In Raipur, Villagers Became Wildlife Guides Improving Rare Species Sightings & Earning Steady Incomes

In Raipur, Villagers Became Wildlife Guides Improving Rare Species Sightings & Earning Steady Incomes

As the first rays of sunlight fall on the thick sal forests of Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, 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.  It’s calm, alive, and full of quiet excitement — the kind that makes you pause and look a little closer. For years, these forests have held stories of elusive wildlife …