The vocabulary of wildlife exists within a small community of environmentalists. To understand reasons behind the ever rising human-wildlife interactions, it is important for non wildlife professionals to also partake in conversations that would lead to effective conservation of animals and their natural habitats. As we conclude the first quarter of the year, let us look at Wildlife SOS’s outreach events aimed at promoting empathy and knowledge among people.
Karnataka
The first month of the year saw some very intriguing awareness sessions. The success of a knowledge-oriented interaction held by Wildlife SOS in July 2025 at Shree Sharda Devi School resulted in our education officers in Bangalore being invited to organise weekly eco-club sessions for the students from 5th to 9th grade. Our team has been dedicatedly conducting them every Saturday, and a total of 10 sessions have successfully taken place since. A special session on revising what the young minds had been introduced to so far was held on January 10, 2026. Students were assigned fun activities on topics like finding all the state birds of India, differences between moths and butterflies and “what is the actual difference between poison and venom?”.
On January 14, a visit to Neev Academy was made for an introduction to Wildlife SOS and its journey from rescuing sloth bears to protect them from the cruel practice of ‘dancing’, to the rescue of elephants from gruesome practices of ‘begging’. Around 80 enthusiastic students of the 4th grade sat down for the session. An interactive addition was also made to spotlight the vulnerable species of snow leopards in honour of the upcoming World Snow Day.
A visit to Bannerughatta Bear Rescue Centre (BBRC) was organised for 25 students of the Loyola College on January 19. Our team guided them on a tour across the facility, narrating rescue stories of bears that resulted in their rehabilitation. Loyola College is an esteemed educational institution that encourages and supports students belonging to underprivileged families as well.
February began with an awareness session held with the students of One World International School in Bangalore. Around 30 students assembled to understand what human-wildlife conflict is, and the resolution steps that can be taken.
The faculty of the school and the students were deeply inspired and decided to visit BBRC within the same month. They arrived on February 19 and got the opportunity to witness the rescued sloth bears they were told about during the classroom session. With warmth in their hearts, the school came forward to generously donate the most favourite ingredients for all sloth bears — peanut butter and honey!
The final eco-club session for the academic year at Shree Sharda Devi School took place on February 28, which was also the last Saturday of the short month. Our team organised an interesting outdoor activity as a bookend to the knowledge sessions. Students of the 4th grade were first introduced to various bird calls before heading out to the school’s densely green area. The end of the session was marked with a quiz about the aves that had been spotted.
The month of March brings with it final exams for school students, so the education team focussed their initiatives towards colleges. Students from Vokkaligara Sangha, a dental college, were invited for a visit to BBRC on March 8. In appreciation of our efforts towards the welfare of rescued sloth bears, the college came forward to donate medical equipment for the bears.
Jammu & Kashmir
On January 5, a community event was organised by our team located in Jammu & Kashmir. The Kupwara district saw as many as 45 people from different walks of life coming together to address rising cases of human-leopard conflict. The attendees included representatives from four villages, the army, officers of forest department and the wildlife department, and local farmers.
During the session, discussions focused on everyday activities that unknowingly increase vulnerability. Many residents of the area often enter the forest to collect firewood or for their cattle to graze, and are often accompanied by children. A brief moment of separation from their guardians put them at a heavy risk as easy prey for the leopards. Participants were educated about simple yet effective solutions such as being in groups and making noise while travelling through leopard-prone areas. Such an event provided an atmosphere for easy dialogue between the stakeholders and the knowledge that could foster safety. Along with awareness, the joinees were also apprised of the governmental compensation schemes legally provided for the grievances they face.
A similar event was organised the following day in the Handwara district. The representatives of the villages present in that region, including the army, officers of forest department and the wildlife department, made for the 35 people who participated in the discussion. The session helped inform them of sensitive actions that were to be taken when they were suddenly confronted by wildlife.
February 16 and 17 saw the Dubjan Winter Carnival 2026 taking place in snow-laden Shopian of the Kashmir Valley. Wildlife SOS set up an interactive stall for the two-day event which was attended by the local district commissioner, along with forest officials, students, and members of the local community. The team engrossed the visitors in discussions on human-bear conflict while referring to the organisation’s ongoing studies on Himalayan brown bears in the region. Research findings of brown bear behaviour through camera traps laid as part of Wildlife SOS’s project on their seasonal movement gave them an understanding of the work we are involved with.
