By Dr. Corinne Taylor-Smith | Project Leader
In the last six months a new challenge has arrived which threatens to rip the very heart out of all our efforts to give wild tigers the wild futures which they deserve-Electrified Fencing! This lethal aid to farming has already claimed the lives of 6 wild tigers, two leopards and many monkeys, deer and wild boar since mid-December 2025. In addition, three humans have also perished following accidental encounters with these deadly fences. Intended to deter elephants from crop raids these fences are more lethal than any snare or trap laid by poachers to kill tigers and their prey! We urgently need more educational resources and briefings before these fences undo everything we have achieved in the last 15 and a half years! Sadly though, raising funds for our vital education work has proved almost impossible with only 3 donations received in the last two years! Each donation received is a lifeline, not just for the wild tigers but for the brave men and women who risk their lives every day to keep wild tigers safe.
We’re deeply grateful to the kind donor who gave twice, and to the supporter who joined us in August 2025. Their generosity gave us hope. But the truth is: without consistent support, we’ve been unable to expand our education work as needed.
Brave anti-poaching patrols check around the periphery of villages and across fields where these deadly fences and trip wires lie waiting for the unsuspecting touch of a wild elephant. But these fences and trip wires are indiscriminate administering an instant lethal jolt to the Tiger, Leopard, Patroller or even child unfortunate enough to touch the wire or fence and be fried from the inside out. Now we must ensure that patrollers are trained and equipped to protect themselves against these lethal traps, and to deliver safety education briefings which advise against the use of electrified fencing as a deterrent. We sympathise with the farmers who lose their crops to wild elephants and their livestock to wild Tigers and Leopards, but we cannot condone the use of such deadly force. Eco-Friendly solutions are urgently needed, and our education programmes need to encompass what, how and why!
Fundraising remains a challenge. Yet YOU, our loyal supporters continue to stand with us, and we need you now more than ever. Because without education, wild tigers have no future.
More Villages – More Educational Resources Needed
In the last two years we have expanded our patrolling range twice to ensure that young and sub-adult tigers who disperse in search of new territory have added protection too. Expending this range has added another 50 villages to the patrolling catchment area bringing the total number of villages within or on the periphery of wild tiger forest to 155. Even without the need to expand our education programme to address the risks and consequences associated with these lethal fences, we still need to deliver our existing forest safety education programme and infographic banners to another 50 villages at a cost of £825 (US$1135). If you can help, please do as tomorrow may be too late! https://goto.gg/32565
We Won’t Give up
Despite limited funds, we’re still determined to act. We will:
We want to and need to do more. But without the resources, we must find creative ways to keep going. Our partnerships—with the Corbett Foundation. local NGO GTCS and the Eco-Development Committees (EDCs) of Sarmania and Salkhania villages will be vital as the wild tiger territory expands and more people encounter predators which they’ve never seen before.
Human-Wildlife Conflict is Rising
In the last year, we’ve reported tragic attacks by elephants, leopards and tigers, and the heartbreaking retaliations which have undermined the successes and progress in conservation we have achieved to date. These incidents are preventable. People can live safely alongside wild animals, but only if they know how. Education is key to this!
Forest Safety Education and school-based learning are the tools which build harmony. They protect both people and wildlife. They are at the heart of everything we do.
Education is Crucial
Education is the only path to a wild future for wild tigers. Without it:
In Bandhavgarh, education transforms lives. It reduces poverty, boosts employability, and fosters sustainable development. But many villages have no schools. Children walk up to 10km through tiger habitat just to reach the nearest school. Other schools are without desks, books, electricity, or sanitation. Some children cannot go to school at all because they don’t even have a pencil or paper to write on!
Education Empowers Communities
Education doesn’t just protect tigers, it encourages people. It helps families make informed health decisions, improves hygiene and nutrition, and builds resilience. It teaches children to value the forest and understand their role in protecting it.
Without investment in rural education, sustainable development is impossible. And without sustainable development, wild tigers will vanish form the very forests where we are fighting so hard to protect them.
Please help us secure a future where both people and tigers thrive. Donate today: https://goto.gg/32565
Our Projects are Connected
Our education work is part of a 3-tiered strategy which includes:
Together, our efforts create a future where wild tigers live in harmony with the communities which have protected these forests for generations.
In 1900, 100,000 wild tigers roamed earth alongside 1.65 billion people. In 2025, there were only 5,574 wild tigers left, and the human population had grown to 8.1 billion! Wildlife habitat is shrinking. Education is the bridge that helps us share it. ACT NOW because tomorrow may be too late!
The Next Generation of Tiger Protectors
Our current conservationists won’t be here forever. If wild tigers are to survive, we must prepare their future guardians now.
In 2024, we reached just 100 children: down from 820 the year before. In 2025, we were unable to reach any, despite our wanting to try. Our Forest Safety Education programme has helped 105 villages to stay safe, and our anti-poaching team continues to deliver safety talks whenever they encounter people in the forest too.
But the threats remain: tigers, elephants, snakes and leopards pose risks to unprepared communities. Our collaboration with the Corbett Foundation helps us share resources and extend our reach, especially around sloth bear safety education.
We must help the poorest rural children around Bandhavgarh to go to school. Without education, they’ll be forced to exploit the forest to survive. With it, they can protect it and the wild tigers and other animals within.
Your Gift Can Save Lives
Imagine knowing that your donation had helped to keep thousands of wild animals safe. That is the power of education.
Help us build a future of tiger protectors. not forest destroyers. Donate today: https://goto.gg/32565
Your support for our work is amazing. We can’t keep wild tigers safe without it. We hope that we can provide a brighter future for some of Bandhavgarh’s poorest children and future generations of wild tigers. Please support our education projects in Bandhavgarh by starting a new monthly recurring donation from just £10 (US$14) per month, if you can, as it will make a huge difference each year: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/education-saves-tigers/?show=recurring. It is never too late to make a difference
In Bandhavgarh, for the thousands of young children with no access to schooling, without computers or mobile phones, without electricity in their homes, a bleak future awaits. These are the children who Tigers4Ever has always tried to help with books and basic writing materials to give them hope. With your help we can give them a chance which otherwise they may not have. Remember: when we provide education packs and scholarships for children living with wild tigers, we reduce the risk of future tiger habitat destruction AND ensure that these children will have a chance to become tiger protectors in future.
Thank you for your generosity and support on behalf of the wild tigers, which we are keeping safe; on behalf of the children who we have helped to get an education (and their families who have food because of this help); and on behalf of the wider tiger community in Bandhavgarh, which benefits from providing books and writing materials for inclusion in the education packs which we distribute; and also the safety education training materials we are using.
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