Towards Coexistence

Tiger landscapes are also social landscapes.

WWF is working alongside Indigenous Peoples and local communities in tiger habitats to ensure they benefit from tiger conservation and have a strong voice in decision-making. This collaboration is key to building sustainable, long-term conservation efforts.

As economic growth, climate change, agriculture and infrastructure development continue to expand, tigers and people are increasingly sharing the same spaces. WWF is committed to ensuring that tiger conservation initiatives are created with, rather than for, local communities. By minimizing the costs and risks associated with tiger conservation and addressing human-tiger conflicts in ways that are accepted by communities, we can foster better coexistence and protect the conservation progress.

Coexistence strategies in Bhutan

A community-based livestock compensation fund project in Drakteng gewog under the Trongsa District, a human-tiger conflict hotspot, was supported by WWF Bhutan through the Bhutan Tiger Center. Community members have also been supported with improving their livestock pastures and a Conflict to Coexistence strategy is in the process of being piloted in five districts, outside of protected areas. The project was initiated in 2023 and completed in 2024.

Sacred Tigers in Bhutan

From naming places after tigers to recounting historic occasions, this age-old practice of worship and respect for tigers in the remote Retey village in Sarpang and Drateng, Trongsa, plays a vital role in defining how the local communities live alongside this iconic big cat. Watch WWF Bhutan’s new Sacred Tigers video to learn about the traditions and cultures associated with tigers in the central and southern part of Bhutan.

C2C: Conflict to Coexistence releases new document

The C2C: Conflict to Coexistence approach provides a framework and methodology through which a tailor-made human-wildlife conflict management strategy can be developed based on the local cultural, environmental and social context. The C2C In a Nutshell document is now live and available to download and share. This explainer-style resource is a great introduction to the approach, the principles, methodology and funding requirements. A comprehensive guide will be available in early 2025.

Training of Trainers on C2C in southeast Asia

A practical four day Training of Trainers workshop was held in Thap Lan National Park, Thailand. The workshop brought together Thailand's Department of National Park, Non-Governmental Organisations, community representatives and WWF colleagues from the region that work on tiger and elephant conservation for a detailed hands on training to understand and roll out the C2C: Conflict to Coexistence Approach.

Promoting C2C in China’s Amur tiger range

In July, WWF China launched a C2C pilot project in Hunchun, Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, aiming to address increasing human-wildlife conflict issues, particularly for the damage caused by wild pig to crops. WWF, with the participation of Northeast Forestry University, jointly constructed a comprehensive response system which can be used as a model for wider global wildlife conservation.

The first phase of the C2C pilot project produced a number of reports: Report on the Current Situation of Wildlife and their Habitats, Community Background Research and a Report on the Economic Background Research of the C2C Project Pilot. These reports provide a critical reference and scientific basis for human-wildlife conflict management in China’s tiger range.

Early warning systems are being trialled near communities in China's tiger landscapes. ©东北虎豹国家公园管理局 NCTLNP

Nature Education

In China, WWF and its partners held a nature education programme for the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, at the Dongning Forestry Bureau. The programme improved 26 park staff’s environmental education skills, covered nature observation and safety management and improved the understanding and importance of nature for the protectors in the National Park.

In Indonesia, WWF and the Education Office of Kuantan Singingi District, Sumatra published learning modules for grades 7-9 that can be used by schoolteachers in the learning process at the district level.

Understanding Nepal’s changing landscape

Formative research was undertaken in three major hotspots in Nepal’s Terai Arc Landscape. This builds on the behaviour change programme led by young people to understand community perceptions of human-wildlife conflicts, the reasons behind them and how an evolving media landscape can influence behaviour. The research suggested that there has been a substantial shift in audience interests and needs, and recommended the most effective channels to engage with communities to bring about change or influence behaviours that may negatively impact conservation efforts.

A group of 114 Behaviour Change Communication Champions were mobilized to design and conduct localized campaigns aimed at specific audiences, emphasizing preventive measures for human-wildlife conflict. During 2024, they organized 216 local actions, engaging directly with 7,656 people, including herders, women, landless communities, and Community Forest Coordination Committees. Complementing these efforts, a robust message library has been established. This repository serves as a valuable resource accessible via a toll-free number, offering comprehensive information on wildlife behaviour patterns, essential safety measures, and guidelines for accessing wildlife damage relief. This infrastructure ensures that residents throughout Nepal have access to vital knowledge necessary for coexisting with wildlife.

