Once upon a time, in a small village nestled in the heart of the forest, there lived a young girl named Lily. She was a kind and curious child, always eager to explore the world around her.

One day, while wandering in the forest, Lily stumbled upon a clearing she had never seen before. In the centre of the clearing stood a large, ancient tree unlike any she had ever seen. Its trunk was as wide as a house and its branches reached up to the sky as if they were trying to touch the clouds.

Lily approached the tree and placed her hand on its trunk. As she did, she felt a strange sensation, as if the tree was alive and communicating with her. She closed her eyes and listened closely, and to her surprise, she heard a voice.

“Hello, Lily,” said the tree. “I am the Guardian of the Forest. I have been watching you and I have chosen you to be my protector.”

Lily was shocked and a little scared, but she also felt a sense of excitement and purpose. She knew that this was a great honour, and promised that she would do her best to protect the forest and all of its inhabitants.

From that day on, Lily spent all her time in the forest, learning from the Guardian and protecting the animals and plants.

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The main reason contributing to the worsening human-wildlife conflict is the booming human population in India. Consequently, developmental activities have increased and the habitat of animals is threatened or has been drastically reduced due to receding forests. Humans are increasingly infiltrating animal territories for illegal activities and for constructing living habitats for themselves. However, there has been an increase in the animal populations in some cases.

We humans need to be aware of the problem and the impact it will have on Mother Earth and on the future generations. Many measures are taken by the government to deal with the issue, like the Wild Life Protection Act (1972), setting up advisory boards, empowering gram panchayats, providing insurance or relief as compensation for loss and for augmenting fodder and water sources within the forest areas for animals. However, these efforts do not always produce the desired results.

There is a greater need for education and awareness among the masses so that they are sensitized about the human-animal conflict, and its impact on both humans and animals. Then, in collaboration with the local communities, the issues have to be studied individually and long-term sustainable solutions have to be worked out to reduce or prevent the conflict. Multiple approaches to the problem have to be deployed in each case, depending on the context.

The most widespread method for reducing the human-wildlife conflict is to keep wildlife out of the areas where there is a thick human population or agricultural density. The government needs to prevent the population from migrating closer to the wildlife areas or encroaching into animal habitats. Protecting forestlands and natural habitats is the key. So, we have to ensure that an adequate distance is maintained between the natural habitats of animals and of human beings.

Finally, there is a need for change in our attitude towards these animals. Due to the threats from wildlife and attacks on our cultivation, livestock or even humans, our perception of and attitude towards animals have become negative and inimical. A great degree of tolerance towards and our coexistence with wildlife from the part of individuals and communities are also crucial to protect, preserve and conserve wildlife in the world.

We dedicate this issue of TTT to this peaceful co-existence between humans and the wildlife.

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“Walking out on the plains — the smell, the animals, the wildness… it was just complete magic,’’ is the conviction of Jane Goodall, the world-famous ethologist and conservationist. Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, popularly known as Jane Goodall, is the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, and her research on the species over 55 years has brought about ground-breaking discoveries that have changed humanity’s understanding of its role in the natural world.

Jane was born in Bournemouth, England, on 3 April 1934 to Mortimer and Vanne. For her first birthday, her father gifted her a toy chimpanzee which she named Jubilee and carried it with her everywhere. Jane grew up with a natural love for the outdoors and animals. The Story of Doctor Dolittle, The Jungle Book and Tarzan, featuring people who were close to animals and could communicate with them, were her favourite books. As a child, she dreamt of living in Africa to study and write about animals.

Unable to afford college after graduation, Jane worked for years as a secretary, waitress and a filmmaker’s assistant, saving every penny she earned for the realization of her dream.

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Have you ever heard about a young woman who is as brave as a lion? This heroic and awe-inspiring woman is Rasila Wadher. After the untimely death of her father, her mother laboured hard to feed and educate Rasila and her younger brother in Bhanduri village of Junagadh district of Gujarat. After completing her graduation in Hindi, Rasila struggled to find a job to support her poor family.

Even though no females were selected for the post of forest guard at the time, Rasila took a risk in applying for the position. Since she was good at sports, she cleared the physical tests. In 2007, the 21-year-old was appointed as the first female forest guard at Gir National Park (Sasan Gir Forest), the last abode of the Asiatic lion.

Being a young woman, all she was given was desk work at the office. Rasila decided to prove that women were no less than men. “I decided that being a woman, I needed to work like a man. And if I work like a man, no one will doubt me.” Her biggest fear was not of fierce animals, but of being removed from the team because of being the only female.

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Wildlife conservationist and snake expert, Vava Suresh, is known as ‘The Snake Man of Kerala’. The 46-year-old has captured 176 king cobras, and rescued more than 50,000 straying snakes. He has been bitten 300 times by venomous snakes and more than 3000 times by all types of snakes. He has been on ventilator thrice and six times in ICU. He is widely known for his conservation activities like the rescue and release of endangered species of snakes, preservation of collected eggs until hatching periods, and creating awareness among people about snakes and their behaviour.

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