To assist wildlife scientists, researchers, and non-governmental organisations in studying and documenting species inhabiting non-protected grassland and scrubland ecosystems, forty residents from Saswad and Morgaon in Purandar taluk of Pune district have begun systematically recording the presence of wildlife in their vicinity.
Referred to as Wildlife Watchers by the researchers, these local volunteers have reported over 350 verified sightings and incidents involving wildlife. Their efforts are helping bridge a critical gap between NGOs, distant researchers, and wildlife managers, bringing them closer to the habitats they seek to conserve. The participants, primarily farmers and herders, have traditionally co-existed with wildlife in these grasslands.
The grasslands around Pune are said to be the only known region in the country where three large carnivores—the Indian grey wolf, striped hyena, and leopard—roam freely across human-dominated landscapes. Experts believe that Pune serves as a crucial case study for demonstrating the potential for coexistence, especially in light of its growing urban footprint.
Mihir Godbole, founder and president of The Grassland Trust, a Pune-based charitable trust working towards biodiversity conservation, observes that India’s savanna grasslands and dry scrub habitats are among the most misunderstood and neglected ecosystems. Often misclassified as “wastelands” or “degraded forests,” he says these landscapes are, in fact, ancient, biodiverse, and ecologically significant.
A field guide developed by The Grassland Trust in Marathi language for the residents to learn about the wildlife species in their respective region.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
“Yet, long-standing perceptions and policy gaps have left them vulnerable to urbanisation, infrastructure projects, and shifting land use. Species like the Indian grey wolf, striped hyena, and Indian gazelle, specially adapted to these open habitats, are rarely included in mainstream monitoring efforts—rendering both the species and their ecosystems largely invisible in conservation planning,” says Mr. Godbole.
To address this gap, The Grassland Trust, with support from Bengaluru-based Ashreya Hastha Trust, launched the ‘Wildlife Watchers’ initiative. The programme seeks to empower residents familiar with these landscapes to participate in the documentation and monitoring of wildlife.
According to Prerana Sethiya, head of strategy and partnerships at The Grassland Trust, each volunteer under the programme is equipped with a basic field kit consisting of a sack, shirt, cap, water bottle, torch, shoes, and a simple field guide. The volunteers submit their observations through a custom-built Wildlife Watcher mobile application, offering a cost-effective, non-invasive alternative to techniques such as radio-collaring.
“Verified reports are rewarded with enhanced tools such as binoculars, smartphones, or camera traps, and consistent contributors may receive modest stipends as recognition for their role as frontline stewards. This is about trust, dignity, and shared purpose. We are not just collecting data; we are nurturing a community that takes pride in protecting what they have known all their lives,” says Ms. Sethiya.
Wildlife Watchers send live updates through a mobile application for timely intervention on the spot.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
One such volunteer, Prasad Memane (25), a tourism student and farmer from Paragon Memane village, has been a watcher for a year and a half. He recalled his first encounter with wildlife researchers eight years ago, when he saw them studying animals that were a regular sight in his village.
“I learnt from them that these wildlife species are important for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem and with time, their numbers have become smaller. Seeing my interest in learning, they asked me if I would be interested in monitoring them. Every morning at 5 and evening after 6, I take a round of the grassland on my motorbike, count them, check their health, make sure no one is attacking them, talk to villagers and make them understand about the existence of wildlife and update the sightings on the app,” he says.
Nikhil Khomane (31) from Gulunche village, who works in a private company, recalls seeing the team from The Grassland Trust in his village in 2016. He said he was excited to join them during their field visits.
“I started accompanying them, showed them where the dens are and which animal can be spotted when. They taught me how to identify the footsteps of different animals, how to identify animals from a distance and slowly, I started working with them. I joined them officially last month as a watcher,” he says.
Common species observed in and around their villages include the hyena, jackal, Bengal fox, grey wolf, porcupine, monitor lizard, jungle cat, civet cat, and over 40 species of birds. Leopard sightings are also reported on occasion.
As local residents began observing animals more closely, their interest began influencing other members of the community. Children and adults alike are now reportedly more engaged, frequently sharing live updates with the watchers.
Within a span of six months, the forty active watchers have submitted over 350 verified reports, including sightings and interactions involving more than sixty species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Over thirty of these reports have resulted in actionable outcomes.
Ms. Sethiya said that several of these observations led to direct conservation actions, such as alerting the forest department, tracking poaching attempts, and confirming breeding activity of elusive species.
Some of the watchers have also begun documenting animal behaviour and identifying individual animals based on their markings—an indication that they are developing into skilled naturalists. Trained in scientific methods of data collection, these community members are now seen as reliable contributors to the field of conservation.
A local resident uses binoculars received from the training program to document grassland species.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Ms. Sethiya adds that the model offers an alternative to top-down conservation strategies. By placing trust in the lived experiences of local communities, it aims to make conservation efforts more rooted, adaptive, and scalable across India’s neglected open habitats.
“Instead of assuming that outside experts know best, the program emphasises collaboration, mutual respect, co-creation, empowering local communities, learning from their experiences, and building conservation effort with them, not for them. After all, it is they who share space with wildlife, witness daily interactions, and are most affected by changes in the landscape. Many wildlife watchers are herders, farmers, or long-time residents, people who intuitively read tracks, understand animal calls, and notice the subtle rhythms of the land that outsiders might easily miss,” Mr. Godbole explains.
The organisation is now exploring the expansion of the initiative to other districts and under-monitored open natural ecosystems. However, maintaining the sustainability of the model remains a core concern going forward.
Published – June 12, 2025 08:57 pm IST
