Dear First name / friend,

 

As we stepped into May, we marked Endangered Species Day, a reminder of the urgent need to protect India’s most threatened wildlife and ecosystems. At the Centre for Wildlife Studies, this commitment is reflected in our ongoing research and conservation efforts with species like the elusive pangolin, the hornbill, the western hoolock gibbon and the lion-tailed macaque among others. These efforts deepen our understanding and drive action to safeguard their fragile habitats.

 

May concluded on a high note with the annual CWS Wild Shaale training in H.D. Kote, where educators from across our field sites came together to share insights, strengthen bonds, and shape the path ahead.

 

Explore this edition of Into the Wild with us, as we bring you important milestones, inspiring field stories, and the growing impact of our work across India and beyond.

In April 2025, Dr. Krithi K. Karanth was invited to Tarangire National Park in Tanzania as one of the five 2025 Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation Fellows, along with Sam Shaba, Resson Kantai Duff, Dr. Scott Christensen and Dr. Jeannie Raharimampionoma. The board and advisory council of the Foundation brought together the new Fellows from across the world to present their work and share learnings.

Ishika Ramakrishna, Doctoral Fellow, was invited to attend the events of the 121st Explorer’s Club Annual Dinner and to present her work titled “Primate Lifeworlds: The Intricacies of Human Relationships with Nonhuman Primate Species in Northeastern India” at the Explorers-in-Residence Symposium on the 25th of April 2025 at The Explorer’s Club Headquarters, New York, as a recipient of their Impact Grant – 2024.

 

Her presentation highlighted the work that began through her doctoral research at CWS and has now moved into a space of long-term behavioral research and conservation effort with support from The Explorer’s Club. Ishika – along with Luja Guju and Maria Anjum, Research Fellows at CWS, and several local collaborators – has been working to better understand western hoolock gibbon—human relationships in Upper Assam, India, by taking a closer look at the lives and behaviours of this Endangered nonhuman ape. This work decentralises the human narrative and, instead, using a multispecies ethnographic approach, looks at gibbons and local human communities in true conjunction with each other to understand how they co-construct their lifeworlds.

CWS conducted its annual Wild Shaale training at H.D. Kote, Karnataka, from 19th to 23rd May 2025, for educators in the program across all 5 states. As Wild Shaale grows, it becomes increasingly important for our teams to come together at least once a year. This offsite proved instrumental in fostering mutual understanding of each other's personal journeys, while also aligning them with the overarching vision and mission of the organisation. The 5 day training saw sessions from Dr. Gabby Salazar (conservation photographer and environmental social scientist), Madhukar Banuri (Founder-Director, Leadership for Equity), Dr. Kaylin Clements, (Fulbright-Nehru Senior Scholar), Neeraj Doddamane (Chief Strategy Officer, ShikshaLokam), and Shridhar Kulkarni (theatre practitioner). Through multiple sessions on team-building, leadership, diversity, inclusion and more, this offsite helped teams grow stronger and more cohesive.

From 24th May to 28th May, 2025 CWS hosted a residential GIS training course. The 5 day course was conducted for 17 participants, facilitated by Dr. Narendran Kodandapani, Dr. Vikram Aditya and Ganesh Honwad. The training introduced participants to the foundations of map-making, the use of toposheets, and an in-depth understanding of Google Earth Engine.

 

A highlight of the program was the field visit, where participants used GPS devices to collect geospatial data and gained hands-on experience in integrating field data into digital maps. The training emphasized practical applications of GIS in conservation work, helping participants build essential skills for spatial analysis and field-based data interpretation.

We are excited to share our latest publication, 'Highs and lows of arboreal life: Space use and movement strategies of lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) in the Western Ghats of India’, published in the American Journal of Primatology on 29th April 2025. The study was led by Sikha Hariharan, Doctoral Fellow at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, along with co-authors Dr. Krithi K. Karanth, Centre for Wildlife Studies and Duke University and Dr. Divya Vasudev, Conservation Initiatives. This study examines spatial ecology and movement-based habitat selection of two lion-tailed macaque troops living in areas with differing levels of human presence within the boundaries of Silent Valley National Park, India. To read the paper, click here.

We are excited to share our latest publication, 'Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to health and well-being in a forest fringe community in southern India’, published in BMC Public Health on 6th May 2025. The study was led by Dr. Bindu Raghavan, along with co-authors Alby Wilson, Shruti Namboodiri, Dr. Manigandan Selvaraj and Dr. Krithi K. Karanth from the Centre for Wildlife Studies.

 

The study examines the healthcare challenges faced by rural villages surrounding the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Tamil Nadu. Drawing on data collected through semi-structured interviews in 322 households across 35 villages, scientists understand how healthcare access is shaped by socio-economic conditions, disease awareness, and local health practices in tribal and marginalized populations living in the core, buffer, and boundary zones of the reserve. To read the paper, click here.

An article published in The Hindu on 5th May 2025 explores our latest publication on adaptive habitat use of lion-tailed macaques in Silent Valley National Park. Led by Doctoral Fellow Sikha Hariharan, the study reveals how macaques modify movement strategies in response to human pressures, emphasizing the need for conservation plans that consider three-dimensional forest use. To read the article, click here.

An article published in The Week on 6th May 2025 also covers our latest publication. Led by Sikha Hariharan, Doctoral Fellow at CWS, the study focuses on understanding how endangered lion-tailed macaques in the Western Ghats use their habitat, particularly how they navigate both tree canopies and the forest floor. The article highlights the importance of maintaining continuous canopy cover for their survival, especially in the face of habitat fragmentation and human pressures. To read more, click here.

