By Dr. Corinne Taylor-Smith | Project Leader
Sometimes it seems like the months just fly by and then the next challenge is already here! It only seems like yesterday when we were planning for the monsoon peak poaching season and now the cooler days and nights which see us heading into winter are just a few weeks away! The 2026 monsoon rains have been some of the most persistent and heaviest that we can recall over the last 16 years, so we were delighted that were able to provide 200 sets of waterproof clothing and 200 treated mosquito nets prior to their onset. Without this vital equipment, peak poaching season patrolling would have been almost impossible. Thank you for your incredible support which made this possible prior to our last report, and for your continued support throughout the monsoon season which enabled us to provide more vital equipment when it was most needed.
Over the last few months, we have been doing our best to equip the brave men and women who risk their lives to keep wild tigers safe during this incredibly challenging time. Something that would be impossible without your help and generous support, so thank you for helping us to keep these precious wild tigers safe.
Full Uniforms, Sturdy Boots and Powerful Waterproof Flashlights
Your kind donations have enabled us to provide 100 full uniforms and 100 pairs of sturdy boots, which are essential for year-round patrolling; and another 100 powerful waterproof flashlights which are essential for patrollers on night patrols and daytime patrols in the forest gloom during heavy thunderstorms. These flashlights are vital at patrolling camps too, especially when wild elephants approach during the night and even in the daytime when the forest is gloomy during monsoon storms. Your help ensures that we can continue our efforts to give wild tigers the wild futures they deserve!
In the last two project update reports, I shared news about an elephant rescue vehicle which is desperately needed for relocating troublesome wild elephants and rescuing those which have been injured or are unwell. In the last couple of months, some additional strengthening work and the installation of a cooling system which will spray the transported elephants with cooling water when they are being transported in hot weather, have been added to the designs. Sadly, this meant a further delay in completion of the rescue vehicle for delivery. As this will be a first of its kind Elephant Rescue Vehicle for India, it is essential to test and retest every customised feature to ensure that it is not only fit for purpose in wildlife rescue but it will withstand the force of a waking elephant which may try to get out during transit. The customisation company has liaised with manufacturers of elephant transport vehicles in South Africa for strength testing and common features, but the tropical monsoon climate and extreme heat in the dry season in India also mean that features common to the rescue vehicles for other Indian wildlife need to be adapted to suit the needs of wild elephants too. Recent meetings with the customisation company suggest that the work is back on track so hopefully by the time that I write the next project update report the vehicle will be ready and donated to the Forest Department and I will be able to share some photos of it too. This vehicle is urgently needed especially as elephant attacks have continued to increase throughout this year.
To guarantee that Tigers4Ever can continue to be sustainable and to ensure that those living alongside wild tigers and wild elephants have a reason to keep them safe, we have continued to support the local economy with the purchase of the vehicle base, equipping the rescue vehicle; and for the supply of the clothing and other equipment which have been provided for the brave patrollers who keep wild tigers safe. This initiative continues to provide local employment and ensure a community vested interest in wild tiger conservation too.
The distribution of 100 powerful flashlights just before the heaviest monsoon rains brought the total number of waterproof flashlights provided to 751, meaning that almost three quarters of the patrollers now have this vital equipment. At least 300 more powerful waterproof flashlights are still needed to ensure each brave anti-poaching patroller can patrol at night and when torrential rains or dark skies make daytime patrols seem like night patrols, AND to ensure that every patrolling camp can be safe for those taking a meal break or ensuring that the look-out posts are staffed around the clock. To cover the cost of these we need to raise £4950 ($6700). (https://goto.gg/56553).
Over the last two and a half years you have also helped us to ensure that 1154 brave men and women anti-poaching patrollers have a warm winter jacket and have helped us to provide full uniforms and sturdy boots for 750 brave patrollers who didn’t have them at all. Thank you again on behalf of them all.
Your impact is undeniable. But the need for more is still urgent.
Your Support Saves Wild Tigers by helping One Brave Patroller at a Time
Without your incredible generosity throughout 2026, hundreds of courageous men and women, the frontline tiger protectors, would have faced immense challenges in carrying out their vital work to keep wild tigers and their cubs safe. Thanks to you, these patrollers have the essential gear they need to patrol the forests, protect endangered wildlife, and confront danger head-on. You are making a real difference with every donation you make.
Your donations don’t just provide essential patrolling equipment, they empower these heroes to face extreme weather conditions, to tackle treacherous terrain, and to face the constant threat of poachers head on. For years, we’ve battled to keep pace with the urgent need for clothing and equipment renewals and upgrades. With your help, we’re getting there. Thank you
By Investing in Local Communities, we are Strengthening Conservation
At Tigers4Ever, we know that the people living alongside wild tigers are a vital part of the conservation picture too, that is why we involve local people and local businesses in our work so that they will see the benefits of protecting wild tigers and their forest home too. All our patrolling uniforms and equipment are sourced and made locally, which supports local jobs, boosts the economy, and gives the local communities a stake in protecting wild tigers. Thus, your donations are creating ripples of positive change far beyond the forest and its wild tigers.