Moving towards coexistence for the world largest national tiger population

WWF India continues to support human-tiger conflict management interventions and generate insights on the drivers of conflict and enabling factors for coexistence. In the past year, ex-gratia payouts were made for livestock depredation cases in four sites where WWF or partner organizations implement the program. WWF India also carried out large scale studies in the Terai Arc Landscape to assess human-wildlife co-existence and to better understand linkages between landscape change, agricultural production and human wildlife conflict, including in the context of climate change.

WWF India is building on efforts to enable eligible communities within Tiger Reserves and other areas to claim Community Forest Rights under India's Forest Rights Act, and in addition providing avenues for such communities to restore and sustainably manage their forests. For example, in Sathyamangalam WWF is supporting the large-scale removal of Lantana camara by communities who live in the forest, and identifying ways in which Lantana camara can be converted to products or fuel.

Leveraging technology to reduce and manage human–tiger conflict

The sugarcane plantations surrounding Dudhwa and Pilibhit Tiger Reserves in the Terai Arc Landscape function both as corridors for tigers and as extensions of their fragmented natural habitats. However, the presence of tigers and other wildlife within these agricultural areas has turned the region into a global hotspot for human-tiger conflict.

To address this, WWF India developed the Bagh Mitra app, which allows community volunteers involved in wildlife monitoring to record sightings of tigers and other animals near their villages. The app serves multiple purposes: it provides early warnings to local communities, helps track wildlife presence and conflict patterns, and informs long-term conflict management strategies. Additionally, it can trigger immediate responses from the forest department when wildlife poses a direct threat to people. The app is currently being tested by a network of over 300 Bagh Mitras.

Atul Singh and some of his team of Bagh Mitra respond to a call from a farmer that a pug mark has been spotted on his land. © Jitender Gupta / WWF-International

Atul Singh and some of his team of Bagh Mitra respond to a call from a farmer that a pug mark has been spotted on his land. © Jitender Gupta / WWF-International

WWF India is also working on an associated app aimed at helping state Forest Departments document human-wildlife conflict incidents and track the progress of cases related to ex-gratia payments. This tool is designed to streamline the process, ensuring quicker disbursal of funds to those affected by conflict.

FEATURE STORY

TigerS AND TOTEMS IN Nagaland, Myanmar

“There are just five months of the year when you can access these remote mountains.”

“The other seven?” Su Su, Programme Officer for WWF Myanmar’s Wildlife Conservation, raises her eyebrows. “It’s not recommended,” she chuckles.

Outside of these relatively dry months, Nagaland is inundated with monsoon rains. Landslides make many roads impassable. Split between two countries—British colonialists left the Naga tribes divided between Myanmar and India—those on Myanmar's side of the border remain largely isolated. The area is underdeveloped, electricity can be erratic within the village and unavailable outside of it. Mobile signals are scarce, internet is non-existent, and accessing basic services often involves a gruelling multi-day trek.

The inaccessibility, however, combined with the area being governed by its own administration, has allowed the region to maintain relative stability. The traditional customs and myriad languages of this tribal region have largely endured. When it comes to nature, Nagaland is a tale of two parts.

“Nagaland is one of Myanmar’s last strongholds for tigers,” explains Margaret, Senior Officer for WWF Myanmar’s Wildlife Conservation programme. “In fact, there are at least 23 other globally threatened species here like Asian elephants, leopards, and dholes.”

WWF Myanmar is working on a long-term project to conserve tigers and their prey, in partnership with local CSOs and communities here. Northern Nagaland, with its stability, rich biodiversity, and proximity to the Hukaung Tiger Reserve (Myanmar’s most well-known tiger hotspot), represents a unique opportunity to protect this iconic species. Last year, a local conservation CSO (N-Ca) confirmed, for the first time in five years, that tigers still roam the area.

“This was a really important milestone,” Su Su explains. “Since 2021, the area has been in a conservation vacuum, so we’re now trying to build a clear picture of what’s happening on the ground. What we do know is that unless we act soon, tigers could disappear from this region within five to ten years."

