Dear First name / friend,

 

April was a dynamic month at CWS, marked by achievements across many teams. We are proud to announce several internal promotions and the appointment of two distinguished experts to our Research Advisory Council. One of our doctoral fellows earned a prestigious science traineeship, further strengthening our commitment to nurturing the next generation of conservation leaders.

 

In this edition of Into the Wild, we share important team milestones, celebrate individual and collective achievements, and highlight the growing impact of our work across India and beyond.

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Anindya Sinha, Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru and Dr. Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Dean, School of Environment and Sustainability at Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), Bengaluru to the CWS Research Advisory Council! Their expertise will further strengthen our commitment to impactful conservation science.

We are excited to announce the promotions of Aneesh Sankarankutty, Elephant Research Program, and Jeremiah Kennedy, Media & Outreach, to Program Manager. A big congratulations to M. Shaheem, Wild Seve & Wild Shaale, and Shreyas R., Finance, on their promotions to Senior Project Coordinator, and to Ganesha T., Wild Shaale, and Shal Sabeel, Wild Seve, who are stepping into the role of Project Coordinator. Also join us in celebrating our Wild Carbon team members, Abhilash S., James Jaysheelan, and Mohan R. on their promotions to Field Coordinator. They have all shown incredible commitment and passion in their roles, and we look forward to seeing them continue to make a lasting impact in their new positions.

We are excited to share that an article written by Sumit Arora, Director Technology & Partnerships at CWS, published in Mongabay. In the article, Sumit talks about how neglecting biodiversity in ESG strategies can threaten business stability and reputation, and calls for greater investment and collaboration to address biodiversity risks. To read more, click here.

An article published in South First on 8th April 2025 discusses Telangana’s decision to withdraw cases against student protesters in the Kancha-Gachibowli land row. The outcome followed a meeting with civil society stakeholders, including Imran Siddiqui, Senior Field Conservationist at CWS. The piece underscores the importance of inclusive dialogue in reconciling ecological concerns with development. To read more, click here.

An article published in Rajdharma Latur on 15th April 2025, features Wild Surakshe, our public health and safety program. The Wild Surakshe workshop was held on Sunday, 13th April 2025, at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Udgir in collaboration with the college’s Placement Cell. The workshop sensitized veterinary students to their roles in wildlife conservation and public health. Through interactive sessions and demonstrations, participants explored human-wildlife conflict mitigation, zoonotic diseases, illegal wildlife trade and related laws, and basic first aid. Students actively participated in first aid drills and learned about career opportunities in the wildlife sector post-graduation. To read more, click here.

From 8th to 10th April 2025, Dr. Krithi K. Karanth was one of the 9 experts invited to the beVisioneers Global Summit in Stuttgart, Germany, conducting 3 sessions on Leveraging Science for Action, attended by over 50 fellows. The summit brought together visionary changemakers, mentors, and sustainability leaders from across the globe for three days of insightful discussions, collaborative workshops, and inspiring showcases of environmental innovation.

We are excited to share that Jeremiah Kennedy and Dhanush Dev have been selected for the 2025 Cohort of beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship. They will join a global community of changemakers, where they will be developing planet-positive projects through mentorship and expert guidance.

Aishwarya Laghate, Doctoral Fellow at CWS, has been selected for the prestigious Conservation Science Traineeship Programme at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, USA. As the world’s first refuge for raptors, Hawk Mountain is dedicated to global raptor conservation through education, research, and outreach. During her traineeship, Aishwarya will gain hands-on experience in raptor migration monitoring, satellite telemetry, banding, and GIS mapping. She will also contribute to ongoing research on North American Vultures, Broad-winged Hawks, and Farmland Raptors. We are excited to see Aishwarya represent CWS on this global platform and advance raptor conservation efforts.

Organized by the Green Team Network at CISCO in collaboration with CWS, Sustain-a-thon: Tech for Earth, Tech for Each was a two-day hackathon held on 20th and 21st March 2025. CWS presented four carefully curated problem statements to the participating teams, each addressing key challenges in the conservation space. These included gaps such as fragmented access to conservation research resources and the complexity of securing research permits for protected areas. Teams had 24 hours to brainstorm, design, and prototype tech-based interventions aimed at solving these pressing issues. The event witnessed active engagement from participants, mentors, and organizers. Three teams emerged as winners, showcasing innovative, impactful, and scalable solutions with the potential to support conservation efforts on the ground. The event was facilitated by Sumit Arora, Director of Technology and Partnerships at CWS, and Medha Shukla, Project Associate, who interacted with participants and shared valuable insights during the evaluation process. Dr. Sruthi Unnikrishnan, Doctoral Program Manager & Post Doctoral Fellow and P.M. Muthanna, Associate Director Field Conservation, also mentored the participants on the problem statements.

