Securing Tiger and Elephant Habitat in India

Thank you for your wonderful support of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s land purchase project in India! With your help, this project continues to significantly minimize human-wildlife conflict and create inviolate habitat for wildlife, including tigers and elephants, while improving the livelihoods of relocated families outside forest areas.

Most recently, WCS facilitated the relocation of 16 families in Mundsara and Uruni, two settlements located deep inside Kudremukh National Park. These settlements were chosen due to their remoteness and isolation, the difficult living conditions for the communities residing within them, and the ecological importance of the area. After negotiating a fair compensation package for these families, WCS helped them move outside the park and now regularly provides post-relocation assistance to ensure that they receive the benefits of living outside the protected area, which include access to health care, educational opportunities, and other essential services.

Thanks to your support, these families are now living in improved conditions free from conflict with wildlife, while key habitat for tigers, elephants, and other species are given the opportunity to recover. On behalf of WCS and our staff in India, thank you!

The photo above depicts Mundsara enclosure, which will begin to recover for wildlife now that it has been cleared of human settlements. Below, villagers in Uruni work to dismantle their houses after receiving fair compensation packages to move outside the park.