ANNUAL REPORT

TIGER AMBASSADORS NAWEGAON–NAGZHIRATIGERRESERVE

SATPUDA LANDSCAPE TIGER PARTNERSHIP 2017-2018

Supported By

SAVE WILD TIGERS

BORN FREE FOUNDATION

TIGER RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION TRUST (TRACT) Tigers beyond Boundaries

Contact: +91 712 6617994; Email : info@tractindia.org; www.tractindia.org Address: Shivneri, Ramdaspeth, Nagpur- 440010 INDIA

Summary:

Aprogramtocreatelocal leadershipwithincommunitiessituatedinfringesofNawegaonNagzhiraTigerReserve,Gondia,tominimizetheattacksbyslothbears,tigersandleopardsonpeople.

Our study done in the adjoining landscape has indicated that most of the attacks andthreatstopeoplearewhentheyareintheforest.Thestressedemploymentsituationisthemaincauseforthepeople’shighdependenceontheforest,andunlessthisisaddressed,ithasbeendifficulttokeepthemfromtheirintrusionintheforesthabitat.

Henceitwasimperativetoaddresstheirvulnerabilitytothesethreatswhileintheforest.Their understanding about this and the code of conductwas addressed in this program.Thiswasdonebycreatingleadershipwithintheircommunitiestocreateawareness.

Thisprogramwascommencedin2014with25villages;theprogramhasbeenexpandedto10morevillages,covering35villagesand245 local leadersbyyear2017-2018.Creatingawarenessandsensitizingtheselocalsaboutthereasonsofconflict,theirroleinreducingtheirvulnerabilitybytheirappropriatecodeofconductforindividualsandthecommunitytoensurethesame.

TheTigerAmbassadorshavealsobeentrainedinhandlingemergencyconflictsituationstoensuresafetyofthecommunityandtheanimal.Theyhavealsobeensensitizedaboutthethreatsofamobtoallstakeholders.Someoftheseindividualshavealsoassistedthelocalforeststaffinpatrolsandcontrollingforestfires.

Methodology:Theprojecthasexpandedfrominvolvementinfifteenvillages(2014)totwenty-five(2015)tonow35in2016.Localleadershiphasbeencreatedineachofthese35villagesbyTRACTteam.7TigerAmbassadorschosenineachofthesevillages,withpresenceofwildlife,havebeen trained over day long workshops conducted repeatedly by the TRACT team tounderstandthethreatsofconflictandmanagementofthesame.The work also documented the various challenges faced in this task of managing co-habitationbetweenpeopleandlargecarnivores.SURVEYFORBENCHMARKONPRESENTCONFLICTAftertheidentificationandmeetingswithvillageauthoritiesofthe35villages,theTRACTTeam conducted the conflict survey. 30 families per village were surveyed with aQuestionnaire.Throughthesurvey,theTRACTteamfacedthewrathofthevillagerswhichwasdirectedtowardstheforeststaff.Thiswasmainlyduetothelackofdialoguebetweenthecommunityandtheforestmanagement.Noinformationwassharedbetweenthetwo,andthemarginalfarmerswereagitatedaboutthecropdamagebythewildherbivores.ThepurposeandthesignificanceofthisprogramwasmadecleartothevillageCommunities.SELECTIONOFPOTENTIALTIGERAMBASSADORSTheprotocolofTeamselectionwas followed.Surveysdone, informaldiscussionwith theseniormembers of the community and the forest staff. Village awarenessmeetings andthen finalization of the Tiger Ambassadors based on their interest in the Program, theiragreeingtotheconcept,keennesstoworkinateam,knowledgeaboutthearea,agreementtowardstheneedforwildlifeconservationandtheirabilitytocommunicatewiththeirownpeople.Responsibilities were discussed, and they were informed about their role in mitigatingconflict.

