Dear First name / friend,

 

This July we marked International Tiger Day, celebrating the species that has been at the heart of our conservation journey. Staying true to the spirit of inquiry that defines our work, our team spent the month publishing research, presenting at conferences, and seeking out new ways to learn and grow.

 

This month gave us a chance to celebrate our colleagues, as CWS members from across the country came together in Bengaluru for a memorable evening honoring the lasting contributions of our longest-serving team members. In this edition of Into the Wild, we bring you highlights from across CWS' work this past month. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into our journey!

On 3rd July 2026 we came together to celebrate and honor five team members from our conservation programs, reaching significant milestones at CWS. Nagachandan Honnur (Senior Program Manager) was honored for completing ten remarkable years with us, while Ganesh Honwad and Sahil Pimpale (Senior Program Managers) were recognized for seven years of service. Rounding out the evening, Nikhil Jacob (Program Manager) and Ronil Gosavi (Senior Project Coordinator) were celebrated for five years at CWS.

 

The evening's recognitions were presented by our advisory council and board members, Mr. Vikram Vaidyanathan, Mr. Avinash Sosale, Mr. Narayan Ramachandran, Mr. Alok Prasanna, and Mr. Vikram Bhat. We are deeply grateful for the dedication and contribution each of these team members brings to CWS!

 

We would like to share with you our latest study, published in Environmental Management on 10th July 2026, titled “Integrating Ecological Modelling and Local Knowledge to Understand Elephant Occurrence and Human–Elephant Interactions in the Southern Western Ghats.” The study was led by Dr. Simran Prasad (CWS - India) and co-authored by Dr. Krithi K. Karanth (CWS - India and Duke University), Dr. Vikram Aditya (CWS - India), and Dr. Jennifer Solomon (Colorado State University). It explores the relationship between elephants and people in shared landscapes, the future of human-elephant conflict, and how elephant occurrence is projected to change by 2030. Read the paper here.

 

We would also like to share our scientific paper published in Ecology and Evolution on 14th July 2026, titled “Catwalk: Leopards Persist at Moderate Densities While Exhibiting Temporal Segregation From Humans in Telangana's Boath Range.” The study was led by Nilanjan Basu (Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society), and co-authored by Imran Siddiqui (CWS - India), Prasanth Bajirao Patil (Telangana Forest Department), and Dr. Maximilian L. Allen (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign). The scientific paper looked at human-leopard coexistence, as well as the density and behavioural responses of leopards in human-dominated spaces. To view the paper, visit the link here.

 

We are delighted to welcome Tiasa Adhya and Yashaswi Rao to the Centre for Wildlife Studies as part of the 2026 Doctoral Program cohort! The orientation to welcome the new cohort was held at our Bengaluru office on 1st and 2nd July 2026. The orientation sessions covered essential skills required for PhD research, fundraising challenges, organizational structure, work culture, and much more. We are excited to introduce them further, and work with the new cohort on some exciting and unique projects. To know more about the Doctoral Program at CWS, click here.

 

In July 2026, Dr. Krithi K. Karanth took the stage in Abu Dhabi as the inaugural speaker of the Nature Knowledge Seminar Series (Nature KSS). The series focused on the theme, “Regional Models and Restoration: Rethinking Conservation for People, Nature and the Future." Dr. Karanth was invited by the Office of Development Affairs at the Presidential Court in the UAE, led by His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed.
 

Nature KSS is a high-level seminar platform designed to bring together distinguished international and regional voices across nature, biodiversity, conservation, restoration, policy, and nature finance, fostering thoughtful exchange and strengthening dialogue between global expertise and national priorities. Dr. Karanth's address made the case for approaches to conservation rooted in people as much as in places.

 

“During one of our social network surveys, I asked a question I had repeated hundreds of times before: "If you see an elephant, who is the first person you call?" Most respondents answered predictably—the Forest Department, local watchers, neighbours, or members of the Rapid Response Team. These names gradually formed the network through which information about elephants travels across the landscape.

 

One farmer paused, smiled wearily, and replied, "God. Who else?"

 

I laughed at first, as he was simply making a light-hearted joke. But as our conversation continued, the humour slowly gave way to far more profound insights. His response revealed the quiet helplessness that often accompanies life alongside elephants. As I entered his answer into my survey sheet, I realised that, quite unexpectedly, God had become part of my social network. It reflected something much deeper, where no phone call can guarantee safety, and where uncertainty is woven into the fabric of everyday life. As we continued talking, he described nights spent awake listening for movement outside his home, the anxiety of protecting his family and crops, and the limits of relying on help that may take time to arrive. He also spoke of elephants with deep reverence, believing them to be the living form of Lord Ganesha.

 

His story did not end with resignation. He told me that whenever the Forest Department organised elephant drives, he volunteered to join them. Alongside forest staff, local watchers, and other villagers, he helped guide elephants away from settlements, often working late into the night. Despite believing that only God could truly protect him, he still chose to be part of the collective effort to reduce conflict. That conversation reminded me that social networks are more than nodes and connections on a diagram. They are built on trust, hope, responsibility, and, sometimes, faith. Behind every edge in a network lies a human story- one that cannot always be captured in a survey, but one that shapes how communities coexist with wildlife every single day.”

 

- Aishwarya Anilkumar, Doctoral Fellow

 

 

During a Wild Surakshe Session in Kundaram Gram Panchayat, Telangana, in April 2026, a local sanitation worker, N. Rajaiah spoke up. He told the Wild Surakshe team that right before the workshop, a stray dog had died due to an unknown disease. He informed them that he disposed of the carcass in the fields, a bit far from their village. When asked for more details, he admitted that he did not wear gloves or a mask, and did not follow the safety steps that were just explained during the Wild Surakshe session, as he was unaware of the same. He also mentioned that people in the village also did not usually take such precautions.

 

The Wild Surakshe session was highly useful to him in learning about zoonotic diseases, and safety precautions for tackling such cases, which he was previously unaware of. Rajaiah told the Wild Surakshe trainers that if faced with any instance such as this in the future, he would follow the proper safety measures.  To learn more about the work we do at Wild Surakshe, visit the link here. 

Wild tigers have vanished from much of their former habitat range, but hope remains in a small number of important breeding sites across Asia. A study by Walston et al. (2010) highlights 42 key “Source Sites” where focused protection could help prevent further tiger decline and support future recovery. Which are these sites? What makes them so important? Why should conservation efforts focus on them? Read our latest blog to learn how protecting a small fraction of tiger habitat could make a big difference for the future of wild tigers. Read here. 

Discover why tiger populations in Southeast Asia recover slowly despite increased protection efforts. Learn about the ongoing threats of poaching, the challenges of conservation, and what this means for global tiger recovery goals. Join the fight to save these majestic cats and protect their habitats. To learn more, read our blog at the link here.

This month at CWS has been defined by learning and knowledge-sharing. Our team members presented their research and engaged with scientists across public talks and scientific conferences, continuing to build the connections and conversations that move conservation forward. We look forward to more such gatherings as we keep fostering a culture of learning and scientific inquiry. If our work resonates with you, please consider supporting CWS, every contribution helps us continue this momentum.

 

Warm Regards,

Dr. Krithi K. Karanth

Chief Executive Officer

Centre for Wildlife Studies