As part of our partner Tiger Research and Conservation Trust’s (TRACT) Tiger Ambassadors Programme, local community volunteers are being trained as first responders to help mitigate human-wildlife conflict in villages around the Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR).
Over the past year, these Tiger Ambassador teams have led from the front, working alongside the Forest Department to manage numerous potential conflict situations when wild animals such as sloth bears, barking deer, and leopards were spotted near their villages. Through prompt coordination and effective crowd management, they helped ensure that the animals either returned safely to their natural habitats or were rescued and released by the Forest Department when necessary.
In March this year, Tiger Ambassadors from Kanhartola village also assisted the Forest Department in quickly controlling a forest fire, helping minimise damage to valuable forest habitats.
Encouraged by the programme’s positive impact, the local Forest Department has invited TRACT to expand the initiative to 10 additional villages in NNTR.