TIGERAMBASSADORWORKSHOPSThe first round of workshops for each Tiger Ambassador team was conducted in theirrespectivevillageoverhalfaday.Eachparticipantwasgivenwagesfortheday.Thelocalguardand forestofficerparticipated in thesemeetings to commenceadialoguebetweenthemandforaddressingissuesthatinvolvedbothstakeholders.

FINDINGSPRIORTOWORKSHOPS:1.Noinformationaboutpresenceoftigersorleopardsneartheirarea2.Nodialoguebetweenthecommunityandforeststaff3.Werecluelessaboutreasonforconflict4.Slothbearpresencenearvillageveryhigh5.Villagerscouldnotidentifysignsofwildanimalpresence6.Theyhadnoinformationaboutreasonsforconflict7.Wildlife&managementblamedforalllosses,withoutanyownershiptothesame6.Noideaaboutcodeofconduct7.Marginalfarmerswereharassedbyimmensecropdamagebywildherbivores.Theycomplainedabouttheneedforsolutionsandtimelycompensationforthesame.CODEOFCONDUCTDo’s-

• Collectminorforestproduceinagroup• Bealertaboutwildlifepresencenearvillages• Grazersshouldbeonalertaboutcarnivorepresenceinforest.• SharingofinformationaboutcattlekillimmediatelywiththeforestguardandTiger

Ambassadorteamofthevillage.• GiveinformationregardinglargecarnivoremovementtoforestguardandTiger

AmbassadorsDon’ts-

• Don’ttrespassorventurealoneintheforest• Avoidbeingintheforestbeforedawnorafterdark• Avoiddefecatingintheopennearbushes• Don’ttakelivestockforgrazinginsidedenseforestorinareawithcarnivores• Avoidgoingtothewaterbodiesintheforest

CommunityCodes-

• Reducegarbagenearvillageprecinctsthatlureleopards,slothbearsandwildboars• Properdisposalofcarcassoflivestock• Securelivestockandstrayanimals

CONSERVATIONOUTCOME:Awarenesstothecommunity-Awareness to thecommunity through theirownpeople(TigerAmbassadors)hasbeenthemosteffectivewaytotakethisforward.Reduction of conflict between people and large carnivores – Pre-emptive actions,sharingofinformationaboutwildlifepresencetothecommunityhasoftenavertedconflict.Protection: The TRACT team visited each village 7-10 times excluding the surveys,meetings. Thiswas done for gathering information about threats, intelligence gathering,addressingcattlekillandgatherinformationaboutwildlifepresence.Dialogue: Through the meetings and communication with the villagers, the interactionwithforestdepartmentplayedakeyrole

Leadership – The program has created 245 young leaders in the community whounderstandtheconflictandtheirroleinitsmitigation.Duringaconflictsituation,theyareonthesamepageastheforestguardinunderstandingtheneedofthehour.Ownership toMitigation – Participation of locals in conflict mitigation has resulted intheirownershiptotheproblemandthesolution.Wildlifemonitoring – Continuousmonitoring ofwildlife presence in these buffer areaswhich are shared by people, livestock andwildlife is obtained. This helps inmonitoringthreatstobothpeopleandwildanimals.Thelocalshepherdswhoareapartofthisteamoftenhavemaximumknowledgeofwildlifepresencewhichissharedwiththecommunity.Croppredation-Cropdamagebythewildherbivoresandtheissueswithregisteringcasesaboutthesameforclaimingcompensationhasbeenaddressed.TheTRACTteamhasadvocatedtheuseofnaturalfencesandofferedtogetseedsforthesameforthoseinterested.TrainedIndividuals -Thiswouldhelpto institutionalize thesystemandensuretheexitstrategyofthehandholding.Participationofcommunityinconservation-TheTigerAmbassadorshaveparticipatedinvariousotheractivitieswiththeTRACTteam,removalofplasticandcleaningofwatersources in the forest area. Most of the teams have assisted in dousing forest fires,participated in monitoring cattle kills and shared information about threat and wildlifepresence.

