“The Orans (a sacred, community preserved land) of our communities are like a courtyard of a house, where we live and exist with nature. Wildlife is like our children, they are our responsibility,” says Sharvan Patel, a wildlife conservationist from Rajasthan.
Sharvan (30) lives in Dhawa, a village near Jodhpur — a region where wildlife and humans have coexisted for centuries; but that delicate balance is increasingly under threat. “When I was growing up, I used to take my books outside and study in our fields. It was so common for deer to interact with people that I’d have to shoo them away every now and then. But today, if my kids want to see a deer, they have to go to a sanctuary or a zoo. They don’t come to our fields anymore because we have isolated these lands,” he tells The Better India.
Species such as the blackbuck, the Indian bustard, and even wolves once roamed freely across the arid plains and open grasslands. Sadly, many of these animals have faced a drastic decline in numbers. The wolves, once abundant in the area, have vanished altogether, and the blackbuck is protected under the Wildlife Act, 1972, and listed as an extremely vulnerable species by PETA.
Identifying challenges, spreading awareness
A significant factor contributing to the region’s wildlife crisis is the pollution of the Jojri River, which flows from Jodhpur to the south-west and stretches across the landscape for nearly 83 kilometres. The river is contaminated with chemical waste and untreated sewage from both industrial and domestic sources. This has created a dangerous situation for wildlife, particularly for animals that rely on the river for drinking water.
“We knew that the blackbucks were drinking the contaminated water,” Sharvan says, “So we tried to stop them by setting up some watering holes, but they still went back to the contaminated water because they had gotten used to drinking from there.”
The situation became even more dire when feral dogs, now the only carnivores in the area, began attacking injured blackbucks. “The wildlife used to survive here because of the agricultural land, for both food and shelter,” Sharvan explains, “but now those lands have barbed wire fences to protect the crops. These fences end up hurting the animals. The blackbucks, in particular, are often found stuck in the wires, injured, and because they are trapped, they are attacked by the feral dogs.” This has led to a rise in injuries and deaths, further threatening the already vulnerable species.
In response to these challenges, Sharvan and his team have started working on informing and sensitising people. Every time they get a call about an injured animal, they make sure to inform the people living in and around that part of the village. They show images and videos of animals that are harmed because of these wires to the owners of the farms. By letting them know the harsh consequences of their poorly thought-out actions, Sharvan makes sure to make them take responsibility. And it is but human nature to be considerate moving forth.
Safeguarding the Orans
In order to replenish the lands, their team has also uprooted invasive species of Julie flora, and planted native grasses to create grazing areas for the wildlife. They have focused on species like ber (Indian Jujube), khejri, jaal (Pilu Tree), and kumatiya (Acacia Senegal), which are native to the region. “Chinkaras and blackbucks love ber a lot, so we plant those every year to replant the lands of Oran,” he shares.
Orans — sacred groves that have traditionally been protected by rural communities — play a central role in Sharvan’s conservation efforts. These groves are rich in biodiversity and often include water bodies that are crucial for the survival of local wildlife.
One of Sharvan’s significant breakthroughs came when he and his team began to address the issue of water ponds. “The ponds that were supposed to be for the animals to drink from were being dug too deep for them to reach,” he says. This made it difficult for smaller animals, like rabbits, to access the water.
Taking inspiration from the shallow saucer-like ponds he had seen at Tal Chhapar Sanctuary in Nagaur, Sharvan and his team, with funding from Intact (Chapter Jodhpur) built shallow water ponds in the Orans, making them accessible to a wider variety of wildlife. The results were immediate.
“After we made a video about how we had built these ponds, 30 people called us from other areas, including Nagaur, Bikaner, and Barmer, to ask if we could help them do the same,” Sharvan recalls.
To fund their work long-time, Sharvan and his team started a WhatsApp group called, ‘One Rupee Per Day for Wildlife Conservation’. The idea was that if people were financially invested in the cause, they would be more likely to stay engaged and involved.
