Researcher Krithi Karanth leads efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts near India's Bandipur National Park through innovative programs. By empowering farmers with rapid response systems and habitat restoration, her work at the Centre for Wildlife Studies fosters coexistence. These initiatives have supported thousands of families while advancing conservation science.
In the lush hills of India's Western Ghats, near Bandipur National Park, farmers like Shankarappa face frequent encounters with elephants and leopards. Shankarappa, from Naganapura village, lives just over half a mile from the park, one of the last strongholds for Asian elephants. "They’ve created a lot of issues," he said, highlighting the damage to crops like banana plants and threats to livestock from tigers in nearby sugarcane fields.
Shrinking habitats due to agriculture and logging have intensified these interactions, often resulting in devastating losses for rural communities. Krithi Karanth, CEO of the Centre for Wildlife Studies—a nonprofit founded by her father, renowned tiger biologist Ullas Karanth—grew up exploring these forests. Her childhood experiences inform her approach to conservation, emphasizing community involvement.
In 2015, Karanth launched Wild Seve, a toll-free hotline allowing farmers to report incidents via voice messages. Trained local field assistants respond quickly, documenting damage and aiding compensation claims. This has streamlined a previously cumbersome process involving travel and paperwork. Shankarappa, for instance, has filed 59 claims and received nearly 96,000 rupees (about $1,082). The program has aided over 14,600 families across 3,495 settlements, building a database for research on conflict patterns.
Paul Robbins, director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, notes that community-led reporting provides a realistic count of incidents, benefiting both science and trust. Crop damage alone can erase half a year's income, underscoring the need for support.
Complementing this, the Wild Carbon initiative encourages farmers around Bandipur and Nagarahole National Parks to plant fruit, timber, and medicinal trees. Over 10,000 participants use drone-monitored saplings to diversify income, deter pests like wild pigs, and create green corridors for wildlife. Farmer Mohan in Kalanahundi village planted more than 300 saplings, improving soil and planning a raised platform (machan) to guard crops from tigers.
Staffed by locals who understand the culture, these programs have earned the John P. McNulty Prize, the first for a wildlife organization among 60 recipients. Karanth views the award as recognition of bridging science with tangible impacts. She believes these models can scale to regions like Africa and Asia, where 1.5 billion Indians compete with endangered species for resources, helping communities prevent and recover from losses amid climate-driven habitat pressures.