Dear First name / friend,

 

July was a month of big wins and bold beginnings at CWS.

 

Dr. Krithi K. Karanth and CWS were named 2025 John P. McNulty Prize Winners, the first-ever wildlife conservation organisation in the world to receive this honor! Back on home turf, we welcomed five enthusiastic new PhD students to our growing research community. We also marked 10 years of Wild Seve—a decade-long journey of standing with communities facing human-wildlife conflict. Our team made waves in national and international media, shining a light on the urgent, complex, and hopeful stories that define conservation today.

 

In this edition of Into the Wild, we celebrate milestones, welcome new voices, and reflect on how far we have come — with eyes firmly set on what is next.

We are delighted to share that Dr. Krithi K. Karanth and the Centre for Wildlife Studies have been awarded the 2025 John P. McNulty Prize, by the McNulty Foundation and the Aspen Institute. CWS is the first wildlife organization in the world to be a recipient of this prize.

 

The McNulty Prize, created in 2008, honors three breakthrough leaders and organizations each year, that are tackling some of the world’s most pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges with bold vision, moral courage, and lasting impact. The McNulty Foundation and the Aspen Institute work together to recognize and support these leaders. The Aspen Institute, founded in 1949, is a global nonprofit organization that drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action. This 1-minute film by the John P. and Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation spotlights our work hat earned Dr. Krithi K. Karanth and CWS the prize.

Recognized as a 2021 Aspen India and Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellow, Dr. Karanth has dedicated 27 years to the conservation of wildlife and wild landscapes. Through CWS’ award-winning conservation programs, Wild Seve, Wild Shaale, Wild Surakshe and Wild Carbon, our team has provided conflict response services, conservation education, alternative livelihoods through agroforestry, worked towards mitigating human-wildlife conflict and more to hundreds of thousands of people living alongside wildlife in India.

 

We are proud to be recognized alongside fellow 2025 McNulty Prize winners Mohamed Ali & Iftin Global, and Layla Zaidane & Future Caucus. To know more, click here.

We are excited to share the launch of ‘Rewilding India: The CWS Story’, our latest book that celebrates 40 years of the Centre for Wildlife Studies' journey in protecting India’s wildlife, wild places, and the communities that depend on them.

 

Through inspiring stories, stunning images, reflections from the field, and profiles on people that have shaped this journey, the book captures the milestones, challenges, and triumphs that have shaped four decades of CWS.

 

Proceeds from the book will directly support our ongoing efforts to safeguard biodiversity across India. We invite you to be part of this special moment, purchase your copy today and join us in the mission to #RewildIndia! To know more, click here.

Join us in celebrating Mr. P.M. Muthanna on his promotion to Director – Conservation and Field Operations. For over two decades he has spearheaded a multitude of impactful conservation projects at CWS and beyond. His deep commitment, unwavering passion for wildlife and leadership have been instrumental in driving our conservation efforts forward. We wish him continued success as he steps into this new role and continues making invaluable contributions to our mission to conserve wildlife and wild places!

A new article by Amazon Sustainability on International Tiger Day highlights CWS' Wild Carbon program—a powerful collaboration funded by Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund to protect tigers, restore habitats, and support farming communities in India’s Western Ghats. With a $1.1 million grant, the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) is working alongside 424 farming families to create wildlife corridors by planting fruit, timber, and medicinal trees. These corridors benefit over 2,000 people and species like elephants, monkeys, and tigers by enabling safe movement and reducing human-wildlife conflict. Since its first planting season in late 2023, the program has planted over 173,000 saplings across 100 hectares, achieving a tree survival rate of 82.7%. Vital corridors are now taking root around Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks. The project combines science and community—leveraging drone monitoring, ground surveys, and farmer-led consultations to guide and verify progress. By 2027, Wild Carbon aims to support 2,000 households and plant 300,000 trees. To read more, click here.

An article authored by P.M. Muthanna, Director, Field Conservation at CWS, was published in Down to Earth on 24th July 2025. The article talks about the Karnataka Forest Department's latest interception in June of a start-up-style thriving wild meat trade dealing in spotted deer and wild pig meat, near Bengaluru. To read the full article, click here.

An article published in Down To Earth on 29th July 2025, quotes Dr. K. Ullas Karanth, Emeritus Director, CWS, while talking about Maneater tigers and tiger attacks having nothing to do with tigers acquiring a “taste for human flesh” but more to these animals losing their fear of human beings when the latter are vulnerable. To read more click here.

