Projects

The Human Elephant Coexistence Project in Sanjay Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh is one of the richest biodiversity in India. Landscape consist of Tiger Reserves, National Parks, Reserve Forests, Human Settlement and other liner infrastructure. It is mainly a Tiger dominated landscape. Till 2018 no human elephant conflict incidents were recorded in the state, as per All India Synchronous Elephant Population Estimation only seven elephants presence were recorded which were migrated from Chattishgarh, but now the no rising unto 60 as per MP Forest department. Due to lac of awareness and other mitigation interventions the conflict incidents are raising in a rapid rate including crop and property damage, human injuries and deaths along with elephant injuries. First human killed by a jumbo on 2019 at Sidhi of Sanjay Tiger Reserve and the no raises in a rapid rate (2 human died in STR, Sidhi and Shadow District in 2019, 4 human died in Anuppur,seoni in 2020, 6 human died in STR,Sidhi and Anuppur in 2021). Elephants are basically coming from Chattisgarh. Illegal felling of trees, shrinking of habitat due to mining, infrastructure development, power projects, urbanisation and other reasons were forcing elephants to move from Jharkhand and Odisha to Chattisgarh to Madhyapradesh. Wild elephants have killed 12 people in Madhya Paradesh in last five years, including eight in the three districts surrounding Sanjay Tiger Reserve.

So, to mitigate this issue, SNAP Foundation in collaboration with Nature Mates Nature Club, Supported by Madhya Pradesh Tiger Foundation Society along and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has been stated The Human Elephant Coexistence Project in Sidhi, Sanjay Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh. Project funded by : The Nature Conservancy.

Project Details:

Identification of elephant corridors and movement areas.
Conflict hotspot and land use land cover mapping.
Fodder analysis and habitat management.
Installation of Inno Wild Fencing with Spring Poles, hanging Fencing and Early Warning System.
Formation of Elephant Quick Response Team.
Capacity building of forest staffs and EQRT regarding conflict mitigation and management.

Funding support : The Nature Conservancy

ELESENSE (An Automated Sensor based Elephant Early Warning System)

Project Details:

SNAP has designed an automated sensor based elephant tracking device, which can detect the presence of elephants from 150-200 meter distance from the device and trigger an alarm in concern beat office or forest villagers using op-amp which are 3-5 km away from the device. It will also send location sms and call to concern forest and administrative authorities.
Device operated by solar panel and battery
This device sense the presence of elephant before it enter into forest villages for crop raiding and alert forest villagers and forest departmental staffs.
DETECT Elephants effectively in night
This device specially designed for Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation

Completed Project Locations:

40 devices in Gorumara National Park
12 devices in Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary
26 devices in Jaldapara National Park
20 devices in Dalgaon Range,Under Jalpaiguri Division.
80 devices from Dharanipur to Moraghat stretch to mitigate railway elephant conflict.
10 devices in Dharamjay Garh of Chattisgarh.

Ongoing Project Location:

Installation of 80 devices to mitigate railway elephant conflict in Northern West Bengal as Phase 2.

Funding support : International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Asian Elephant Support (USA), Voice for Asian Elephants Support (USA).

Green Corridors Champion

Elephants are long ranging animal and move from one area to another area as per the availability of water and food sources. Elephants are following particular corridors for the movement. As human civilization and urbanization are growing in a rapid rate so those movement corridors are distrubed of blocked due to some anthropogenic pressure. So to sure those corridors,. wildlife Trust of India has an unique project that is Right of Passage, Green Corridor Champion.

SNAP Foundation now partned with Wildlife Trust of India to secure four major corridors of Northern West Bengal, those are Rethi-Titi, Rethi-Titi via Dhumchi, Titi to Buxa via Torsha and Titi to Buxa via Beech & Bernabari.

Inno Wild Fencing

SNAP Foundation has designed an unique and Innovative solar energizer based fencing with spring poles to mitigate human wildlife conflict. This fencing is unique due to its inbuilt flexibility.

Completed installation :

4 km in Panjhora of Gorumara National Park
3 km in Jaldapara National Park
5 km in Baikunthpur Division

Ongoing installation

1 km in Gorumara National Park.

Project funded by : Voice for Asian Elephants Support (USA)

Inno Wild Fencing with Early Warning System :

Inno Wild Fencing with Early Warning System is an unique and Innovative solar energizer fencing with spring poles and early warning system to mitigate human wildlife conflict. This is unique due to its flexibility and early warning potential.

Completed installation

5 km Dhupjhora of Gorumara National Park

Ongoing installation

5 km in Sanjay Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.

Project funded by : WWF India and The Nature Conservancy.

Inno Ele Fencing

Inno Ele Fencing is an unique nylon trip wire sensor and spring pole based early warning system to mitigate human elephant conflict in hotpots of elephant death due to electrocution.

3 km in Borodighi Tea Estate, Jalpaiguri.

Vulture Conservation Project Phase 1 & 2

As vultures are essential for our environment and the population are declining due to various reasons in Northern West Bengal,so we have started a project to protect our precious vultures to protect our ecology and environment. The project components including identification of use of illegal drags and pesticides which are fatal for vultures, stakeholders identification and engagement, population density estimation and monitoring and creating awareness among residents regarding the importance of vultures in our ecology.
Project funded by : Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)

HUMAN-leopard Coexistence Project

Human leopard conflict are raising in a rapid rate in tea estates of Northern West Bengal, as tea estates are now the important habitat of leopard in this region due the easy availability of prey base. Every year several human and leopard loses their lives or got injured due to this conflict. So to mitigate this issue, SNAP Foundation has designed a unique project that is Human Leopard Coexistence Project in Terai Landscape. Project components including mass sensitisation and awareness, formation of community based leopard monitoring team and leopard movement monitoring.
Project funded by : Wildlife Trust of India.

Wildlife Population Estimation

SNAP Team participated various wildlife population estimation of Elephants, Rhinos, Gaurs etc. In various part of North Bengal.

Elephant Quick Response Team

SNAP has formed 28 Elephant Quick Response Team to mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict in various Parts of North Bengal
SNAP provide HEC training to QRT members those are chosen from the forest villages.
SNAP distributed headlamps, searchlights and HEC kit to all QRT members

Elephant and Rhino Monitoring Units

SNAP supports Elephant and Rhino Patrolling Squad of Gorumara Wildlife Division, Jalpaiguri Division, Jaldapara Wildlife Division, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary with training.
SNAP also distributed 4 Night Vision Devices, 200 Head lamps and 200 High End Fog Search Lights to them

Community Development

SNAP conduct various community development activities in North Bengal
SNAP women team supports SHG for alternative farming to mitigate human wildlife conflict.
SNAP supports to forest village kids by providing them educational kit and raincoats in North Bengal.

Nature & Wildlife Awareness

SNAP conducts various wildlife & nature awareness workshops and seminars for students and individual.
SNAP organized various medical check up camps for forest villagers community in North Bengal
SNAP organized various nature orientation camps for students.