"It was a quiet morning when I joined two young boys from a nearby village, both barely into their teens, on a small hunting trip. They held no guns or traps - just slingshots and a pocketful of pebbles. The forest around us was alive with the rustling of leaves, the occasional call of a bird, and the boys’ cheerful chatter. 

For the next two hours, we moved through the undergrowth. The boys took turns aiming at birds, releasing smooth stones from their slingshots with quick, practiced flicks. They laughed at their misses and competed playfully, tallying their attempts. More than 50 shots later, they finally brought down a small bird - a spiderhunter.

 

One of the boys, a Miju Mishmi tribal, explained that spiderhunters are not supposed to be consumed in his community. It’s a taboo, he said. But he wasn’t the one who would eat it - he had shot it for his friend, the other non-tribal boy who accompanied the hunt, for whom the taboo didn’t apply. Not long after, a third friend joined us. He carried an airsoft gun - a pressurized one with a telescopic sight. Suddenly, the game changed. In just thirty minutes of using the gun, they shot down eight birds. The shift was sharp and unsettling. The casual, inefficient pastime with slingshots had turned into a precision hunt. I’ve read about the impact of modern weapons on hunting pressure in scientific journals, but this was the first time I witnessed it with my own eyes. The difference was stark and immediate. This was just a pilot survey, an early peek into my longer research journey. But even in this brief time, I had already seen signs of a deeper change. Local informants had told me that earlier, hunting here was tied to need - food, tradition, ritual. But now, I had seen commercial hunting too, something they said was alien to this region until recently.

 

With modernization and development creeping in, old practices are shifting. What was once a culturally bound, often regulated act of sustenance is now becoming something else - potentially more harmful, and certainly less sustainable.

Still, I believe all is not lost. In these remote landscapes where formal laws often remain toothless, there is hope in the old ways. The cultural taboos, the local rules that once protected certain species, may hold valuable clues. Perhaps, if we listen carefully and integrate these traditional practices into modern conservation policies, we can still find a way forward - to conserve, to sustain, and to coexist."

 

-Deep Gogoi, Doctoral Fellow

Bramanandachari, son of Lakshminarayanachari, is a hardworking farmer from Kottapalam Village who has been cultivating tomatoes on his 3-acre farm for many years. On April 9, 2025, he faced a devastating setback when elephants destroyed two acres of his standing tomato crop, causing significant financial loss. Overwhelmed and uncertain about how to move forward, Bramanandachari turned to the Wild Seve Program for help. He shared that the traditional process of applying for compensation was burdensome—requiring multiple visits to the village office, making copies at a distant xerox shop, and submitting documents at the forest office far from his home. For a farmer already grappling with loss, this complicated system felt nearly impossible to navigate.

 

Thanks to the timely intervention of the Wild Seve field assistant, this daunting task became manageable. The team stepped in immediately, guiding Bramanandachari through every step of the compensation process. Their support saved him valuable time and effort, bringing much-needed relief during a difficult period. Grateful for the compassionate assistance, Bramanandachari expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Wild Seve team. Their unwavering support, he said, gave him the hope and strength he needed to overcome the crisis. For farmers like him, Wild Seve is truly a lifeline in times of unexpected hardship. To know more about Wild Seve, click here.

Madsen, E. K., Ray, S., Petracca, L., & Kamler, J. F. (2025). The potential for subordinate predator release in terrestrial mammalian carnivore assemblages. Mammal Review.

 

When top predators disappear, smaller predators rise—but it's not always that simple. Discover the hidden battles shaping our ecosystems. To read the blog, click here.

Carter, H., Gomez, C., Ray, S., Lepard, C., Mutinhima, Y., Sibanda, L., & Dickman, A. (2025). Hopes and Fears for Incentivising Coexistence With Big Cats Through Innovative Market‐Based Financial Mechanisms. Wildlife Letters.

 

Communities living near tigers and lions face daily challenges, from livestock losses to safety concerns. A recent study suggests that these communities should be fairly supported for protecting wildlife. With the right financial support, we can improve livestock protection, reduce conflict, and ensure long-term conservation success. But, for real change, it's crucial that local voices are heard and included in decision-making. True conservation requires fairness, trust, and inclusivity. To read more, click here.

As April comes to a close, we are proud to share the strides we have made — made possible by the dedication of our team and the encouragement of our supporters. We remain focused on building a future where people and wildlife thrive together. Thank you for standing with us, and we look forward to sharing even more successes with you in the months ahead.