To further increase engagement, the team displayed radio collars at the stall to give everyone an insight on how bears are safely tracked in the wild. The district commissioner showed keen interest in Wildlife SOS’s work and voiced his support for future conservation programmes that the organisation may take upon.
On March 3, which is World Wildlife Day, an interactive session was held with the army. The team visited their camp in the Kupwara district, where a plantation drive took place. This was followed by a presentation that described the need for mitigation of human-bear conflict. They were also informed about the presence of wildlife corridors that directly overlap with army camps. In the end, a question and answer session was also conducted.
Ms. Aaliya Mir, Wildlife SOS’s Education Officer and Programme Head in Jammu & Kashmir, visited SRM Welkin Higher Secondary School on March 11 and addressed around 200 students. The children presented a skit on the consequences of hunting animals, a speech on environmental awareness, and a presentation on human-wildlife conflict. Understanding the severity of the human-leopard conflict and human-bear conflict, the students were also interested in how they could contribute in mitigating it. The impact of the discussion was immediately felt when the students asked Wildlife SOS members how they could encourage their families to join the cause as well.
Uttar Pradesh
The outreach team in the state of Uttar Pradesh actively conducted awareness sessions in the first three months of the year. On January 27, 65 Indian Forest Service (IFS) Probationary Officers visited Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF) to attend one on sloth bears. The trainees learned sloth bear behaviour and how their care was managed at the rescue centre. With new and needed knowledge, the officers gained perspective and clarity about one of the most understudied species of bears in the world.
A similar session was conducted with IPS Officers on February 12. A total of 75 trainees visited ABRF and were given a guided tour where rescue stories of the rehabilitated sloth bears were revealed. This was followed by an invigorating discussion about the threats they currently face.
Uttar Pradesh is also home to Wildlife SOS’s Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) and Elephant Hospital Campus (EHC) where elephants rescued from distress are given safe environs and needed medical care. From February 23 to 28, EHC hosted the 3rd International Elephant Healthcare And Welfare Workshop that brought together veterinarians from across India and internationally renowned elephant experts. As they gathered under one roof, a vast inventory of knowledge was exchanged. All driven by one purpose and passion: providing the rescued pachyderms with top notch care.
On March 28, 40 Forest Range Officer (FRO) trainees visited ABRF. These officers arrived from Madhya Pradesh where they are posted, and had accomplished training degrees at Odisha Forest Ranger College (OFRC) in Angul, Odisha. As a part of their field training, they received the opportunity to explore the rescue facility in Agra and learned more about sloth bear behaviour.
Madhya Pradesh
From March 19 to 21, an awareness session was organised in the Shardol district of Madhya Pradesh. The Wildlife SOS team travelled from Uttar Pradesh to the state for this seminar attended by around 80 forest department officers. A presentation was given by Wildlife SOS Veterinary Officer Dr. Rahul Prasad on the sloth bears and the dos and don’ts while encountering wildlife. Conflicts can arise when locals venture into forested areas for fuel wood collection, which can lead to unexpected encounters with wildlife. The team also presented the use of various rescue equipment and body protection gears used during rescue operations of large mammals like sloth bears, tigers, and leopards.
After the presentation, an interactive session was held for which the forest department staff shared their experiences while working on the field.
Maharashtra
Wildlife SOS participated in the Global Agro Exhibition in Narayangaon of Junnar Range from January 8 to 11. Our team established a stall that was centred around leopards to spread awareness. Over 200 people were present for this event. Our team informed visitors on how leopard mothers are increasingly using sugarcane fields in the state to hide their cubs while out on a hunt, and that Wildlife SOS has successfully reunited over a 100 such cubs with their mothers. By understanding the root cause of habitat fragmentation, several attendees were apprised of how with awareness and understanding, human-leopard conflict cases can be mitigated.
On January 14, a leopard awareness programme was hosted in the township of Nanded in Pune. Situated on Sinhagad road, the residential apartments known for being eco-friendly, saw a day full of knowledge about human-leopard negative interaction.
The first day of February started with another seminar on leopard awareness. Ms. Aishwarya Reddy, Wildlife SOS’s Manager of Corporate and Philanthropic Partnerships, gave an inspiring talk in the vibrant Furrfiesta event in Pune. Since the event was centred around pets, safety for children and pets from leopard predators were discussed. A gathering of more than a 100 people was seen at the event and our team was fortunate to also be able to set up a merchandise stall comprising handcrafted items from the Kalandar community. This helped raise donations for our rescued animals as well as the Kalandar women.
