Green Inspiration is a series of articles developed by Local.mx to showcase the most relevant environmental projects. In collaboration with Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative, our goal is to raise awareness, inspire new generations and encourage all good ideas that improve life on Mother Earth. Rolex is supporting inspiring organizations and individuals on a mission to make the planet perpetual. #PerpetualPlanet. For more information visit rolex.org.
It is easy, from Mexico City, to idealize the Bengal tigers that inhabit India and all those majestic and voracious animals that roam its territory. But the relationship between humans and wildlife is precarious and, of course, conflictive. Tigers and leopards have less and less space to be free and come very close to the villages, often eating cows or other domestic (or sacred) animals and destroying crops. Sometimes they also put people's lives at risk.
That's why the project of scientist Krithi Karanth, laureate of the 2019 Rolex Awards for Initiative, is so cool: she came up with Wild Seve, an initiative that, by supporting people, creates a friendlier environment for animals in distress. And the best thing about it is its simplicity.
Krithi Karanth, in Channagundi, in the state of Karnataka, India, has been a lover of conservation since childhood. ©Rolex/ Marc Shoul
Wild Seve(seve, in Kannada, the official language of Karnataka, means "service" or "to serve") functions as a communication bridge between the government and the communities. Accidents are reported to a toll-free number, as simple - and effective - as that. Thus, each case can be attended to and government compensation reaches its destination more quickly, because, although these funds exist, few people can benefit from them, as they face challenges such as illiteracy, lack of knowledge of the programs, legal costs, among other difficulties. While people used to retaliate against animals that destroyed their property, this initiative has allowed them to have a more tolerant and peaceful attitude towards them.
Lakshamamma (kneeling) and Dasaiak show respect at the grave of their cow after being attacked by a tiger. ©Rolex/ Marc Shoul
So far, Wild Seve has helped some 7,000 families and filed 15,000 complaints in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka. This is home to some of the largest reserves - such as the Nagarhole and Bandipur national parks - which are home to the world's largest populations of leopards, half of all Asian elephants and 70% of all tigers. The goal is to implement the model around three more parks, benefiting an additional 1,000 communities and, with them, thousands of wild animals. In addition, the program is testing in many of the homes in particularly challenging areas, where barns protected from predators are installed.
Krithi Karanth (center) reviews animal sighting data with colleagues Anubha Vanamamalai (left) and Nauachandan Natarajamurthy. ©Rolex/ Marc Shoul
Prasanna Kumar (left), a farmer who grows bananas, describes to Krithi Karanth how his crop was destroyed by an elephant. ©Rolex/ Marc Shoul
This incredible project made Karanth a 2019 laureate of the Rolex Award for Initiative. But perhaps the most important thing is not to streamline paperwork or improve infrastructure, but to raise awareness, to create a world that is more enthusiastic and empathetic towards nature. That's what Wild Shaale exists for, reaching out to children living near different reserves and infecting them with Karanth's love for wild nature, as well as his incredibly optimistic attitude: "We need to facilitate the creation of common spaces, where people don't look at animals with hostility, where children are excited to see a tiger or an elephant and know that they are very lucky," he says.
Krithi Karanth (center) participates in a Wild Shaale school workshop with children imitating wild animals. ©Rolex/ Marc Shoul
In Mexico we can also make peace with wildlife
Krithi Karanth works under the precept that the planet does not belong to people alone. That is why it is worthwhile to keep an eye on local projects that, like Wild Seve, help the peaceful coexistence between humans and other species.
Photo courtesy of Abeja Negra.
Although in a tiny proportion, here we have a project called Abeja Negra SOS, which has been dedicated since 2017 to the rescue of bee hives - so important in the ecosystem - that are in inconvenient places in Mexico City and moves them to the Xochimilca countryside (where they certainly have a more floriferous life than on a post or in a sewer). In addition, they offer training, and those who have come to Abeja Negra SOS for a rescue can, in fact, visit their hive in the apiary. All this allows, in addition to raising awareness and harmonious coexistence, the possibility of becoming seriously involved in beekeeping, a work that begins with empathy towards the smallest of things.
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Green Inspiration is a series of articles that fills us with excitement. Throughout the year, we will showcase the most relevant environmental projects that have been carried out around the globe under Rolex's Perpetual Planet initiative, and we will also tell the local stories of those facing enormous environmental challenges.
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