Central India Landscape: Sloth Bear & Striped Hyena Conservation
Location: Korba, Bilaspur, Ambikapur & Surajpur districts, Chhattisgarh
A landscape-scale conservation initiative combining wildlife research, community engagement, and policy-facing evidence to safeguard sloth bears, striped hyenas, and forest ecosystems across 5,000 sq km of Central India.
​Project at a glance
5,000 sq km
landscape assessed across four districts
6 sq km
intensive wildlife habitat study area
1 Reconnaissance Report
submitted to the DFO
10-year GIS analysis
of forest encroachment completed
​About the project
The Central India Landscape program was initiated to address rising ecological pressures on forest ecosystems that support sloth bears, striped hyenas, and other wildlife in northern Chhattisgarh. Spread across approximately 5,000 square kilometres, this landscape is characterized by fragmented forests, expanding agriculture, and increasing human activity close to wildlife habitats.
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The project began with a clear gap: while wildlife presence was known anecdotally, systematic, evidence-based documentation of species distribution, habitat threats, and land-use change was missing. Without such evidence, effective conservation planning and policy engagement remained limited.
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To address this, The Nature People Network undertook field surveys, community consultations, GIS-based land-use analysis, and wildlife sign surveys. Findings were consolidated into a landscape reconnaissance report, which was formally submitted to the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Katghora, to support informed decision-making and future conservation interventions.
​How the Project Started
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The project began with preliminary field visits in central India, where recurring reports of sloth bear movement near human settlements were observed. -
Informal interactions with local communities highlighted concerns related to human–wildlife conflict, crop damage, and habitat fragmentation. -
Initial assessments indicated gaps in consolidated ecological data on sloth bear presence, movement corridors, and pressure points within the landscape.
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In response, NPN initiated systematic documentation of field observations and secondary data to better understand habitat conditions and conflict patterns.
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These early findings led to the decision to compile a detailed landscape-level assessment to support informed conservation planning and dialogue with forest authorities.
The short film "The Last Frontiers of Coexistence", produced by NPN
​Our approach
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Conducted systematic wildlife sign surveys with a focus on sloth bears and striped hyenas
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Mapped active den sites and high-use wildlife zones
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Performed GIS-based analysis comparing forest land use from 2014–2024
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Carried out community and women-led consultations to understand socio-economic drivers of forest dependence
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Established a local volunteer network to support awareness, monitoring, and reporting
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Compiled findings into a technical report and KML datasets, shared with the Forest Department
Shreyansh Budhia, founder of the Nature People Network presenting the Reconnaisance Report to the DFO, Katghora, Chhatisgarh.
Click below to download the public version of the reconnaisance report by the Nature People Network.
​Outcomes and Impact
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Confirmed the presence and distribution of sloth bears and striped hyenas across sampled forest patches
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Identified 13 forest land parcels showing signs of illegal encroachment within the study area
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Documented key threats including logging, grazing pressure, invasive lantana, sand mining, and human activity near dens
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Strengthened institutional engagement by submitting evidence-based findings to the DFO
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Initiated groundwork for conflict mitigation planning and habitat restoration strategies
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Created a baseline for long-term ecological monitoring in the landscape
Sloth Bear and Hyena at our landscape
​Partners and Community
The project was grounded in close collaboration with local communities, women’s self-help groups, village councils, and forest-dependent households. Community consultations played a critical role in identifying livelihood pressures, forest-use patterns, and coexistence challenges with wildlife.
Parallel engagement with the Forest Department ensured that field evidence translated into actionable inputs for conservation planning, enforcement, and awareness initiatives
NPN holding a meeting with the women SHG of the village
​Challenges and Learnings
Working across a large, multi-district landscape presented challenges related to scale, enforcement gaps, and social vulnerabilities. Fieldwork revealed that ecological degradation is deeply linked to livelihood insecurity, lack of market access for forest produce, and infrastructural deficits.
A key learning was the importance of combining ecological data with social context. Wildlife conservation in this landscape cannot succeed without addressing human pressures, governance structures, and economic realities simultaneously.
​What's Next
Building on this foundation, the Central India Landscape program will focus on:
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Long-term ecological monitoring of sloth bears, striped hyenas, and other wildlife
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Supporting the Forest Department with conflict mitigation and awareness campaigns
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Piloting habitat restoration and invasive species removal initiatives
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Exploring sustainable livelihood models to reduce pressure on forest ecosystems
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Continuing policy engagement through evidence-based reporting and spatial analysis