Mobilizing students to advocate shared spaces for humans and leopards in a human-dominated agricultural rural landscape

Vaibhav Bhogale

Nashik district (Maharashtra) is a densely populated agricultural rural landscape inhabited by the leopard, where many instances of leopard attacks on livestock and people are recorded. Our goal is to use the district’s student network to raise awareness about leopard behaviour and relevant safety protocols. Vaibhav will be responsible for engaging with the educational institutions in the district (at least 30 schools and 5 colleges) to disseminate information that can help minimize negative human-leopard interactions. This internship will enable Vaibhav to enhance his communication and people skills to better understand the nuances of conflict mitigation in a human-dominated landscape.