Wildlife baseline surveys are not easy to carry out in Nagaland, characterised by steep mountains, dense forests and turbulent rivers. “eDNA surveys in northern and southern Nagaland are helping us learn more about the areas with high potential for tiger conservation in the landscape. None of this research would be possible without the collaboration of the local Tangshan communities, a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group, who the team are getting to know better with each visit.

For millennia, the Tangshang have lived in balance with the natural world. But in recent years, external pressures have disrupted that equilibrium. Across Myanmar, the current crisis has led to a surge in poaching and illegal wildlife trade. Degradation of Nagaland’s habitats has increased, with large areas, particularly in southern Nagaland, converted for agriculture. Combined with a lack of law enforcement and the region’s strategic location for trade via India, unsustainable hunting and unregulated trade are putting Nagaland’s wildlife at risk. Tigers, in particular, risk being affected, as their prey species are heavily targeted.

During 2024, the team has worked closely with 12 local communities, and it is thanks to this collaboration that they were able to deploy the camera traps that confirmed tiger presence.

Across the tiger’s range, the species holds deep cultural significance, interwoven with the beliefs, myths, and legends of the communities who share the land. This is especially true for the Tangshang people. Although many are now Christian or Buddhist, animist traditions persist, and the tiger plays a central role.

“The spirits of our ancestors reside within the tigers,” explained Project Officer Nwan, who works for the local CSO N-Ca. “When they visit us in dreams, they come in the form of a tiger.” This reverence has been passed down through generations, symbolised by wooden tiger totems found in many Tangshan villages, representing strength and protection. If a Tangshan person becomes lost in the forest, they may ask for help and be guided home by a tiger.

A totem in a Naga village depicting a tiger, highlighting its significance in their culture. © WWF Myanmar

A totem in a Naga village depicting a tiger, highlighting its significance in their culture. © WWF Myanmar

However, like many remote communities, the Tangshang struggle to maintain their traditional beliefs amidst poverty and resource exploitation. Life is hard, and when a tiger preys on their livestock–a valuable and important investment–even this revered animal may be killed in retaliation. “We only kill tigers when they take our livestock,” Nwan explains, “but we whisper to the tiger, telling it we had no choice.”

Margaret and Su are excited about the opportunity to conserve tigers in this rare, stable stronghold. “We’re now focused on building the capacity of local CSOs and communities to carry out biodiversity surveys. We’re working closely with the CSOs, communities, and the cultural committee. We’ve already completed a gender assessment to analyse local resource use patterns and are developing a gender action plan to ensure social inclusion,” Margaret says. “Fortunately, the Naga Biodiversity Conservation Association and the Tangshang Naga tribes are eager to participate. The next step is to empower these communities to monitor and protect tigers effectively.”

Like the road to Nagaland, this project marks the start of a long journey. “We’ve built the relationships, the baseline surveys are nearly complete, and we’re ready to go,” says Margaret, but with a more serious tone, she adds, “but our biggest challenge is sustainable funding.”

“Yes,” Su Su adds. “This landscape has high potential, and together we can do so much.”

People Centred and Inclusive Conservation in Indonesia

A social carrying capacity survey, also known as a household tolerance survey, was completed in eight villages in western Sumatra. The survey revealed that the engagement of local communities in tiger conservation is still low. Most importantly, they perceive tigers as species of socio-cultural importance instead of pests or a threat.

The baseline for conservation inclusiveness through social landscape mapping and faith-based approach was also completed in two villages, involving 12 community groups and two local authorities, which resulted in preliminary information crucial for further co-designing human-wildlife management and coexistence strategies.

Participatory photography in Indonesia

In December, a participatory photography project was trialled in one village in western Sumatra. Participatory photography involves individuals documenting their daily life, with a camera or phone, for a period of time. This project was community-led and facilitated by a photographer who is Indigenous to northern Sumatra. Participants captured individual perspectives on what it’s like living in a tiger landscape and explored their cultural connection to tigers. The seven participants also worked with a local artist to create a piece of artwork that explores their cultural connection to tigers. The artwork was framed and returned to the community where it hangs in a communal space.