By Dr. Corinne Taylor-Smith | Project Leader
Winter has brought some new challenges for our brave patrollers and the wild tigers which they protect with the widespread introduction of electric fences to deter crop-raiding by wild elephants. This has brought significant safety concerns for our team and the wildlife, something which we are trying to address alongside the need to renew and replace the essential equipment which the brave men and women, who risk their lives to keep wild tigers safe, need. Since our last report, your amazing support has and generosity has enabled us to provide a further 50 warm winter jackets for newly recruited patrollers and another 100 powerful waterproof flashlights meaning that we have managed to equip almost half of the patrollers with this essential too over the last 18 months. Your help ensures that we can continue our efforts to give wild tigers the wild futures they deserve!
In the last project update report, I shared news about a rescue vehicle which is desperately needed for transporting wild elephants, and the summer fundraiser which will help to make this possible. I am delighted to say that this rescue vehicle will soon be a reality, after months of fine tuning the customisation designs to ensure that rescued elephants can be transported safely with appropriate veterinary care (when needed), water for cooling and drinking in hot conditions and a comfortable place to rest when injured, the customisation work is underway. We hope that this will be completed in the next few weeks along with essential safety testing prior to the delivery of the vehicle for final painting. Soon Bandhavgarh will have its very own dedicated wild elephant rescue vehicle thanks to the amazing supporters who braved the British weather last summer to walk 25 marathons in 25 days and to all those who sponsored their efforts.
To guarantee that Tigers4Ever can continue to be sustainable and ensure that those living alongside wild tigers and wild elephants have a reason to keep them safe we continued to support the local economy with the purchase of and equipping the rescue vehicle; this is in addition to using local suppliers and labour for the clothing and other equipment which is needed by the brave patrollers who keep wild tigers safe. This continues to provide local employment and ensure a community vested interest in wild tiger conservation too.
Warm Winter Jackets and Powerful Waterproof Flashlights
In addition to the Elephant Rescue vehicle, mentioned above, the brave patrollers still need much more protective clothing and regular vital equipment too. Your amazing support helped us to provide warm winter jackets for another 50 brave patrollers who have recently been recruited, meaning that 1154 patrollers now have warm winter coats which enable them to complete their patrols on the coldest days and nights. Thank you.
We also provided 100 more powerful waterproof flashlights bring the total number provided to 551 and ensure that almost half of the patrollers now have this vital equipment. We still need to provide at least 200 more powerful waterproof flashlights to enable more brave anti-poaching patrollers to patrol at night and when torrential rains and dark skies make daytime patrols seem like night patrols, and to ensure that patrolling camps can be safe for those taking a meal break or ensuring that the look-out posts are staffed. To cover the cost of these we will need to raise £3300 ($4500). (https://goto.gg/56553). Donations (between 17 – 20 March 2026 via GlobalGiving will be eligible for a match bonus donation on the first £38 (US$50) of the donation and we will be focussing on raising funds for much needed patrolling equipment during this campaign.
As the hot dry weather takes over from the cold winter months, our attention will turn to the patrolling equipment needs during the monsoon season when malaria carrying mosquitoes and snakes add to the threats facing anti-poaching patrollers in their daily lives. Whilst staffing look-out posts and patrolling camps, these brave men and women can be relentlessly bitten by mosquitoes carrying the malaria parasite. In order to protect them from these bites and this debilitating disease we will need to provide another 200 treated mosquito nets (costing £625/US$865). In order to prevent the brave patrollers from getting soaked to the bone and bitten by snakes, we are also trying to raise sufficient funds to equip 200 patrollers with full sets of waterproof clothing and boots (costing £5340/US$7365). This will be quite a challenge, but we will do our best to keep these brave men and women safe with your help. (https://goto.gg/56553).
Over the last two years you have helped us to ensure that 1154 brave men and women anti-poaching patrollers have a warm winter jacket and have helped us to provide full uniforms and sturdy boots for 650 brave patrollers who didn’t have them at all. Thank you again on behalf of them all.
Your impact is undeniable. But the need is still urgent.
Electric Fences Kill
At the time of writing this report, the introduction of fencing which has been tethered to the mains electricity supply to prevent elephant crop raids, is a major concern for our conservation efforts. Not only does this lethal fencing present a risk to wildlife with 6 wild tigers electrocuted and killed since mid-December 2025, along with 2 leopards and countless deer, wild boar and monkeys also killed; three humans have been killed too. These fences present a significant danger to anti-poaching patrollers too as they search for the tethered snares or traps which are often hidden close to farm boundaries to trap unsuspecting wildlife which don’t distinguish between the forest and human settlements. Over the coming months we will be exploring the possibilities of safer bio-hedging supplemented by solar PIR lighting where these deadly fences have been erected and in the interim, we will be expanding our forest safety education briefs to include a section on the lethal outcomes of these fences not only for wildlife but for humans and their livestock too.
Your Support is Saving Wild Tigers — One Brave Patroller at a Time
Without your incredible generosity over the past 6 months, hundreds of courageous men and women, the frontline tiger protectors, would have faced immense challenges in carrying out their vital work. Thanks to you, they now have the essential winter gear they need to patrol the forests, protect endangered wildlife, and confront danger head-on. You are making a real difference.
Your donations are not just providing equipment, they empower these heroes to face extreme weather, treacherous terrain, and the constant threat of poachers. For years, we’ve battled to keep pace with the urgent need for kit renewal and upgrades. With your help, we’re getting there.