An article published in The Hindu on 26th May 2025, talks about our latest study by lead author, Dr. Bindu Raghavan. The study examines healthcare access, practices, and challenges among forest fringe communities near the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. To read the full article, click here.

An article published in Climate East on 20th May 2025 highlights our latest research led by Dr. Bindu Raghavan and co-authors Alby Wilson, Shruti Namboodiri, Manigandan Selvaraj and Dr. Krithi K. Karanth from the Centre for Wildlife Studies. The study examines how health access, awareness, and practices vary across 35 villages near the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. It reveals how socio-economic conditions, traditional knowledge, and educational levels influence health outcomes in forest-fringe communities, particularly with regard to chronic diseases and zoonotic risks. To read more, click here.

Dr. Amit Hegde, Sr. Research Fellow with Centre for Wildlife Studies, gave a talk on the “Wonderful World of Amphibians” and “Basics of Birding” at a one-day environment workshop “Act green, Think clean”, organised by Youth for Seva (YFS), Mysore chapter in collaboration with Department of Environmental Sciences, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru on 16th May 2025. The students responded with enthusiasm to the powerful story telling and photographs shared and were curious to know more.

Simran Prasad, Doctoral Fellow at CWS, presented her PhD research at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Research Colloquium, held from 28th to 30th April 2025. Simran’s poster highlighted key chapters of her thesis, which explores human–elephant conflict in South India. Her work examines the impacts of serious conflict encounters on both people and elephants. 

"Situated along the forest fringes, Saraswathi's modest home stands as a quiet sentinel to the stories of the wild sightings. When we arrived to talk to her about her experience living there, she greeted us warmly. As we settled down on her veranda, she began to recount many of her elephant encounters with such detail and emotion that it felt as if we were right there with her, from hearing the distant crack of branches under the moonlight to watching elephants just outside the window. Her voice carried both the caution of lived experience and the excitement of someone who still finds wonder in the elephants that visit her backyard.

 

What struck us most was her deep curiosity. Every rustle in the leaves, every distant trumpet, every footprint in the soil was a sign she had learned to interpret. Stepping outside, she must remain constantly alert. Listening to Saraswathi, it became clear that these weren’t just stories — they were lived realities. Behind her fascination lies a quiet but profound awareness: life on the forest’s edge demands unceasing vigilance. One moment of carelessness can carry lasting consequences. Her stories are a powerful reminder that life in these borderlands is shaped by both caution and remarkable resilience."

 

-Aishwarya Anilkumar, Doctoral Fellow

"As I wrote the Wild Seve toll-free number on the board, a curious voice from the seventh-standard class interrupted my train of thought. If the forest department doesn’t respond to our concerns, should we call this number? she asked, her young face filled with both curiosity and concern. I smiled and replied, Mostly, they will address your concerns. But if not, you can call this number—it's toll-free.

 

She nodded thoughtfully before continuing, Once, an elephant entered our village during the carrot season. It trampled the fields and ate the carrots stored in sacks. Three months later, another elephant came, this time destroying banana plantations before disappearing into the forest. A few weeks after that, it returned, but finding no food, it wreaked havoc—damaging farmlands and destroying several houses before leaving.

 

Her voice softened as she added, Each time, the forest officers came, checked the situation, and left. But we never knew what happened after that. She paused for a moment and then, with striking clarity, said, Until today’s class, I thought the forest department wasn’t helping us. But now I see that elephants are coming to our village because they have no choice. We humans are cutting down forests, reducing their land, and leaving them with nothing to eat. They aren't invading our space—we are shrinking theirs. And the forest officers? They’re not ignoring us… they’re doing their best to help both the animals and us.

 

A hush fell over the class as the weight of her realization settled in the air. Her words, spoken with such sincerity, had shifted something profound. It wasn’t just about toll-free numbers or emergency calls anymore. It was about understanding. About seeing the bigger picture.

 

That day, in that classroom, a seventh-standard student had unknowingly voiced a truth far beyond her years. And perhaps, in that moment, she had taken her first step toward becoming a guardian of the very forests we once saw as a problem."

 

-Deepthee M.R., Wild Shaale Educator

Hariharan, S., Karanth, K. K., Vasudev, D. (2025). Highs and Lows of Arboreal Life: Space use and Movement Strategies of Lion‐Tailed Macaques (Macaca silenus)  in the Western Ghats of India. American Journal of Primatology 87(5).

 

Asian primates are threatened, but how do they adapt to shrinking, changing forests? Scientists in Silent Valley National Park followed two lion-tailed macaque troops to uncover how forest quality and human presence shape their movements. From surprising ground use to canopy preferences, the findings reveal just how flexible and vulnerable these primates are. To read the blog, click here.

Raghavan B, Wilson A, Namboodiri S, Selvaraj M, Karanth K. K. (2025). Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to health and well-being in a forest fringe community in southern India. BMC Public Health. 25(1):1666.

 

Discover how forest communities face health challenges with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and affordable healthcare. Our latest blog explores these issues and shares solutions to improve well-being and conservation efforts. To read more, click here.

As May draws to a close, we are energized by the progress we’ve made and the partnerships that continue to strengthen our mission. From grassroots action to global recognition, each step forward reflects the passion of our team and the unwavering support of our community. Thank you for being part of this journey, we look forward to the season ahead and all it promises for conservation.