Indian researcher transforms human-wildlife conflict through community-powered conservation programs

In the shadow of India’s Bandipur National Park, farmers armed with cell phones document nightly encounters with elephant herds and leopard tracks behind their homes. These aren’t casual wildlife sightings—they’re evidence from one of the world’s most intense human-wildlife conflict zones, where survival depends on coexisting with endangered species that can destroy livelihoods overnight.

Wildlife researcher Krithi Karanth is pioneering a groundbreaking approach to this ancient problem. As CEO of the Centre for Wildlife Studies, she’s transforming how rural communities cope with wildlife encounters through two innovative programs that put farmers at the center of conservation solutions. Her Wild Seve program allows farmers to report wildlife conflicts through a simple toll-free number, connecting them with trained field assistants who document damage and help secure government compensation within hours. The program has already assisted over 14,600 families across 3,495 settlements, replacing a previously expensive and bureaucratic process.

Karanth’s second initiative, Wild Carbon, tackles the root cause by helping farmers transition from vulnerable crops like bananas to diverse tree plantations that generate income while creating wildlife corridors. More than 10,000 people have joined the program, planting fruit, timber, and medicinal trees monitored by drone technology. The trees not only provide alternative income sources but also reconnect fragmented habitats and sequester carbon.

By staffing both programs with local community members who understand the culture and speak the language, Karanth has built unprecedented trust between conservationists and farmers. Her work recently earned the prestigious John P. McNulty Prize, recognizing its potential as a scalable model for wildlife-rich regions worldwide where 1.5 billion people compete with endangered species for space and resources.