In Raipur, villagers turn wildlife guides to boost rare species sightings and incomes

Raipur: In the forests of Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, local villagers are stepping up as wildlife guardians. A community eco-tourism initiative is training residents as “Goodwill Ambassadors,” helping increase sightings of rare species while creating sustainable livelihoods in the region.

As the first rays of sunlight fall on the thick sal forests, the jungle slowly comes alive. Birds call out from treetops, leaves crunch softly under unseen movement, and fresh pugmarks on the forest floor hint that wildlife has already passed by.

For years, these forests held stories of elusive wildlife. Now they are telling a new one: the people who live closest to nature are becoming its strongest protectors.

Under the initiative, forest officials and villagers work together. Residents receive training to guide visitors, identify wildlife signs, and share local ecological knowledge. The programme improves visitor experience, increases documentation of rare species, and provides residents with steady incomes linked to conservation.

The result is twofold. Tourism is helping the reserve monitor and showcase biodiversity, and families in nearby villages are earning through guiding and hospitality instead of forest-dependent extraction.