Investing in Local Communities, Strengthening Conservation
At Tigers4Ever, we know that conservation must benefit local people too. That’s why we source uniforms and equipment locally, supporting jobs, boosting the economy, and giving communities a stake in protecting wild tigers. Your donations create ripples of positive change far beyond the forest.
Urgent Needs: Flashlights and Waterproofs
Right now, over 550 patrollers still lack flashlights and more than 200 sets of waterproof clothing and boots have been torn beyond repair in the dense undergrowth.
Thanks to your recent donations, we’ve provided 100 powerful waterproof flashlights and 50 warm winter jackets, a huge win for patroller safety. But we still need to raise:
Every donation brings us closer to ensuring no patroller is left vulnerable.
The Reality: Patrolling is Dangerous Work
For over a decade, our brave patrollers have ventured into the forests of Bandhavgarh. Our patrollers face daily risks, and the greatest threat isn’t wildlife, it’s people. Armed poachers, illegal loggers, and forest intruders pose real dangers. Attacks are not uncommon. Only this week we received a report that a ranger had been badly beaten when challenging people who were conducting mining activities on the fringes of Bandhavgarh.
While wild animals are rarely a threat, human encounters are unpredictable and often violent. Armed intruders, illegal loggers, and poachers pose a constant risk. Our patrollers have been attacked, ambushed, and even targeted off duty. When outnumbered, they face beatings and threats, simply for doing their job: protecting wild tigers.
To safeguard our teams, we ensure patrol vehicles are always nearby for rapid response and medical emergencies. We also train every patroller in forest safety and conflict de-escalation. Foot patrols are conducted in teams to reduce vulnerability. Still, the danger is real and growing.
Your donations are helping us protect those who protect wild tigers.
Human-Wildlife Conflict is Increasing
In the past six years, human-wildlife conflict has surged, especially due to wild elephants. These giants roam vast distances daily, consuming up to two tonnes of vegetation. In their path, they often destroy entire crops overnight, leaving devastated farmers in their wake. Tragically, some have taken their own lives, overwhelmed by loss and despair.
At Tigers4Ever, we’re working tirelessly to find solutions that protect both people and wildlife. So far, we’ve installed solar-powered streetlights at 75 key forest entry points and patrolling camps, including 20 installed in December 2025. These lights deter nocturnal predators like tigers and leopards, protect livestock, and help villagers, especially children to sleep safely at night.
But elephants are a different challenge. Their sheer size and strength make it impossible to rely solely on lighting. That’s why we’re exploring additional methods to protect vulnerable communities. One of the most heartbreaking consequences of human-wildlife conflict is retaliatory poisoning. It’s a silent killer that doesn’t just target tigers; it devastates entire ecosystems. In the past decade, our patrols have worked relentlessly to stop this cruel practice, but recent incidents have shown how fragile those gains can be. Poisoned carcasses don’t just kill tigers; they wipe out jackals, hyenas, vultures, and countless other scavengers, birds and insects. We must act now to stop this deadly chain reaction. Our anti-poaching patrols will desperately need everything we can equip them with to fight this silent but most deadly killer!
Together, We Can Do More
The fight to protect wild tigers is ongoing. Equipment wears out. Poachers adapt. Our patrollers need modern, durable gear to stay ahead. With your continued support, we can meet these evolving challenges and ensure every patroller is safe, equipped, and ready.
Let’s make sure every brave patroller has a powerful flashlight. Let’s replace the torn waterproofs. Let’s light up the forest trails with flashlights that save lives. https://goto.gg/56553
Together, we’re not just protecting wild tigers, we are building a future where they can thrive.
The equipment needs of our patrols are constantly changing as poachers, and other miscreants deploy new techniques to avoid capture or discovery. Modern patrolling equipment needs to be lighter, more versatile and more durable than before. As a result, fundraising for new and replacement equipment is a long-term project. At night, in pitch dark conditions, wooden canes, head torches and powerful flashlights are invaluable kit to provide reflections in the eyes of wild animals and of the metal from hidden snares and traps, and to provide a means of disarming those traps without losing a limb.
What we are doing and what we need
During the monsoon season, we quadruple our patrols and expand our coverage to protect dispersing sub-adult tigers. Our patrolling range has increased twice in the last 9 months to give them greater protection. We have provided 26 permanent wildlife waterholes and are working hard to deliver 2 more. These waterholes now provide life-saving water to over 130 tigers and their cubs year-round.
Our latest project, a large waterhole in the Pachpedi-Birulhi buffer zone, was delayed by the tragic poisoning of elephants and the snaring of the iconic alpha male tiger, Chota Bheem. But we’re back on track and determined to complete it soon. After that, we aim to begin work on another waterhole in the Kithauli core zone. But we can’t do it alone.
Your Impact: Real Change on the Ground
Thanks to your incredible support, we’re now patrolling an extra 1,000 km (624 miles) of wild tiger territory every month. But without essential gear, this could drop dramatically. Your donations help us:
With over 225 wild tigers relying on us, your help is more vital than ever.
Here’s how you can help:
Without your support, more tigers will die, and more human lives will be at risk. Every tiger lost increases the chance of retaliation, pushing these majestic creatures closer to extinction.
Be the Difference
Your donation today could be the difference between life and death—for a tiger, a patroller, or a family living on the forest’s edge. Every tiger, every cub, every life matters. https://goto.gg/56553 and help us keep wild tigers safe.
Thank you for standing with us in this critical fight.
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