By Dr. Corinne Taylor-Smith | Project Leader
The last few months since our last project report have been quite challenging, so we are grateful for your continued dedication and support for our anti-poaching patrols when it is most needed. Without your help we would be unable to keep our anti-poaching patrols at the maximum level which is essential as both human-wildlife conflict and tiger-tiger conflict continue to be at unprecedented levels at present. Your kindness helped us to patrol at triple base level for the last 4 months.
Our need for supporters and advocates like you increases each day as we strive to ensure that our anti-poaching patrols can protect wild tigers today and in the future as the number of poachers and poaching incidents continue to increase alongside the increase in the wild tiger population. Your donations are vital so that we can protect these magnificent wild tigers and their cub when they need it most.
Poachers and Tiger-Tiger Conflict Kill Wild Tigers
In our last report we told you about the incarceration of Alpha male Tiger – Chota Bheem following his entrapment in a poacher’s snare. We feared that his young cubs would be vulnerable in his absence and sadly our fears were not unfounded. Pujari, a sibling of Chota Bheem, who was frequently defeated by is bolder stronger brother when trying to claim territory, took advantage of Chota Bheem’s absence to claim his territory and females. In doing so Pujari killed the Chota Bheem’s cubs one by one, until their mothers were ready to mate again! In what seemed like a cruel double twist, Chota Bheem also died of a heart attack in the zoo where he had remained captive since the operation to remove the wire snare embedded in his neck. Sadly, wild tigers have an extremely poor survival outcome when captured and placed in zoos which is why we always fight hard to keep wild tigers in the wild. If wild tigers are to have a wild future they need to be born, raised and stay in the wild! Sadly, this situation is a prime example of how poachers snaring one adult male tiger kills not only that tiger but his cubs, and sometimes his females (who will fight to the death to defend their cubs) too. Your donations help us to keep patrolling so that snares and traps can be found before more tigers fall prey leaving their cubs vulnerable too!
The cold misty mornings of December and January sometimes provide extra cover for people to move in the jungle unseen by patrollers, but they are still seen, smelled and heard by the many animals who use their other senses to find their food and defend their young. Our patrollers also need to be extra vigilant in these conditions to prevent being attacked by poachers and the wild animals they are trying hard to keep safe. As the days get warmer snakes become more active too so patrollers need to take extra care from February, when the temperatures rise, when checking the undergrowth for wire snares and traps.
An Eventful Month
February started with a herdsman being attacked by a sloth bear whilst grazing his goats down by the river, he survived but was clearly shaken by the attack. Only a few hours before our patrollers had wandered along the same riverbank looking for snares and signs of illegal fishing activities. Nearby the footprints of wild elephants close to the villages where wheatfields are seeded raise concerns. Our patrollers spend hours patrolling the hedges which surround these villages for signs of wire snares, tethered snares and poisons, especially after 13 wild elephants were poisoned in late 2024. Suddenly, one of our patrollers leaps backwards as a large cobra appears from the undergrowth where he was checking for snares. He was unhurt but grateful for his sturdy boots and cane which protect him from direct contact with the snake! As night fell, the bitter cold returned and our patrollers where grateful for the warm winter jackets, hot meal and tea we provide to help them battle the elements whilst protecting the wild tigers and other animals too. You can learn more about the essential equipment we provide for our brave anti-poaching patrollers here: (https://goto.gg/56553), where we are currently raising funds to provide another 130 full uniforms with sturdy boots and 100 powerful flashlights which are desperately needed in the field.
On 06 February, we receive reports that another male tiger had been caught in a poacher’s snare, the poachers were caught at the scene but absconded as they heard the patrollers approaching, this time a tethered snare had been used, and the tiger had been electrocuted! The patrols caught up with the culprits in a nearby village and they claimed to have set the snare in their field to deter wild boar from raiding their crops. The anti-poaching teams apprehended the two men and took them into custody where they will face prosecution for killing a beautiful wild tiger. Although these two poachers were arrested and charged, we cannot bring the tiger back and thus if he had fathered cubs their lives are now in danger too! This was a despairing incident because the poachers had set the snare on their own land in midst dense vegetation in a field, which sadly put it outside the usual range of our patrols.