Urgent Needs: Flashlights
Right now, over 300 patrollers are still without powerful waterproof flashlights, and 650 patrollers need new full uniforms and sturdy boots. Your recent donations helped us to provide 100 powerful waterproof flashlights, 100 full uniforms and 100 pairs of sturdy boots in time for the monsoon season, thank you. This was a huge win for patroller safety. But we still need to raise:
Every donation you make brings us closer to ensuring no patroller nor tiger which they try to protect is left vulnerable.
The Reality: Patrolling is Dangerous Work
For over 11 years, our brave patrollers have ventured into the forests of Bandhavgarh risking their lives to keep wild tigers safe. Our patrollers face daily risks, and the greatest threat isn’t the wildlife, at all, it is the people they encounter each day. Armed poachers, illegal loggers, and forest intruders pose real dangers. Attacks on patrollers, whether they are on duty or not, are sadly not uncommon. Rangers are sometimes beaten so badly that they are unable to work again, some are beaten so badly that they die. Just for challenging people who were afraid when a tiger entered a family home or village or school. That is why we try to protect our brave heroes the best that we can!
Whilst wild animals are rarely a threat to our patrollers, human encounters are frequent, usually unpredictable and often violent. Armed intruders, illegal loggers, and poachers pose a constant risk. Our patrollers have been attacked, ambushed, and even targeted whilst off duty. When outnumbered, they face beatings and threats, simply for doing their job: protecting wild tigers.
To safeguard our teams, we ensure patrol vehicles are nearby for rapid response and medical emergencies. We also train every patroller in forest safety and conflict de-escalation. Foot patrols are conducted in teams to reduce vulnerability. Still, the danger is real and growing.
Your donations help us to keep those who protect wild tigers SAFE!
Human-Wildlife Conflict is Increasing
For more than six years, human-wildlife conflict has been increasing at a phenomenal rate, especially due to wild elephants. These forest giants roam vast distances daily, consuming up to two tonnes of vegetation as they move. For wild elephants, whatever is along their path is potentially food, which means when they encounter villages, they often consume entire crops overnight, leaving farmers devastated in their wake. Tragically, some farmers have taken their own lives, overwhelmed by loss and despair.
At Tigers4Ever, we work tirelessly to find solutions which protect both people and wildlife. So far, we’ve installed solar-powered streetlights at 95 key forest entry points and patrolling camps. These lights deter nocturnal predators like tigers and leopards, protect livestock, and help villagers, especially children to sleep safely at night.
But elephants are a different challenge. Their sheer size and strength make it impossible to rely solely on lighting. That’s why we’re exploring additional methods to protect vulnerable communities. One of the most heartbreaking consequences of human-wildlife conflict is retaliatory poisoning. It’s a silent killer which doesn’t just target tigers; it devastates entire ecosystems. In the past decade, our patrols have worked relentlessly to stop this cruel practice, but recent incidents have shown how fragile those gains can be. Poisoned carcasses don’t just kill tigers; they wipe out jackals, hyenas, vultures, and countless scavengers, birds, reptiles and insects. We must act now to stop this deadly chain reaction from claiming the lives of more wild animals. Our anti-poaching patrols will desperately need everything we can equip them with to continue to fight this silent but most deadly killer!
We Can Do More, Together
The fight to protect wild tigers is ongoing and endless. Equipment wears out or becomes outdated when something better can do more. Poachers adapt to changes too. Our patrollers need modern, durable gear to stay ahead of the poachers and poisoners. Your continued support helps us to address these evolving challenges and ensure every patroller is safe, equipped, and ready to protect wild tigers year-round.
Let’s make sure every brave patroller has a powerful waterproof flashlight. Let’s light up the forest trails with flashlights which can save lives. https://goto.gg/56553
Together, we’re not just protecting wild tigers, we are building a future where they can thrive.
The equipment needs of our patrols constantly change as poachers, and other miscreants deploy new techniques to avoid capture or discovery. Modern patrolling equipment needs to be lighter, more versatile and more durable than before. As a result, fundraising for new and replacement equipment is a long-term project too. At night, in pitch dark conditions, wooden canes, head torches and powerful flashlights are invaluable kit to provide reflections in the eyes of wild animals and of the metal of concealed snares and traps, and to provide a means of disarming those traps without a patroller losing a limb.
What we are doing and what we need
During the monsoon season, we quadrupled our patrols and expanded our coverage to protect dispersing sub-adult tigers. Our patrolling range has increased twice in the last year to give wild tigers and cubs greater protection. We have provided 36 permanent wildlife waterholes and are working hard to deliver at least 2 more. These waterholes now provide life-saving water to over 135 tigers and their cubs year-round.
Your Impact: Real Change on the Ground
Thanks to your incredible support, we’re now patrolling an extra 1,000 km (624 miles) of wild tiger territory every month. But without essential equipment and clothing, this could drop dramatically. Your donations help us:
With more than 225 wild tigers relying on us, your help is more vital than ever. Here is how you can help:
Without your support, more tigers will die, and more human lives will be at risk. Every tiger lost increases the chance of retaliation, pushing these majestic creatures closer to extinction.
Be the Difference
Your donation today could be the difference between life and death—for a tiger, a patroller, or a family living on the forest’s edge. Every tiger, every cub, every life matters. https://goto.gg/56553 and help us keep wild tigers safe.
Thank you for standing with us in this critical fight.
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