Research
Satpuda Landscape Tiger Programme
Supporting local conservationists in Central India
The Satpuda forests of Madhya Pradesh and Maharastra offer the best hope for India’s tigers. With a network of Tiger Reserves connected by forest corridors this is the largest block of tiger habitat in India, and its tigers are not alone. A handful of small organisations and committed conservationists work hand in hand with government officers and local communities to deliver long-term solutions for the protection of Satpuda’s biodiversity, both directly protecting wildlife and addressing some of the most urgent needs of the people that live close to tigers.
The approach Born Free Foundation and WildCRU are taking in Satpuda is highly innovative in that, rather than implementing a single new project from scratch, it operates by restructuring existing projects into a network of Partners operating across a landscape, funding their specific needs and developing better communication between them. Dedicated local conservationists are rewarded through Conservation Empowerment Bursaries, enabling them to focus all their energy on their conservation work. Early successes of the SLTP include the deployment of a mobile Health Unit and an Education Unit that service local communities across the Satpuda tiger landscape.
SLTP Satpuda Landscape Tiger Programme from Claudio Sillero on Vimeo.