“There are around 1,000 members in the group, and they pay Rs 365 every year for wildlife conservation,” Sharvan explains. “This has helped us raise funds for plantation efforts, filling up watering holes and the removal of invasive species.“
In addition to grassroots efforts, Sharvan has made smart use of social media to amplify his cause and engage with a larger audience. His Instagram page, ‘Thar Desert Photography’, has become a platform for raising awareness about the issues facing wildlife in the region. Through this, he has successfully used hashtags like #HiranBachao, #SaveRiverJojri, and #GodavarBachao to attract attention to his cause, even getting #SaveRiverJojri to trend number one on Twitter.
“The more eyes we have on the issue, the more likely it is that someone will do something about it,” he says.
During the recently passed Wildlife Week, they carried out a campaign where they made frames of various wild animals and plants and presented them to school classrooms, panchayat houses, and government offices.
“When you go to schools and ask the children ‘what is wildlife’, they’ll say it’s zebras, tigers, or lions, even if the kids have never seen them. But if you ask someone to identify a bustard, not many will get it right. The local wildlife, because it doesn’t have eyes on it, is silently depleting. It is important to make the children a part of the conversation because they will have to take this forward,” says Jagdish Pooniya, 32, an audit inspector from the Dhava Doli Wildlife area, and one of Sharvan Patel’s key collaborators.
Hands-on approach to wildlife conservation
A vital aspect of Sharvan’s work has been his relationship with the forest department and local government officials. As someone who has worked with the department for over five years, he has seen firsthand the challenges they face.
“There is only one small room with one staff member, and they don’t have the means to help injured animals,” Sharvan explains. As a result, he and his team often step in to provide immediate assistance.
“We get about 5-7 calls daily, about one injured animal or the other. We either take our bikes or rent a car, and we go and see what the problem is and take the animal to be treated,” he informs.
Sharvan manages his full time job in wildlife conservation and farming, with his efforts on the ground. “Luckily, I have a five-day work week, so during the weekends, I do a lot of this work. But since my job is to be on field and interact with the farmers, even that helps me get a better understanding of what we are trying to do in terms of conservation,” he says. “But when I’m not there, other people, especially my friends, Jagdish and Radheshyam, take care of everything.”
“Wildlife conservation is something that our entire community is committed to. But I especially feel for the Great Indian Bustard, which has been declared the most critically endangered species of birds,” says 28-year-old Radheshyam Bishnoi. “By December, all the water sources usually dry up, so we regularly refill 10,000-litre watering holes to help birds — vultures, eagles, and bustards,” he explains.
To deal with the issue of poaching, Radheshyam has formed a community of people in poaching-prone areas. “Whenever they suspect any illegal activity, they contact us, and we contact the authorities concerned,” he shares. He even organises birdwatching activities to further fund his conservation work.
“All three of us have full time jobs. What we wanted to do was set an example that if we can do it, then everyone can take some time out and do their part,” says Jagdish.
Sharvan’s community has become an integral part of his efforts, with people from surrounding areas like Barmer, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner joining the cause. “We all work together,” he shares.
Sharvan’s tireless efforts have not been without sacrifice. One particularly harrowing day, a farmer’s urgent call led him to a heart-wrenching sight. When Sharvan arrived, he found not only the two deer trapped and dead but also the heartbreaking sight of another deer helplessly waiting on the other side of the fence.
“The deer has always been a part of the ecosystem, coexisting with the farming community and the lands, and now it’s like it has been cast out,” Sharvan reflects.
The wildlife that once flourished around them is disappearing, and it’s the responsibility of the local community to step up and protect it. “It does not matter to me if a sanctuary has 5,000 deer. I want this place, where I live, to be a healthy ecosystem like it was before,” he says, his voice filled with emotion. “My biodiversity needs its own plantation and wildlife, and all of that deserves to be protected.”
Edited by Arunava Banerjee; All Images Courtesy Sharvan Patel
