and Wild: The Complicated Coexistence of Humans and Hoolock Gibbons in Assam
Once upon a time, in the Tinsukhia region of Assam, an ape named Kaliya became a regular visitor to the village of Ketetong
Photo Story
What is Habitat Fragmentation?
Development projects are cutting through habitats and threatening entire ecosystems
Explainer
Living With Elephants
In the last few decades, Assam has turned into the epicentre of human-elephant conflict, with deaths and severe damages on both sides. But not all hope is lost
Video
In the Pink: Health and Herding in the Himalayas
Fostering human-wildlife coexistence in the high mountains. Can disease-free pastoral herds translate to healthy wildlife populations?
Conservation
Anatomy of a King Cobra Rescue in Agumbe
Witnessing a kalinga snake being rescued, it becomes apparent that communication and cooperation are essential to conservation
Wild Vault
Buffaloed by the Climate in Kolhapur
Human-wildlife conflict is escalating in Radhanagari, Kolhapur, where the gaur buffalo are raiding nearby farms. This is spurred by deforestation, cropping changes, drought and fluctuating weather patterns
Conservation
Migratory Birds: How Far Do They Travel?
Why do birds migrate, and how do they do it?
Explainer
Life in Lakhipur, on the Fringe of the Forest
Animals know no borders. When you live on the edge of the forest, the animals will sometimes come a visiting
Wild Vault
Wildlife Warriors: The Guardians of Kaziranga Brave On
Under conditions of extreme hardship, the protectors of Kaziranga battle numerous challenges to ensure the safety and security of the animals and the park
Wild Vault
Folktales from Maharashtra: The Magic Ring
Animals are a necessary and integral part of everyday life in a village, according to the folk tales and art of the Warli Adivasis
Wild Vault
Folktales from Maharashtra: The Mouse’s Share
An Adivasi folktale about mice and men reflects the belief system of the indigenous Warli people and affords a conservation lesson for all
Wild Vault