Whilst our patrols systematically check wildlife routes into and out of the forest and around the periphery of the villages where snares are often set in thicket fences, they cannot enter private land without good reason. If evidence leads the patrollers to a house or field within a village then our patrols can follow that trail but without it, pursuit is more challenging. The dead tiger had also wandered beyond our patrolling zone beyond the boundary of Bandhavgarh into a neighbouring forest area, so this presented other issues too. In January, we were asked to increase our patrolling area to include an extra 100 square kilometres in the Shahdol forest to the northeast of Bandhavgarh, whilst this poaching incident occurred in an area to the northwest. Increasing our patrolling area not only stretches our human resources but increases our costs too; something which is quite challenging now with fundraising is down by over 40% compared to 2023-24. The Board of Trustees agreed to the increase in patrolling range, subject to approval by the neighbouring authorities and raising funds to cover the extra costs, as our patroller’s wages will increase again in May to keep them aligned comparable wages. As our costs continue to increase, and our funding reserves are depleted we will need to consider whether maintaining maximum patrolling in the long-term is feasible. This year will be a challenge and if fundraising in 2025-26 doesn’t improve then we will have no choice other than to reduce our patrolling after the 2025 monsoon period (July – September, inclusive) which will in turn increase the risk of wild tiger dying in poacher’s traps too! If you can afford to donate this month, please do, whatever amount you can spare will be a huge help for sure. (https://goto.gg/28767).
When we look back to 2010 when Tigers4Ever was founded and realise that back then only 37 wild tigers roamed in Bandhavgarh’s jungles, we are nothing short of amazed and proud at the position today. Despite the fact that Bandhavgarh’s tiger habitat remains unchanged in size, there are now five times as many wild tigers for us to keep safe. Both the human and wild tiger populations continue to grow, which places immense pressure on the ecosystem and its inhabitants. Even with tolerance from both wild tigers and humans, conflict is inevitable. In the last year, we’ve focussed on several initiatives to mitigate these conflicts and address their consequences. Our patrols covered more than 33930km (21083 miles) whilst protecting wild tigers in 2024, if we have to reduce this by a third in 2025 so many wild tigers and their cubs will be vulnerable that it doesn’t bear thinking about! If you can afford to donate this month, please do, whatever amount you can spare will be a huge help for sure. (https://goto.gg/28767).
More Human Encroachment
March and April bring the Tendu Leaf and Mahua Flower picking season which also increase the risk of forest fires as human encroachment increases more than 10-fold. Our brave patrollers add fire-fighting and conflict management to their daily workloads, whilst maintaining vigilance for snares and traps as daytime temperatures soar! The drought season is already taking hold but some unseasonable rainfall in the last week has dampened the dry leaf litter which reduces the risk of forest fires getting out of control. Mahua pickers burn leaf litter at the base of trees to make it easier to collect the falling flowers, however, on windy days and when the fires are not watched, the forest can soon be ablaze across many miles, destroying pristine wildlife habitat in their wake!
Throughout 2024-25 and for the latter part of 2023-24 we focussed on multiple initiatives to address Human-Wildlife Conflict and forest encroachment via our other projects, including the provision of more permanent wildlife waterholes bringing the total number of Tigers4Ever waterholes to 25 and installing solar-powered PIR lighting at 55 forest edge locations to reduce the risk of livestock and human kills and nightly crop raids by elephant, tigers and leopards, (https://goto.gg/34315). These initiatives are running concurrently with our forest safety education programme too.
Seasonal streams, rivers and ponds are already dry and Tigers4Ever waterholes are crucial to keeping wildlife in the forest and safe, again funding for more waterholes is depleted and we are actively seeking more funds as more waterholes are urgently needed for more wild tigers and their cubs. This is an annual problem which fuels human encroachment into the forest as village fields are dry too, so farmers bring their livestock into the forest to graze whilst poorer members of the rural community collect tendu leaves (for Indian tobacco) and mahua flowers (for Indian alcohol) so that can sell their collections and feed their families. These activities put the lives of humans, their livestock and forest wildlife at risk as tigresses will systematically attack anyone who gets close to their cubs, and old or infirm tigers will take the easier meal of livestock which leads to retaliation by the humans who try to protect their herds. It is a never-ending cycle of events which challenge our patrollers every year and as the months progress the risk of forest fires increases with the mahua picking and deliberate fire lighting which will double the workload for our brave patrollers too. Life is tough in the jungle right now and will be more so over the next 6 months too.
Can we do more?
Our anti-poaching patrollers work tirelessly in some of the planet’s most extreme and dangerous environments, performing one of the toughest jobs in the world. Three-quarters of the global wild tiger population is in India, with 3,167 wild tigers, 785 of which are found in Madhya Pradesh where our patrollers operate. Bandhavgarh’s wild tiger population has increased fivefold from 37 in 2010 to more than 225 today, a success story made possible by your support!
Worryingly, two wild tigers have been trapped by poachers in the last 6 months and the number of snare wires and signs of anchored traps are increasing again too. Farmers often tie wire snares around the boundary of their crops and villages to prevent crop raiding, but these wire snares are indiscriminate and will kill tigers and leopards if they remain undetected. Our patrollers systematically remove these wires and fill the anchor points with sand or soil to prevent hidden tethered snares along the trails where tigers walk. Our patrollers always need to be extra vigilant against snares as they can be easily concealed and can snare a patroller’s foot too. Increasing tiger numbers inevitably leads to an increase in poaching, in addition to increased tiger-tiger and human-tiger conflict, so we can’t afford to reduce our patrolling now. Wild tigers need more habitat and protection, so we extended our patrolling range a few months ago to include areas where some of the sub-adult tigers from Bandhavgarh have migrated.
The growing wild tiger population has resulted in an increased risk of tiger-tiger conflict too. The aggressive roars of territorial battles echo for up to 8 miles, prompting our patrollers to approach with caution. Wounded tigers are extremely dangerous, and our patrollers must stay alert to avoid attacks on themselves. They search for signs of injury and, if necessary, call for veterinary help. Sadly, sometimes it’s too late, and the lifeless body of a once-majestic tiger is found. Despite being it a natural death, it’s heartbreaking to see such a magnificent creature lying lifeless. Without restored habitat and more waterholes, sadly tiger-tiger conflict will continue to increase.
More wild tigers mean more territorial conflicts and natural deaths, thus expanding and improving forest habitat is crucial, and we are actively working on forest rehabilitation projects and hope to have the green light to start the work soon. We’ve identified a 100-acre area of denuded forest where we hope to clear invasive lantana before planting saplings from 32 native tree species and grasslands to provide food for elephants and the tigers’ prey. In June 2024, Tigers4Ever Trustees planted 12 native tree saplings at Tala Camp as a commitment to Bandhavgarh’s future, 4 of these are thriving and we hope to have some photos of them soon.
Every day, we confront these challenges head-on. In 2023, wild tiger deaths in India reached a 15-year high with 181 reported deaths, which was a 150% increase from 2022. The 2024 death toll reached 126, including 15 due to tiger-tiger conflict in Bandhavgarh. The news for 2025 is bleak too with 46 wild tiger deaths across India already including the cubs of Chhota Bheem and the male tiger killed by the poachers, detailed above. It is vital therefore that we continue maximum patrolling to protect wild tigers during the lead up to the monsoon as so many young cubs would not survive if their mother or father was killed by a poacher’s snare. Meanwhile, our work to enhance the existing wild tiger habitat and to reduce conflict through our wildlife waterholes project continues: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/water-for-bandhavgarhs-tigers/.
