After 15 years of reducing rainfall during the monsoon season, it was quite a surprise to see so much rain in 2026! Not only have the monsoon rains been heavier than we had come to expect but the pre-monsoon showers were heavier and more frequent than normal too. This has been both good and bad news for Tigers4Ever and Bandhavgarh. Good news because heavier rainfall means that the soils and fauna have been replenished and farmers crops have been bountiful, thus reducing the risk of food shortages. Bad news because it has hampered our plans to construct a wildlife waterhole in the expanded 250-acre tiger corridor site at Sarmania; and bad news for planting 5000 new saplings because the ground is waterlogged. Good news because lantana removal is easier when the ground is waterlogged as troublesome roots cannot stay anchored in the soil. Your generosity and support have enabled us to clear the troublesome lantana and monitor the rejuvenation of native grasses which have turned a barren site green. The bamboo plants are thriving too with new green growth in abundance. Although we are 3 months behind the schedule where we want to be, we are ready to progress when the heaviest rains subside, and the excess groundwater drains away. Securing local labour during the harvest period may be a challenge, but we are confident that we can recruit sufficient people to ensure that the saplings can be planted before the drought season begins.

A lot to do

You may have spotted above our reference to the expanded 250-acre site at Sarmania (our original plan was to restore forest over a 125-acre site but doubling the size will enhance the use as a forest corridor for wild tigers and other wildlife); the increased site is possible because we are constructing a large wildlife waterhole with solar powered borewell pump to provide year-round water for wild tigers and their prey. We are also constructing an on-site 2.5-acre sapling nursery where we plan to grow our own saplings for future planting thus reducing the long-term costs of our forest rehabilitation project.

The sapling nursery will be protected by chain-link fencing and a cattle proof trench adjacent to the nearest road access. The remainder of the forest rehabilitation site will be protected by cattle proof trenches and on-site patrolling to prevent illegal grazing of livestock and illegal logging. A patrolling camp is adjacent to the reforestation site, and we will ensure the patrollers based out of the camp have full uniforms and essential equipment to protect themselves, the new forest area and the returning wildlife too.

New People too

In July 2026, we recruited a new team member in India, Neeraj who will assist existing Tigers4Ever Indian Representative, Vidya, with the supervision of works at the reforestation site. Neeraj will also assist existing Tigers4Ever Indian Representative, Deepak, with the co-ordination of our other projects especially the supervision of waterhole construction and the distribution of patrolling equipment and education packs. Neeraj is a university graduate who is taking his first steps in a career in wildlife conservation.

We must thank you again for your generous support and donations, without which none of this would be possible.

Ongoing Challenges

With roughly three more weeks before the end of the 2026 monsoon rains, we have set aside the strongest of the 5000 saplings ready to plant over the coming month. We had hoped to do this sooner, but as highlighted above, heavier than expected monsoon rains have waterlogged the ground meaning that roots wouldn’t take hold properly if we planted before the excess water drains. We will need to use an Earth Auger (also known as a pit hole digger) to create holes deep enough to plant the saplings more quickly. This will greatly assist the on-site workers who will then be free to focus on planting, fertilising and watering the new saplings.

At the Salkhania reforestation site, the extended wildlife waterhole was relocated and completed prior to the onset of the heaviest monsoon rains but replanting the area charred by previous forest fires continues to prove challenging due to some land rites usage claims being made by local farmers. At present grasslands are seeded but cattle proof tranches cannot be completed until the land rites disputes are resolved. The short-term solution may be to extend the length of reforestation area along the boundary of the core forest but utilising a narrower area to avoid encroachment into the disputed territory. Discussions continue with the eco-Development committee and the Forest department to find a solution which is workable for all.

In the meantime, the open grass areas on the Salkhania site remain vulnerable to livestock grazing. Lantana is less of an issue on the Salkhania site, nonetheless, clearance is necessary whist the ground is soft because the dense fibrous root system of lantana spreads downwards by up to 1 metre (3 feet) and across by up to 3.5 metres (10 feet) in an entwined mat-like structure.

So far all of the 15 species of native tree saplings which we identified for planting on the reforestation sites have continued to grow in the nursery area in environmentally friendly poly-pots which will facilitate transplanting with their established roots intact.

We can’t give up, but we know that these setbacks will extend the length of our pilot project, probably by 6 – 12 months and thus additional funding for the extra time will be needed too!

The Good News

Thanks to some incredible fundraising efforts by one of the Tigers4Ever trustees, Georgia, who walked just over 20 miles (32km) of a marathon this August, we are able to fund the challenges we face to date. Our friends at Typical Tigers NFT have been a great help too, with generous donations of almost £8000 (US$10800) made to date so that we could start this project and address the new challenges as they arise. Your donations will ensure that we can continue to buy more seeds, saplings and grasses for planting too. We are still some way short of the £19100 (US$25785) we need to ensure that we can plant sufficient native trees and grasses on both reforestation sites, but we are making strides in the right direction.

