Centre for Wildlife Studies

Centre for Wildlife Studies
Name	Centre for Wildlife Studies
Founded	1984
Type	Non-profit research organization
Headquarters	Bangalore, India
Region served	South Asia
Leader title	Director

Centre for Wildlife Studies The Centre for Wildlife Studies is an Indian non-profit research organization focused on biodiversity conservation, wildlife ecology, and natural resource management. Founded in the 1980s in Bangalore, the Centre conducts field research, policy-relevant studies, and community-based projects across Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, and other South Asian states. Its work engages with national institutions, international NGOs, and local communities to inform conservation practice and environmental policy.

History

The organisation was established in 1984 by conservationists influenced by precedents such as Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History Society, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and academics from University of Mysore, University of Delhi, Indian Institute of Science. Early projects included surveys in Bandipur National Park, Nagarhole National Park, Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary and studies that intersected with agencies like Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and tribunals such as the Supreme Court of India when legal frameworks for conservation were contested. Collaborations with international partners such as World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, IUCN, United Nations Environment Programme and funders like Ford Foundation shaped its methodological emphasis on rigorous field data. The Centre expanded in the 1990s to include landscape-scale research across the Western Ghats, Deccan Plateau, and Eastern Ghats while engaging with policy processes stemming from the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and conservation debates involving Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Mission and Objectives

The Centre’s stated mission aligns with objectives championed by organisations like RSPB, BirdLife International, Nature Conservancy, and regional bodies such as State Forest Departments of Karnataka: to produce actionable science for biodiversity conservation, to monitor threatened taxa such as tigers, Asian elephants, sloth bears, Indian pangolin and avifauna including Sarus crane, and to inform landscape planning for corridors linking protected areas such as Sundarbans and Anamalai Hills. Its objectives reference conservation policy instruments exemplified by Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, CITES and mechanisms promoted by Global Environment Facility.

Research and Programs

The Centre runs long-term research programs similar in scope to initiatives by Smithsonian Institution, Monash University, University of Cambridge, and Indian research hubs like Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment. Core programs include population ecology of carnivores (linked conceptually to studies at Serengeti National Park and methods used by Wildlife Conservation Society), habitat connectivity research echoing projects in Yellowstone National Park and Kaziranga National Park, and human-wildlife interaction studies paralleling work at WCS India and TRAFFIC. Methodologies draw on techniques refined at Royal Society-supported projects, demographic modeling used by Max Planck Society collaborators, and remote sensing approaches developed with partners at Indian Space Research Organisation and universities such as IIT Bombay and IISc Bangalore. Field sites include landscapes adjacent to Bandipur, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Sathyamangalam, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and Simlipal National Park.

Conservation Projects

Project portfolios address priority species and ecosystems identified by IUCN Red List assessments and national lists maintained by Zoological Survey of India. Notable projects target tiger recovery aligned with Project Tiger objectives, elephant corridor conservation in collaboration with Wildlife Trust of India, Sariska Tiger Reserve rehabilitation support, and anti-poaching efforts using technology influenced by initiatives at Save the Tiger Fund and Global Tiger Initiative. Landscape initiatives engage with stakeholders from Karnataka Forest Department, Maharashtra Forest Department, local panchayats, and community groups similar to those mobilised by Amrita Sevadham and SEVA. The Centre has piloted payment-for-ecosystem-services schemes informed by work of World Bank and Asian Development Bank projects.

Education and Outreach

Outreach programs parallel public engagement campaigns by Nature Conservancy India and educational collaborations with institutions such as Centre for Ecological Sciences and National Centre for Biological Sciences. Activities include capacity-building workshops for staff from State Forest Departments, training for rangers modelled on curricula from Wildlife Institute of India, citizen science initiatives akin to eBird and BioBlitz events, and school-level programs inspired by Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat cultural exchanges. The Centre organizes seminars attended by scholars from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University and international visitors from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and Harvard University.

Organization and Funding

The governance model reflects practices used by non-governmental organizations allied with donors such as MacArthur Foundation, Monarch Fund, DBT and philanthropic trusts like Tata Trusts and Azim Premji Foundation. The board has included academics and conservationists associated with Indian Institute of Science, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bombay Natural History Society and independent experts who have served on committees for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and international panels convened by IUCN. Funding streams combine competitive grants from agencies such as Department of Biotechnology and multilateral support from Global Environment Facility alongside project-specific funding from foundations and corporate social responsibility programs under companies listed on Bombay Stock Exchange.

Publications and Impact

Outputs include peer-reviewed articles in journals comparable to Conservation Biology, Biological Conservation, Journal of Applied Ecology and regional reports used by policymakers at Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and planning bodies like National Biodiversity Authority. The Centre's data have informed management plans for Tiger Reserves and environmental impact assessments linked to infrastructure projects overseen by National Highways Authority of India and influenced litigation and policy debates referenced in proceedings of the Supreme Court of India and parliamentary committees. Its alumni have joined institutions such as Wildlife Institute of India, National Centre for Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and international NGOs including WWF and Conservation International.

Category:Wildlife conservation in India