An article published in The Times of India on 26th July 2025, highlights the growing threat of habitat fragmentation around Hyderabad. Featuring insights from Imran Siddiqui, Senior Field Conservationist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, it sheds light on the rise in leopard sightings along the city’s edge, driven by urbanisation, prey loss, and corridor disruption. The piece underscores the urgent need for habitat restoration and conflict mitigation. To read the full article click here.

Held in Aspen, Colorado, the Resnick Aspen Action Forum brought together over 500 value-driven leaders from around the world from July 22–25, 2025. This annual gathering convenes members of the Aspen Global Leadership Network to reflect, reimagine, and recommit to addressing urgent global challenges.

Dr. Krithi K. Karanth and the Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) were awarded the John P. McNulty Prize at this year’s forum, joining a global community of changemakers working across education, health, equity, climate, and more. The week was filled with powerful conversations, peer-to-peer exchange, and storytelling that highlighted both the complexity of the world’s problems and the creativity with which leaders are responding. Watch a livestream of Dr. Karanth's talk above.

On July 10, 2025, the Centre for Wildlife Studies hosted Science Day at the Bangalore International Centre—a lively evening dedicated to showcasing the latest research from our Doctoral Program. The event opened with remarks by CEO Dr. Krithi K. Karanth, who spoke about the program’s growth and its impact on wildlife research in India. She expressed gratitude to our advisory committee, donors, and partners for their ongoing support.

 

Nine doctoral fellows—Simran Prasad, Shreya Ray, Aishwarya Anilkumar, Yashendu Joshi, Sikha Hariharan, Chandan Pandey, Ishika Ramakrishna, Shashank Dalvi, and Dr. Shweta Shivakumar—shared insights from their research, covering a wide range of conservation topics from species ecology to human-wildlife interactions.

The evening also marked the launch of Rewilding India, our newest publication celebrating 40 years of CWS. A panel discussion moderated by journalist Shoba Narayan featured author Deepa Padmanaban, Founder and Emeritus Director Dr. K. Ullas Karanth, Dr. Krithi K. Karanth, and Advisory Council member Narayan Ramachandran, who reflected on the stories, lessons, and legacy captured in the book. The evening brought together donors, partners, researchers, and friends of CWS for a warm, inspiring celebration of science and storytelling.

"Camera trapping in the forests of the eastern Himalayas is exhilarating because every step you take feels like walking in the footsteps of leopards, bears, and civets. In a landscape like Darjeeling, however, where the forest closes in on you with dense bamboo thickets and towering, ancient oaks, you often can’t see more than a few feet on either side of the trail. These forests hold tight to their secrets.

 

You scan the forest floor for signs such as paw prints, scat, disturbed ground but it’s rarely rewarding. Thick leaf litter swallows tracks, and clues vanish beneath the undergrowth. In places like this, you become a sleuth, trying to think like the mammals you’re after: Where might they go to rest, to feed, to move unnoticed?

 

One such fine morning, Benoyda and I headed out to set camera traps in Senchal Wildlife Sanctuary. We began our day near the bustling town of Ghoom-Jorebunglow, searching for signs of recent wildlife movement. The beat officer had reported bear activity in the area, and with the help of experienced forest guards, we carefully navigated the slippery trails.

 

Eventually, we reached a pine tree that appeared to have been visited by a black bear, perhaps to feed. In the pre-monsoon season, black bears often strip bark to drink sap or tear into older trees to reach termites. Yet strangely, this tree stood alone. No claw marks. No other signs. It left us wondering: Had the bear moved on, following the ebb and flow of seasonal resources, as they so often do?

After some deliberation, we chose a nearby trail that seemed like a natural path for a bear and set our camera trap there. Then came the waiting game.

 

A few weeks later, we returned. On our way to the trap, we noticed a tree freshly marked with bear scratches. Excitement welled up. We followed the trail eagerly, careful not to disturb anything, and finally reached our camera. Sure enough there it was. Captured on the memory card was the elusive Himalayan black bear, wandering these very trails. Leopards marking right in front of the camera and even smaller leopard cats using the same trail! So much for a trail that, at first glance, showed little promise.

 

Each glimpse like this is a small reward in a larger mystery, a reminder that the forest is alive with stories. You just have to look and listen closely, and think like the ones who live there."

