Case Study 2: An Inspiring Example of Wildlife Conservation

… Though the local community in The Sunderbans has been traditionally respectful of the tigers,  there  have  been  confrontations  between  humans  and  the  big  cats  in  recent  times due  to  various  factors.  But  with  the  initiatives  of  some  enterprising  locals  and organisations  like  the  Forest  Department,  The  Sunderbans  Tiger  Project,  the  Wildlife Protection  Society  of  India  (WPSI)  and  Help  Tourism,  tiger  conservation  efforts  were encouraged  among  the  local  community  members  and  The  Sunderbans  has  become  an extraordinary case of wildlife protection in India (Biswas, 2008 ; Hui, 2009).  
The Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society (BNWCS) based in the Bali Island of The Sunderbans is one of the initiatives which have promoted sustainable development with the help of local participation. The Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society is led by Anil Kumar Mistry (principal field officer), a poacher-turned-conservationist and an  enterprising  local  responsible  for  carrying  out  campaigns  like  the  Bagh  Bachao?  or „Save  the  Tiger?  in  motivating  locals  towards  tiger  conservation  (Hui,  2009).  [...]
Promoting The Sunderbans as an ecotourism destination, the Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation  Society  runs  a  10-cottage  ecotourism  complex  in  association  with  Help Tourism, a group that runs sustainable tourism projects in eastern India. This ecotourism complex is part of a tourism project called The Sunderbans Jungle Camp, a community-driven  initiative  and  it  is  credited  with  providing  jobs,  directly  and  indirectly,  for  a number  of  local  people  (Hui,  2009;  Biswas,  2008).  It  is  also  supported  by  WWF-India (West Bengal State Office), the Department of Forests (Government of West Bengal), and the Association for Conservation and Tourism (ACT) – a non-profit organisation (Biswas,  2008). The complex adjoins a small agricultural settlement, embedded between river and paddy  fields.  The  construction  follows  traditional  patterns  and  uses  local  materials. Several  guided  excursions  and  boat  trips  to  the  forests  and  the  nearby  villages  can  be arranged  by  locals  according  to  the  visitors’  preferences.  Today  the  complex  is  run  by local people almost independently (Gotliffe, 2007; Biswas, 2008 ; Hui, 2009 ; Roy, 2008).
Local social projects, such as an evening school, free medical camps, book and garment banks and scholarships, are supported with revenue from tourism. In the 2007 „Tourism for Tomorrow? Awards in London, organized by the WTTC (World Tourism and Travel Council), The Sunderbans Jungle Camp was one of the award winners in the category of „Investor in People? (Hui, 2009). 
The efforts of the Bali Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society, through projects like The  Sunderbans  Jungle  Camp,  have  led  to  the  fostering  of  peace,  harmony  and  co-existence  between  man  and  wildlife  in  the  Indian  Sunderbans.  The  Sunderbans  Jungle Camp  project  is  an  idyllic  example  of  community-based  tourism  that  protects  the endangered  Bengal  Tigers  while  giving  locals  a  sustainable  alternative  livelihood  (Hui, 2009). According to officials of The Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve , a study conducted by  The  Wildlife  Institute  of  India  for  IUCN  (International  Union  for  Conservation  of Nature and Natural Resources) judged The Sunderbans to be the „best managed park? in the country? (Biswas, 2008).

in: The Journal of Tourism and Peace Research, 1(1), 2010, pp. 27-41, Sudipta Kiran Sarkar and Babu P George, Peace Through Alternative Tourism: Case Studies From Bengal, India.
The full paper is avaiable for download: http://www.icptr.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Peace-through-Alternative-Tourism.pdf

                          

Leporiang – an obscure and picturesque village in the Papum Pare district, bounded by East Kameng District in the west and the state of Assam in the south, is roughly 180 kms from Itanagar .The village is dominated by the wonderful Nyishi tribe who prefers to live in isolation, and has proudly retained most of their original cultural and religious traditions and self-sustaining lifestyle. Lush green valleys, lofty mountains, virgin rain forest and numerous snow-fed streams and rivers have made this small village a Nature’s bounty.

Help Tourism and ACT, in association with the Itanagar-based Duyu Tours had organized a series of expeditions in Leporiang area for filming the Gregarious flowering of Bamboo on behalf of Discovery Channel/Animal Planet. The filming was a great success, and the film entitled “When the Bamboo Flowers”, was telecast by Discovery Channel, all over the world on the 12th November, 2006-thanks to Mr.Gaddi, the then C.O of Leoporiang Circle, Nabam Hanyia-the Secretary of the Gaon Bura Committee, all the Gaon Buras of Leoporiang Circle, Nabam Radhe- a community leader and his team, and the local villagers.

The expeditions had not only revealed many interesting aspects of the Nyshi tradition and the legends associated with the flowering of Bamboos, but also helped us in gaining understanding about their social custom and community life. The outstanding conservation initiatives of the local Gaon Buras(GB) to stop hunting deserves appreciation and support.

Few surveys were conducted while the filming-expedition was in progress, and it was found that the Leoporiang circle is extra-ordinarily rich in various species of Medicinal Plants and Bamboos, Butterfly, Insects, Bird life and Herpetic fauna. It was during the survey and filming that our team came to know about an unknown species of Pit Viper, locally known as BARTA. Few research-expeditions were, later organized by ACT with noted Herpetologists Mr.Kedar Bhide and Mr.Ashok Captain as leaders, and Mr. Sishir Adhikary and Mr. Duyu Tamo as Field Coordinators. The survey has further substantiated the assumption that BARTA could be a new species of Pit Viper- first ever recorded in the Indian Sub-continent. Confirmation from the expert scientists is expected soon.