Typical Tigers NFT launched a first of its kind Colouring Book for children aged 4 – 17 years and adults who like colouring in April 2026. Fifty percent of the profits from sales of this book, which is filled with fascinating fun facts about wild tigers and news of how Tigers4Ever and Typical Tigers NFT work together to ensure that wild tigers have the wild futures they deserve, will help Tigers4Ever with the creation of wildlife waterholes, forest restoration and equipping the patrollers who keep wild tigers safe from those who mean them harm. The book is available to purchase from Amazon globally and supporters in the UK can get their copies here.

We also have a pledge from one of the Fundraisers who walked 2 marathons for wild tigers in August 2025 to match his fundraising total with a donation from his company, so we hope that we will receive that donation soon.

Which Animals Benefit?

More than 38 mammals including wild tigers, elephants and pangolins; over 15 reptile species including king cobras, rock pythons, kraits and monitor lizards; over 240 native bird species including 5 endangered vulture species; countless insects and more than 34 species of native trees and shrubs, which comprise the whole ecosystem of Bandhavgarh will benefit. It is so important for us to get each stage of this project right to maintain the diversity of the ecosystem so all species can thrive in the reforested areas too. Our Reforestation project is a long-term solution to restoring lost wildlife habitat for not just wild tigers but for all the other precious species which form the diverse ecosystems which will keep the forest alive.

With one 250-acre site and one 125-acre site, our plan is now to plant up to 150,000 trees and native grasses to ensure that wildlife won’t just return, it will stay in the new forest areas and thrive, thus your donations can help to secure the futures for many wild tigers. At each stage of the project, key milestones will ensure that there are signs that native seed dispersers have returned and enabled plant species which are difficult to cultivate to thrive there too. Alien species, like lantana, and encroachment are ongoing challenges which we must continually address as both would threaten the long-term success of our project. Installing fencing around the reforestation sites won’t work, because these would hamper natural migration and can kill the wild animals we seek to protect. So, our solutions are both environmentally friendly and wildlife friendly to ensure sustainability and success.

The construction of Cattle Proof Trenches (CPTs) around each site and lantana clearance has provided local employment for over 60 people. We are unable to burn the uprooted lantana, so we hope that it can be used for biomass purposes and discussions continue with the local Eco-Development Committees and Forest Department as to how this might benefit the local communities. In the meantime, our priority is to curb the spread of this invasive species and ensure that all remaining lantana plants are uprooted before they can strangle or poison newly planted trees, shrubs and grasses.

You Helped us to Start but We Need More Help

It is a huge challenge for a small charity like Tigers4Ever to create wild tiger habitat and provide more wildlife waterholes when and where they are most needed, something which is impossible without your help. We want to thank everyone who supported our July Bonus Day fundraising campaign and Typical Tigers NFT who have ensured that we can keep working on our reforestation project whilst we fundraise for each of the next phases too.

Your support and donations ensure that we can plant up to 150,000 trees and provide sufficient wildlife waterholes so that the remaining 70 wild tigers which don’t currently have access to a Tigers4Ever permanent wildlife waterhole will do so soon. We NEED to raise £45050/US$60820 to cover the next 12 months of Forest Restoration costs without which we would need to delay the work which be unwise as dispersing wild tiger cubs need safe habitat NOW! With funding we can continue to mobilise local labour and restore habitat in denuded forest, but without funding it will be impossible leading to the deaths of more wild tigers and wild elephants too.

If just 300 people could read this report and each decide to donate £20 ($28) monthly for a year, it would ensure that we would have sufficient funds to regenerate 125 acres of wild tiger habitat which wild tigers desperately need. It would be amazing; nonetheless, all donations however large or small will truly make a difference today.

As we restore critical wildlife habitats, we provide space and territory for many native plant and animal species, which in turn will help to prevent species extinction and support genetic diversity. Healthy forests provide essential services like clean air, fresh water and soil stabilisation, which are crucial for the well-being of all living things.

We need to keep wild tigers safe every day. Our anti-poaching patrols are quadrupled right now to counter the risks of retaliatory poisoning and poaching during the monsoon. If, with your help we can regenerate 125 acres of wild Tiger habitat sooner it will help us to protect at least 16 more wild tigers and cubs too.

Your donations will help us to save wild tigers by funding the following:

• £11 ($15) per month for a year will help to plant 120 tree saplings to restore native forest
• a £26 ($35) gift will plant a mix of 20 tree saplings to help restore the diversity of the ecosystem.
• a £41 ($56) gift will help to clear 10sq.metres (108 square feet) of invasive lantana.
• £111 ($150) can provide enough grass seed to plant 2 acres of wildlife habitat.
• £600 ($810) can cover the cost of labour and preparation of 200 metres (657 feet) of 2 metre wide by 2-metre-deep cattle proof trench to protect the new habitat from livestock grazing.

Every donation, no matter how large or small, helps to increase and protect the wild tiger population. Thank you on behalf of the wild tigers, which you help us to keep safe; and on behalf of the wider tiger community in Bandhavgarh, which benefits from providing equipment and labour for our projects. We couldn’t do this without you, and thanks to you, the wild tigers can live peacefully and those who live beside them can protect their livelihoods.

All donations are welcome. If you can’t afford to donate perhaps you could become a Tigers4Ever fundraiser and ask your friends, colleagues and family to donate to your fundraiser to help us keep wild tigers safe.