 

- Shreya Ray, Doctoral Fellow

Ramappa, a farmer from Toralli Kodige village in Sringeri Taluk, depends entirely on agriculture to support his family. His fields lie on the edge of the Kudremukha Wildlife Sanctuary, a region where encounters between wildlife and people are a daily reality.

 

On July 14th, a herd of elephants entered Ramappa’s farm and destroyed large portions of his banana and arecanut crops. With no alternative income and mounting farming challenges, the loss was a severe blow to his livelihood. To make matters worse, the region has been battered by relentless rains this month, triggering landslides and making travel nearly impossible. Yet, determined not to give up, Ramappa braved the conditions and trekked through forested terrain to reach the Karekatte Range Office — a remote outpost deep within the sanctuary — to begin filing a compensation claim.

 

Wild Seve Field Assistant Sourav quickly stepped in, meeting Ramappa and helping him navigate the complex documentation process to apply for ex-gratia relief from the government. Thanks to his perseverance and the timely support of the Wild Seve team, Ramappa was able to file his claim despite the odds. He expressed deep gratitude to CWS and Wild Seve for their support during a difficult time — a reminder of how community, commitment, and compassion can make a difference in the face of adversity.

We are excited to share our latest publication, titled, ‘Contradictions in Conservation: Education, Income, and the Desire to Live Near Forest Ecosystems’ was published in the journal Environmental Management on 8th July 2025. The study was led by Dr. Dincy Mariyam from the Centre for Wildlife Studies, along with co-authors Dr. Sumeet Gulati from University of British Columbia, and Dr. Krithi K. Karanth from the Centre for Wildlife Studies. The study delved into the impact of education, income, and wildlife-related losses on the preferences of 699 rural landowners bordering Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks in India. The study estimated the community's inclination to live close to a forest based on perceived costs such as wildlife-related losses or the lack of access to basic facilities and opportunities. The survey also evaluated perceived benefits - whether they believed that the forest regulates climate and rainfall. To read more, click here.

We are excited to share our latest publication, titled, ‘Drivers of spatial and temporal patterns of non-timber forest product extraction in Southern India’ was published in Global Ecology and Conservation, October 2025 edition. The study was led by Sikha Hariharan from the Centre for Wildlife Studies, along with co-authors Yogita Karpate from Conservation Initiatives, Karen A. Kainer from University of Florida, Dr. Krithi K. Karanth from the Centre for Wildlife Studies and Dr. Divya Vasudev from Conservation Initiatives. This study investigates the patterns and drivers of non-timber forest product (NTFP) extraction in southwestern India, focusing on how and why people engage in collecting forest resources such as fuelwood, leaf litter, and other materials. By surveying 641 households across eight forested landscapes, the researchers aimed to understand who is involved in NTFP extraction (for domestic use or commercial sale), and what social, economic, and geographic factors influence this engagement. To read more, click here.

This International Tiger Day, we are shining a spotlight on science that helps us better understand and protect this iconic species. Tigers are not just symbols of strength and resilience—they are vital to the ecosystems they inhabit. In this month’s Wild Science Blogs, we feature two insightful studies that delve into tiger behavior and conservation strategies, offering fresh perspectives on how we can secure a future for both tigers and the landscapes they call home.

Karanth, K. U. (2003). Tiger ecology and conservation in the Indian subcontinent. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 100, 169–189.

 

Tiger conservation in India faces ecological and strategic challenges. Dr. K. Ullas Karanth highlights that tigers need large prey bases and territories—males up to 100 km²—and thrive where ungulate biomass exceeds 15,000 kg/km². His camera-trap studies reveal densities of up to 16 tigers/100 km² in rich habitats, but much lower where humans and livestock intrude. To read more, click here.

Ranganathan, J., Chan, K. M., Karanth, K. U., & Smith, J. L. D. (2008). Where can tigers persist in the future? A landscape-scale, density-based population model for the Indian subcontinent. Biological Conservation, 141(1), 67-77.

 

Saving tigers is not just about more land, it is about smarter management. Targeted conservation in existing reserves can make all the difference. Read the blog and CWS’s publication to learn more about tiger conservation in the Indian subcontinent. Click here to read more.

As July comes to a close, we are energised by the milestones we have crossed and the paths we are paving ahead. From global recognition to grassroots impact, this month reminded us of the power of perseverance, partnership, and purpose. Thank you for walking this journey with us — your support fuels our mission, and we are excited to bring you along for all that is still to come!