Here are some of the activities undertaken by HEAL in recent past
HEAL Initiates a Seed Goat Bank in Simni village, Jhalda-II block
This initiative aims to address human-carnivore conflict in the area by creating a self-sustainable compensation mechanism for livestock loss
06 December 2024
06 December 2024
HEAL Initiates a Project on the Indian Pangolin in Purulia District
The project aims to document the species’ distribution and threats in Purulia where it occurs outside the Protected Area network
19 November 2024
19 November 2024
HEAL Organises Snake Awareness Workshop at Flora Fountain, Tangra
The workshop was conducted to diffuse panic and dispel misconceptions following frequent snake sightings
27 October 2024
27 October 2024
HEAL Participated at SCCS-Bengaluru 2024
HEAL participated in the “Who’s Who in Conservation” session at the conference
21-24 October 2024
21-24 October 2024
HEAL Organises an Orientation Program at Xavier’s College, Kolkata
HEAL conducted an orientation program to introduce students to wildlife conservation issues in Bengal
21 September 2024
21 September 2024
HEAL Concluded its Third Workshop in the Catapults to Cameras Series
New participants—Gurucharan, Muchiram, Rahul, Rupchand, and Rohit—were introduced to photography by mentors from the first batch
29 July 2024
29 July 2024
HEAL’s Efforts Receive Recognition from the West Bengal Forest Department
The event was in celebration of Global Tiger Day
29 July 2024
29 July 2024
HEAL’s GreenHub Fellows Graduate
The documentary titled ‘Living God, Losing Abode’ was screened at the venue
20-21 July 2024
20-21 July 2024
HEAL Celebrates World Snake Day
HEAL celebrated World Snake Day across 5 districts of West Bengal to raise awareness
14-16 July 2024
14-16 July 2024
HEAL Enters into a Partnership with St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
Through this collaboration, HEAL will offer internships and workshops to the university students
06 July 2024
06 July 2024
HEAL Participates at the Inaugural Indian Wildlife Ecology Conference
HEAL members Tiasa Adhya and Aditya Banerjee were present at the conference
14-16 June 2024
14-16 June 2024
HEAL Expands its Conservation Work to Chilika in Odisha
This initiative is in partnership with The Fishing Cat Project and The Habitats Trust
10 June 2024
10 June 2024
HEAL Celebrates Zero Hunting in Faloharini Hunt Festival 2024
Years of efforts by HEAL results in complete cessation of this hunt fest
05 June 2024
05 June 2024
Anti-hunting Awareness Program Held in Ganpur, Birbhum
45 residents from Ghagha and nearby villages attended the awareness program
28 April 2024
28 April 2024
Team HEAL Rescues Turtles from a Dried-up Pond in Baneshwar, Cooch Behar
53 turtles were rescued and relocated to a nearby pond
03 April 2024
03 April 2024
HEAL Team Intercepts Hunters in Birbhum
Thwarting poaching activities for species protection
18 March 2024
18 March 2024
Hunting Season 2024: an Overview
Significant progress was observed in the reduction of hunting activity
March-June 2024
March-June 2024
HEAL’s Intervention Saves Thousands of Migratory Larks from Falling Prey to Bird Poachers
HEAL team dismantles 7 Km of mist-nets across Murshidabad and Birbhum saving thousands of larks from getting poached
18 February 2024
18 February 2024
HEAL’s Battle Against Commercial Bird Poaching Continues
HEAL members removed bird trapping nets spanning nearly 20 Km from Beel Belun wetland, Murshidabad
10 February 2024
10 February 2024
Humane Committees Conduct Awareness Programs as the Hunting Season Approaches
Three awareness programs were organized across Jhargram and West Medinipur to dissuade hunting activities
6 February – 19 March 2024
6 February – 19 March 2024
HEAL Receives the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Award 2023 at the Youth-Led Climate Action Conference
Team HEAL received the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Award 2023 and delivered a talk on HEAL’s ongoing work on thwarting illegal wildlife hunting and commercial bird poaching
03 February 2024
03 February 2024
Tiasa Adhya Delivers a Talk on Fishing Cat Conservation at the GTF-UNDP World Wetland Day Webinar
Tiasa Adhya, HEAL’s Director of Ecology and Conservation Program, delivers a talk on the Chilika Red Rice pilot project
02 February 2024
02 February 2024
HEAL celebrates 7 year anniversary
HEAL members reflected on past achievements, lessons learnt and future goals during the get-together
13 January 2024
13 January 2024
Screening of Conservation Docu-film ