Dear First name / friend,

 

December has been a month of partnerships and reflection at CWS. This month, we hosted our Emerging Leaders Offsite 2024, where our senior leadership came together to reflect, strategize for the future and strengthen our shared vision.

 

In this edition of Into the Wild, we highlight key moments, share inspiring updates from our programs, and celebrate the collective efforts driving our mission forward as we close out the year.

Dr. Krithi Karanth, CEO, was invited to the Amazon's first ever India Sustainability Summit 2024 held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Invited to be part of the panel titled, ‘Climate Solutions: How Protecting Natural Resources Protects Your Supply Chain’, Dr. Karanth spoke alongside Swetha Ramdas, Sustainability Leader and Principal Program Manager, APAC & AMET, Amazon; Vedika Bhandarkar, CEO, Water.org; and Monalisa Sen, Associate Director, ICLEI South Asia.The event saw industry leaders, visionaries, activists, ministers and more from across the country, come together for India's climate goals.

From 17th to 19th December 2024, our Senior Leadership, Program Managers, Doctoral Fellows and Project Coordinators were part of the 2024 Emerging Leaders Offsite. The three-day program was packed with insights and transformative moments. From delving into the depths of leadership with real-world examples to connecting with oneself through poetic verses, every session painted a holistic picture of impactful leadership. External leaders such as Vishal Talreja, co-founder of Dream a Dream Foundation; Alok Prasanna, co-founder of Vidhi Karnataka and Narayan Ramachandran, co-Founder of InKlude Labs; led meaningful sessions as well. Group-based activities enabled the participants to engage with varying points of view, step past their comfort zones, and embrace varying styles of management by communicating better.

On December 13th, 2024, bird enthusiasts gathered at Bangalore International Centre (BIC) for the launch of ‘The Search for India’s Rarest Birds', featuring captivating discussions on the pursuit of these birds. The event featured Shashank Dalvi, author and Doctoral Fellow at CWS, and Anita Mani, author, in conversation with contributors to the book Atul Jain, Radhika Raj, and Aasheesh Pittie.

 

The panel delved into the challenges of species discovery, sharing the dedication and skill required to track down elusive birds across the Indian subcontinent. They also highlighted conservation issues, explored strategies to protect rare species from extinction, and speculated on future discoveries in ornithology. To order a copy of the book, click here.

CWS was a conservation partner for an installation built for the Echoes of Earth Music Festival, along with Bird Alliance. Held in Bengaluru on December 7th and 8th, 2024, over 2,000 visitors including children interacted with the installation that was built by Sensistan Foundation. The installation had ambient forest sounds and animal calls from across the Western Ghats, to allow visitors to explore bioacoustic soundscapes from the region and understand endemic species. To know more about the installation, click here.

"The monkeys are incredibly intelligent! They are really smart and know me very well! They always know when I'm busy, or when I'm distracted, and they will use that time to sneak into my fields and steal our crops." Just as Parvati Ba was saying this about her macaque neighbours in Tinsukia, Assam, we heard some branches crack outside, followed by characteristic macaque-like chatter and squeals. We rushed out the door to see a small troop of the Northern pig-tailed macaques running away, back into the adjoining forest patch, carrying bunches of harvested paddy in their hands - some walking on twos since their hands were full of produce! Parvati yelled and shook her fist at them, but broke into laughter mid-way, "I was just telling you about how well they know me. They must have suspected that I was deep in conversation and storytelling inside the house and wouldn't be able to stop them! They trouble me so much, but they really make me laugh too!"

 

This was just one of many examples of how people and monkeys share space and food with each other - bringing together emotions ranging from joy and amusement to fear and anger. These relationships are as fascinating, humbling and layered as they are confusing and unpredictable! The macaques continued to provide visual aids to Parvati Ba's stories for the rest of that afternoon, and those hours spent in their company are forever locked away in my memories from the early days of PhD fieldwork.

 

- Ishika Ramakrishna, Doctoral Fellow

On December 16th 2024, the Forest Training Center in Bidar hosted a Wild Surakshe workshop for 40 forest watchers. The event began with a welcome address by ACF Kariyappa Pujari, RFO Kashinath M., and DyRFO Gundurao.

 

Facilitators Mahesh Kumar and Ravishankar Derekar from CWS led sessions on key topics, including human-wildlife interactions, hunting and wildlife trade, zoonotic diseases, and basic first aid.

 

Participants actively engaged, showing great enthusiasm for the training. RFO Kashinath M. and DyRFO Gundurao praised the facilitators for their clear and practical presentations, underscoring the workshop's impact in equipping forest watchers to better protect wildlife. To know more about Wild Surakshe, click here.

Athreya, V., Odden, M., Linnell, J. D. C., Krishnaswamy, J., & Karanth, K. U. 2016. A cat among the dogs: leopard Panthera pardus diet in a human-dominated landscape in western Maharashtra, India. Oryx, 50(1), 156–162

 

In a surprising twist, research from Maharashtra reveals that leopards are thriving in agricultural landscapes, relying heavily on domestic animals for sustenance. With 87% of their prey biomass coming from livestock, these majestic predators are adapting to human-dominated environments. This insight challenges traditional views of predator-prey dynamics and highlights the need for conservation strategies that promote coexistence. By understanding these interactions, we can create a future where leopards and local communities thrive together. To read more, click here.

Kshettry, A., Vaidyanathan, S., & Athreya, V. 2018. Diet selection of leopards (Panthera pardus) in a human-use landscape in North-Eastern India. Tropical Conservation Science, 11, 1940082918764635.

 

Did you know leopards in Jalpaiguri, India, rely on domestic livestock for 80% of their diet? This study highlights their adaptability in fragmented habitats and the urgent need for solutions like predator-proof enclosures and livestock insurance to reduce conflict. Together, we can create a future where wildlife and people thrive side by side. To read more, click here.

As we wrap up December and the year 2024, we hope this edition of Into the Wild has inspired you. Our unwavering commitment to conservation continues to guide our work, and we are deeply grateful for your support. Here’s to a new year filled with hope, collaboration, and meaningful strides for wildlife and wildlands!