India, June 7 -- In an initiative which demonstrates that coexistence between wildlife and urban development is possible, more than 40 residents of villages around Pune - trained as 'wildlife watchers' to report sightings of elusive species such as the Indian grey wolf, striped hyena and leopard - have submitted over 350 verified reports covering more than 60 species of mammals, birds and reptiles within just six months. What's more, over 30 of these reports have prompted direct conservation interventions, including alerts about poaching and confirmations of breeding activity.

This initiative, launched by The Grasslands Trust in partnership with the Pune forest department and Ashraya Hastha Trust, empowers local communities to become fro...