Usgaonvillage -2womenwereattackedbyadult leopardintheirhousecompound.Thewomenenteredthebarninthedarktocheckwhentheyheardsomenoises.Aleopardhadenteredthebarntopreyonthegoats.Boththewomenwere injuredbythe leopardwhoescapedsoonafter.TwooftheTigerAmbassadorsofthisvillagereachedthespot,alertedtheforestpersonnelandimmediatelycalledfortheambulanceforthewomen.Boththewomenweretreatedatthegovernmentfacilityandoutofdanger.Asalpanivillage-TheTigerAmbassadorshasraisedtheissueofthedeficitworkdonebythe forest officials to build check dams for thewildlife, leading to increased presence ofwildanimalsnearthevillagewatersources,causingthreatstocropandpeople.CollectionofPlasticfromvillagehasbeendoneregularlybythisteam.Sarpewada village – Frequent patrols by this team to address tiger and sloth bearpresencenearthevillagesandfields

Thatejharivillage-Patrollingaroundtheirrespectiveareasandallinformationaboutthewildlifepresencearoundtheirvillageprecinctsisshared

Jambdhivillage –TheTeamassisted in cagingof a leopard thathadentered thevillageand was hiding in a barn. The leopard was later safely released in the forest by themanagers.

Kanharpaylivillage –This teamhasbeenclearinggarbageandplastic from theirvillagetempleanditsperiphery.

ConflictdataforReportingperiod(2017-2018)1. Cattlekillsin35villages 02. Lossoflivestock-Goat 33. Human–largeCarnivoreconflict-fatal 04. Human–LargeCarnivoreconflict–Injuries/Leopard 25. Cagingoflargecarnivores 06. Injuriestolargecarnivoreforconflict 07. Roadkill(onhighway)-Leopard 2WorkdonebytheTRACTteam:Theteamhasbeenworkingforaddressingotherconservationissuesinthislandscapeaswell.

• Facilitatepatrols• Deploycameratrapstomonitorwildlifepresence• Checkareaforthreatstowildlife• Monitorwatersourcesforpoisoning,wateravailabilityforwildanimals• Shareintelligencewithforestmanagement• Monitorpresenceofwolvesnearthevillages,conflictwithwolvesandlivestock• Conductsurveysinthesevillagesforbenchmarkdataandfollowups• Conductawarenessworkshopsinthevillagesforconservation,hygiene,conflict• Conductworkshopsforschoolchildreninthesevillages• WorkonSarasCraneconservationinthislandscape• MonitorandconserveBlackbuckpopulationinthefringesandfarm

Antipoachingwork

DousingForestfire

Reporttrespassingvehicles

Cattlekillinfo

IllegalTimber/bamboo

extraction

ReportCarnivorepresencenearvillage

Monitoring

presencewith

Guards

Patrols-Days

Rescue-Snakes/Bir

ds

Series1 21 33 38 25 58 136 111 289 25

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WorkbyTigerAmbassadorsin2017-2018

TRACT/01/17-18/TA–Gatheringinformationaboutwildlifepresence

TRACT/02/17-18/TA–ConflictmitigationworkshopforTigerAmbassadors

TRACT/03/17-18/TA–NaturalFencetosecurecrops

TRACT/04/17-18/TA–MonitoringBlackbuckinfringesandfarms

TRACT/05/17-18/TA–MonitoringSarasCraneinFringesandfields

TRACT/06/17-18/TA–TreePlantation

TRACT/07/17-18/TA–Awarenessthroughmovies–School&Community

TRACT/08/17-18/TA–AreaofworkofTA–VillagesandzonesindicatedinthebufferareabetweentheNaweagonNationalParkandNagzhiraWildlifeSanctuaryTRACTteam:PoonamHDhanwateyKVSMurtyFieldTeam:ShashankLadekarandDushyantAkre