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(July 10, 2018) Leopards have expertly adapted to living in Mumbai, and people are slowly following suit.“I did not expect it to be such a shy animal,” reflects Rohan Shah. “Over the last year, I have encountered the leopard many times in this forest but surprisingly, each time it seemed more frightened of me, than I was, of it.”A local train to the Borivali local train station on a typically hot and humid day, followed by an auto rickshaw through loud, narrow lanes of MG Road and a walk...

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(July 06, 2018) Rotary Club and Selco have helped bring light to the homes of tribals.Ashwath from Sollepura relocation centre is a class ten student who secured first class marks this year. He was admitted to the Vishwa Bharathi Vidya Samasthe in HD Kote for his higher education. Contributing to his success in no small measure is the fact that the dark homes in this settlement have been lit with solar power, thanks to the involvement of civil society.Irregular power supply, unscheduled power cuts and power dis...

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(July 04, 2018) Recovering data from Camera traps comes as an exciting adventure with its ups and downs.It was 2014. The college term had come to an end and I was clearing my desk for the summer break.The students were excited they were going to the next class, with new subjects, new teachers and new things to learn, not to forget new classes to bunk!!!Then it dawned on me that I had to teach the same subjects again next year. What a boring proposition. Life had come a full circle and I was bored with my job ag...

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(June 29, 2018) Grasslands stretching far and wide till the eye can see; Koppal, a district in Karnataka is blessed with a varied set of landscapes from rocky outcrops to grasslands - these habitats play home to some of the most elusive wildlife species in India.The Indian grey wolf, striped hyenas, jungle cats, rusty spotted cats, leopards, blackbucks, jackals, foxes are some of the species spotted in this widespread landscape.Despite the rich biodiversity, Koppal isn’t a protected area. Through the gene...

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(June 15, 2018) Wild Seve, a novel initiative set up to speed up and ensure compensation reaches the affected families, is helping bring some amount of harmony amidst human wildlife conflicts.Chennegowda leads the way through a narrow, labyrinthine path that winds and curls past little houses with gardens and backyards. Every time it looks as though you have reached the destination, the path veers capriciously to the left or right, opening up more homes, more gardens and backyards.  The houses are neat, wi...

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(June 12, 2018) A unique relocation package in Kudremukh National Park came with its own set of challenges.His teeth all stained with the constant chewing of betel leaf and areca nut, hair grey at a relatively young age, and a vast amount of information that he displays as he talks, the 40-something Sudhakar Shetty from the Kerekatte enclosure in Kudremukh National Park is one person who will give you different reasons for moving out of the park.Sudhakar Shetty in his new house © Manish Machaiah/WCS IndiaB...

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(June 05, 2018) On World Environment Day, can we pause a bit to explore ways in which natural habitats can be conserved without negative impacts on any species?Cheetal herd in Ammavayal land after the people moved out. ©Arul BadushaVast stretches of fallow land, deep in the forest, where paddy was once grown, have now turned pastures for cheetal, sambar and few wild pig. Congregating in large numbers they bask in the evening sun. It has been four years since the humans left this stretch of the forest in Am...

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(June 01, 2018) Fallow land in Koppal, North Karnataka ©Meghana SankaYellowing grass lines the roads, extending into the horizon, and far away a curious face appears – one blackbuck, joined by others, looks up to see why we are visiting them. Assured we mean no harm, they resume their jumping.These grasslands often categorized as “wastelands”, are home to a wide number of species; both herbivores and carnivores. Blackbucks, striped hyenas, sloth bears, leopards, civet cats, rusty spotted ...

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(May 29, 2018) From close encounters with wildlife, the writer comes to realise some hard truths and mistaken notions about the animals.Written by Mrunmayee AmarnathMrunmayee at the start of a line transect walkMy door to ‘Narnia’ opened with the ‘Line transects’ I took part in. Besides the exciting encounters with wildlife, they carry me to an enchanting world where every blade of grass, plant, tree and animal speaks to each other. I watch in rapture, understanding a bit of it but unfa...

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(May 25, 2018) MEET OUR STAFF: IMRAN SIDDIQUIConducting identification of herbivore pellets.Imran Siddiqui's journey, from visiting zoos to becoming a wildlife expert, speaks volumes of his one-track dedication and passion.Perseverance could well be his middle name. Imran Siddiqui’s career chart beginning with selling poultry to raise money for wildlife, to becoming the man instrumental in getting Telangana its first tiger reserve, is one for the best-sellers.Today, this young man who followed his passio...

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