Wildlife and Humans Side-by-side

One unique set of habitats here is the terai, made up of  diverse wetlands and grasslands, and home to lots of wildlife, including tigers, leopards, elephants, and many other critters. There are several large protected national parks here, but also plenty of human-dominated land uses (busy highways and rail corridors, farmland, dense cities, etc), so the interactions between people and wildlife are complex. Still, an amazing range of animals are doing well here!

We also had a chance to learn more about one of the tribal groups of India, the Van Gujjar. Traditionally, the Gujjar are nomads who herd water buffalo to high mountain pastures in the summer and back to the plains for the winter. Their knowledge of the forests they rely on is renowned, yet their migratory lifestyle has been hard to maintain in modern times. We met several inspirational teachers who are working to help the tribe to hold on to its language and culture within India. Two little girls excitedly led us to different places, including the school building.