Enhancing protection for wild tigers and their habitat ensures that more cubs survive, which in turn means that more protection is needed, and as the number of wild tigers exceeds the carrying capacity of their current habitat, further urgent action is essential. We have already reached a critical impasse in both human-wildlife and tiger-tiger conflict. Thankfully, our patrolling helps to minimise unnatural wild tiger deaths in Bandhavgarh, but we cannot let down our guard as poachers are always lurking and seeking opportunities to strike. Your kind donations have ensured that we can fund increased patrolling into June 2025. We’re hoping that our supporters who can help will choose to do so, so that our anti-poaching patrols can continue to keep wild tigers safe throughout the next few months and beyond the monsoon too (https://goto.gg/28767).
Instances of human-tiger conflict at the extreme level can lead to dangerous challenging times for our anti-poaching patrollers too, as they are tiger protectors and rural communities often exact revenge on patrollers as they attempt to remove a tiger which has attacked or killed. Our patrols need to always remain vigilant, especially whilst attempting to restore calm. We continue to deliver our forest safety education training to those we encounter in the forest to try to reduce the risk of further deaths-whether those are human or tigers.
Our patrols frequently remove wires and snares set to capture wild boar and herbivores which enter the villages to raid the farmers’ crops and livestock fodder. These wires and snares are indiscriminate and have killed tigers and their cubs too. Precious tiger lives can easily be lost when they follow their prey into the villages in search of food and it is why our projects to reduce human-wildlife conflict form a vital cornerstone of our efforts to keep wild tigers safe.
Fundraising to cover our current patrolling costs continues to challenge us so we must be cautious when extending our patrolling range further. The poachers know that the cubs born 2 -3 years ago are old enough to leave their mothers’ protection now and are making their own way in the world, so we are on high alert to curb this risk and have tripled patrolling and extended our range as a result. These vulnerable young tigers will face many challenges in their quest for their own territory, not least sibling rivalry and aggression from their own parents. They will also face battles with other young adult tigers seeking to establish their own territories too and other adult tigers which have already staked their claim. As young tigers migrate further afield, our brave men and women patrollers will risk their lives to keep them safe. It will be a challenge to protect them all!
We are proud of our patrollers and their amazing efforts to keep wild tigers safe. During the last 3 years their workload has increased 3-fold, and our patrollers have responded with outstanding effort and hard work whilst poaching activity around India has reached a 15-year high. It is a miracle in the circumstances that we continue to keep so many wild tigers safe!
When conflict incidents are coupled with the increased risk of poaching activities, it means that our patrollers need to always be on high alert. We must ensure that we can maintain a minimum of tripled patrolling now, especially as poaching activity is on the increase. https://goto.gg/28767.
Making a Difference
Your continued support means that we can cover an extra 1800 km (1135 miles) of wild tiger territory per month with our tripled patrols. During patrolling, it is essential to ensure sufficient time to search for snares; traps and signs of poisoners around forest areas where human encroachment is widespread as poachers are more active. We need to maintain our patrols around the periphery of villages where crop raiding and livestock killing is rife. Our increased patrolling helps us to curb human encroachment into wild tigers’ territories and allows us to provide safety advice for those trying to protect their crops and livestock from wandering elephants and tigers respectively.
With around 225 wild tigers to keep safe, your help is crucial. In the last quarter, we’ve received news of 12 more precious tiny cubs which need our help. Your gift, however large or small can make a huge difference as to whether Bandhavgarh’s wild tigers and cubs can survive the unprecedented threats they face:
Without our help, we know that more wild tigers will die; and more humans will be mauled or killed due to encroachment or human-tiger conflict. Sadly, with every human life lost comes another threat to the wild tiger’s survival in the form of retaliation; thus, we must protect both if we are to ensure that wild tigers can have a wild future.
Please don’t hesitate if you can help, your donation can be the difference between life and death for a wild tiger, as it helps to increase our patrolling when it is most needed. Every tiger and every tiger cub counts. Thank you for making our fight against poachers, the changing climate and human-animal conflict possible. (https://goto.gg/28767).
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By Dr. Corinne Taylor-Smith | Project Leader
By Dr. Corinne Taylor-Smith | Project Leader
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