SLTP teams met at the Melghat Tiger Reserve, one of the first nine tiger reserves of India to be notified in the year 1973-74 under Project Tiger, an iconic wildlife conservation programme focused on saving India’s tigers.

Network Support Consultant, Yashvardhan Dalmia.

The reserve is home to vast tracts of inviolate natural forests and varied habitats full of unique ecosystems and rich bio-diversity. With plenty to learn about from its conservation story through the years, it was a befitting location.

The seminar was well attended by partner teams, officials from the forest and revenue departments, representatives from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, and prominent individuals from the conservation space. This unique platform allowed them to share learnings and discuss conservation issues and collaboration opportunities.

Through talks held by the Field Director of Melghat Tiger Reserve, Jayoti Banerjee, and M.K. Ranjitsinh, the torchbearer of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, participants had an opportunity to learn about the wildlife management practices of the reserve and the history of Project Tiger.

They also discussed future strategies that intend to strike a balance between conservation and the livelihoods of local communities.

Nishikant Kale, president of SLTP partner Nature Conservation Society of Amravati, highlighted the importance of the seminars and Born Free Foundation’s continued support to SLTP partners. He mentioned that, “Thanks to SLTP, for a period of nearly 20 years, the partner NGOs have been working together and this is a success in itself. The handholding provided by the Born Free Foundation during our early years was crucial and it helped us expand our conservation work in the central Indian landscape”