On February 23, a training was conducted for the students of the Forest Training Institute in Chikhaldara. The students visited Manikdoh Leopard Rescue Centre (MLRC) where they attended a presentation on leopard conflict mitigation by the Wildlife SOS Head of MLRC, Mr. Mahendra Dhore. It included topics like leopard behaviour, safety practices, and coexistence strategies.
An annual science exhibition called the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) took place in the district of Khodad near Narayangaon, Pune from February 28 to March 1. It is always conducted to celebrate the National Science Day, commemorating the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928. Wildlife SOS set up its very own booth to interact with students of various schools that participated in the event. Our team took this opportunity to engage with a younger audience about the importance of leopard conservation and the human-leopard interaction that takes place ever so often.
An annual science exhibition called the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) took place in the district of Khodad near Narayangaon, Pune from February 28 to March 1. It is always conducted to celebrate the National Science Day, commemorating the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir C.V. Raman in 1928. Wildlife SOS set up its very own booth to interact with students of various schools that participated in the event. Our team took this opportunity to engage with a younger audience about the importance of leopard conservation and the human-leopard interaction that takes place ever so often.
The month of March included a leopard conflict mitigation training session conducted for around 36 trainees of the Forest Academy in Shahapur. This region is facing major human-leopard conflict due to urban expansions and change in agricultural patterns. The necessity that has developed gave way to an opportunity for a better understanding of leopard physiology and mitigation solutions.
Delhi-NCR
The new year in the nation’s capital began with a merchandise stall set up at The DLF Avenue Mall in Saket from January 1 to 4. This was a wonderful opportunity to launch our fresh range of handcrafted products such as keychains, zip tags, patchwork toys, magnets and home decor items, sale proceeds for which go to the Kalandar community women who created them. Our set up received great exposure as the location is a very popular spot among the residents of Delhi.
Following this, a merchandise booth was also set up for 8 days from January 20 to 28 in Select City Walk, Saket. Our outreach team actively engaged with the curious visitors. They were also encouraged to visit and volunteer for rescued elephants and sloth bears at our rescue centres.
Understanding the frequency of visits at malls during the winter season, our team also set up a stall at the DLF Mall of India in Noida from January 30 to February 6. The handcrafted products were laid out along with shirts and stationary featuring wildlife art by our very own design team. The team took the opportunity to share various rescue stories and gain support for the organisation in the form of donations as well.
On February 7 and 8, Elly Studio, curated by Lata Bhasin, hosted the 4th edition of “Elly and Friends” in Delhi’s Defence Colony. This pop-up exhibition focused on pottery, featuring playful and whimsical items made using clay from both seasoned and emerging potters. Wildlife SOS presented the colourful creations made by women of the Kalandar community, giving their work a much needed exposure. The event also featured dance sessions, tarot card reading, and coffee with treats.
Encouraged by the success of the previous events held in Noida, the team ventured into the DLF Mall of India from February 14 to March 13. Displaying items at our merchandise stall, interacting with the crowd and spreading awareness about wildlife welfare and conservation were highlights of the event that lasted almost a month.
Concluding the quarter, the outreach group set up the kiosk again in Select City Walk Saket from March 25 to 29.
Gujarat
The state of Gujarat held two major awareness programmes in the month of February. The outreach team led by Mr. Raj Bhavsar, Project Coordinator at Wildlife SOS and President of GSPCA (Gujarat Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), journeyed to Waghodia Road to address the students of Parul University on February 20. Around 150 pupils sat for the presentation that focused on urban biodiversity. The highlight of the talk revolved around illegal pet ownership and the impact it has on native species.
The second awareness session took place on February 23, in the Baroda Homeopathic Medical College. Situated on Sevasi Road, around 75 students from the medical college attended a presentation that was once again led by Mr. Raj Bhavsar. Discussions took place on the importance of conserving wildlife and the dos and don’ts if or when one faces wildlife.
Wildlife SOS’s awareness programmes are highly cohesive, covering multiple aspects of wildlife and conservation. From human-wildlife conflict to species identifications and physiologies, the dedicated teams work across India, tirelessly striving towards a common goal of spreading information far and wide. To assure the knowledge reaches the general public, we continuously encourage individuals to take ownership of their actions in protecting wildlife.
Reach out to Wildlife SOS at [email protected] in case you’d like your academic institution or workplace to learn more about wildlife conservation and welfare.
Feature Image: Shresatha Pachori/Wildlife SOS
