Forest Futures: Community and Conservation in Amangarh

Project: Forest Futures – Community and Conservation in Amangarh Tiger Reserve, India

2025 Project Partner: Wildlife Guardians Trust

A small but strategic reserve in western Uttar Pradesh, Amangarh plays a vital role in supporting wildlife dispersal from Corbett. With limited tourism and resources, it urgently needs investment.

Donate or Set up a Fundraising Page to support this project here.

Where is Amangarh?

Amangarh Tiger Reserve is situated in Bijnor district, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, northern India. It forms part of the Terai Arc Landscape, a transboundary conservation area stretching across the Himalayan foothills of India and Nepal. Once part of Corbett National Park, the land remained with Uttar Pradesh after the formation of Uttarakhand in 2000.

The reserve covers approximately 95 km² and functions as a buffer zone to Corbett, at over 1,300 km², helping to relieve ecological pressure and support species movement. Amangarh lies around 250 km east of Delhi, and is accessible by road (approximately six hours’ drive).

Amangarh is open to visitors from 15 November to mid-June annually, closing during the monsoon season. Despite this relatively long safari window, the park receives minimal tourism – during the 2023–2024 season, just 867 safaris and 4,090 tourists were recorded. By contrast, Corbett regularly welcomes over 300,000 visitors annually.

Biodiversity in the Reserve

Despite its small size and low profile, Amangarh is a biodiversity hotspot. The park includes a mosaic of sal forests, open grasslands, riverine patches, and seasonal wetland zones, creating a varied and ecologically rich habitat that supports species from across trophic levels.

Large mammals found in the reserve include:

• An estimated 30 tigers (Panthera tigris), part of the wider Corbett tiger population
• Elephants (Elephas maximus), frequently seen in large herds
• Leopards (Panthera pardus), often displaced into fringe areas
• Sloth bears (Melursus ursinus), though in low numbers
• Jackals (Canis aureus), which are common
• Smaller carnivores such as civets (Viverricula and Viverra spp.), yellow-throated martens (Martes flavigula), mongooses (Herpestes spp.), and several lesser cats (Felis spp.)

Ungulates include Chital, Sambar, Barking deer, Nilgai and Wild boar. Primates are represented by Common langur and Rhesus macaque. Avifauna is particularly rich, with over 130 species of resident and migratory birds recorded in the reserve. Highlights include:

• Red-headed vulture (critically endangered)
• Sarus crane, Plum-headed parakeet, Indian pitta, Paradise flycatcher
• Hornbills: Grey hornbill, Malabar pied hornbill, and the spectacular Great hornbill
• Woodpeckers: Streak-throated, Black-rumped flameback, and Rufous woodpecker

These species collectively make Amangarh an important site for wildlife conservation within the Terai Arc and an area of significant ecological value.

Tiger Corridors and Carrying Capacity

Recent reports suggest that the growing tiger population in Corbett and Amangarh is pushing leopards out into neighbouring farmland, increasing conflict with local communities. Tigers, which are highly territorial, require extensive home ranges, and Amangarh’s 95 km² has likely already reached its carrying capacity.

Corbett, home to approximately 260 tigers, is also at full capacity. Without secure dispersal corridors, young tigers face increased risks as they attempt to move into marginal or human-dominated areas. This leads to:

• Increased conflict with people and livestock
• Higher mortality from accidents, retaliation, or poaching
• Loss of genetic diversity if populations become isolated

Amangarh has the potential to serve as a stepping-stone habitat, easing pressure on Corbett and contributing to a larger landscape-level conservation strategy. Supporting this reserve can:

• Improve regional connectivity
• Promote safe wildlife movement
• Offer a replicable model for community-engaged, low-impact ecotourism

Amangarh & Eco-Tourism

Unlike Corbett, Amangarh has no designated core zone, defined ecotourism area, or nearby eco-lodges and home stays. With nowhere for guests to stay, the park attracts very limited domestic tourism and virtually no international tourism. Visitors typically come for an afternoon game drive and leave the same day, meaning little to no tourism revenue benefits the reserve or its neighbouring communities.

During our visit in April 2025, we stayed at a basic colonial-era forest rest house inside the park, normally reserved for forest staff and officials. With just three rooms and a beautiful banyan tree in the grounds, it offered a glimpse of what might be possible if sustainable, low-impact ecotourism were developed.

Due to its limited income, the park has minimal infrastructure and very few resources. Game-viewing trails are limited, signage is lacking, guides would benefit from more training, and several waterholes were already dry by late April. Human-wildlife conflict is a growing concern, as tigers and elephants increasingly overlap with fringe villages,  leading to dangerous encounters.

Forest Watchers: Protecting the Front Line

Amangarh is protected by a small team of Forest Watchers. These individuals are locally recruited, often from Indigenous communities or rural farming families, and play a critical role in conservation.

Forest Watchers are the first line of defence against threats like poaching and illegal grazing. They patrol the forests, monitor wildlife, and help protect the ecosystem. Despite their vital role, most are hired as contractors with few benefits, and they often lack even basic gear such as uniforms or boots.

Providing these frontline defenders with appropriate equipment and recognition is a small but meaningful way to support conservation at the grassroots level.

People of the Region

The area surrounding Amangarh is primarily agricultural, with many families dependent on small-scale farming. These communities live close to the park boundary and are directly affected by wildlife movements.

Developing community-based ecotourism could help provide alternative livelihoods, while improving local attitudes towards conservation. A well-managed tourism model could offer economic opportunity, reduce reliance on forest resources, and build long-term support for wildlife protection.

Even in April, temperatures in Amangarh were in the mid-30s °C, with the hotter months of May and June still to come. The forest was dry and brittle -you could hear elephants and other wildlife rustling through the crisp leaf litter before you saw them. Several water bodies were already dry, and forest watchers reported that even the larger ones are often depleted by June. This puts immense pressure on wildlife, particularly elephants, which require large amounts of water each day.

Providing solar-powered water pumps will help to replenish critical waterholes, reducing stress on the ecosystem and encouraging wildlife to stay within protected boundaries – minimising the risk of conflict with local communities.

At the same time, it was often difficult to distinguish forest watchers from unaccompanied visitors. Some wore no uniforms, and we encountered people on mopeds or on foot without obvious credentials. Supporting the forest watchers with seasonal uniforms and boots will improve visibility, morale, and authority, strengthening the park’s protective capacity and contributing directly to wildlife safeguarding.

To monitor effectiveness and ensure a phased, scalable approach, support for Amangarh will be delivered in stages.

Phase 1 (2025) will focus on:

• Solar-powered water pumps to maintain key waterholes through the dry season
• Summer/winter uniforms and boots for Forest Watchers to enhance safety and visibility

Phase 2 (proposed for 2026) will explore:

• Training workshops for local guide teams, improving skills, interpretation, and visitor experience

These interventions are designed to be both practical and catalytic – protecting wildlife, empowering local teams, and building a more resilient, inclusive conservation model for Amangarh.

Looking Ahead

With rising tiger and elephant numbers, rich biodiversity, and authentic wilderness character, Amangarh has all the ingredients to become a success story in low-impact, community-supported conservation. By supporting this under-resourced reserve and the frontline staff who protect it, we hope to help secure its future and contribute to a stronger, more connected conservation landscape in northern India.

 

_{Images: Great Hornbill,  Tiger & Spotted Deer with thanks to DKPhotography.}