Archive · 12 Jan 2026
Heroes Protect Sundarbans with Wildlife Rescue
In the Sundarbans, a special group called Prakriti Bondhus helps protect people and animals.
These brave volunteers, trained by WWF-India, rescue snakes and help during tiger emergencies.
They also teach others about the importance of snakes and how to stay safe.
The program has made the Sundarbans safer by reducing snake bites and tiger attacks.
The volunteers, many of whom are women, feel proud and important in their roles.
They also help with honey collection and farming to support their communities.
This program is making a big difference in the lives of people and animals in the Sundarbans.
Prakriti Bondhus are trained to rescue snakes and mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the Sundarbans.
The program has conducted 75 wildlife rescue operations and assisted in 10 tiger straying incidents.
Snake bites and tiger attacks are significant issues in the Sundarbans, with an estimated 30 snake bite deaths and 300 tiger attack deaths since 2000.
The program also focuses on sustainable livelihoods, including honey collection and farming.
42% of the 99 volunteers are women, who feel empowered and proud of their roles in the community.
- Who
- Prakriti Bondhus (Friends of Nature) under WWF-India’s Sundarbans Delta Programme
- What
- A program training local residents to mitigate human-wildlife conflict, rescue snakes, and protect the Sundarbans ecosystem
- When
- Program active since June 2022
- Where
- Sundarbans, West Bengal, India
- Why
- To reduce human-wildlife conflict, snake bites, and tiger attacks, and to promote sustainable livelihoods
- Program Name
- Prakriti Bondhu
- Number of Volunteers
- 99
- Percentage of Women Volunteers
- 42%
- Wildlife Rescue Operations Conducted
- 75
- Tiger Straying Incidents Assisted
- 10
- Estimated Annual Snake Bite Deaths
- 30
- Annual Tiger Attack Deaths (Estimated)
- 300 since 2000
- Honey Collector Deaths Annually
- 5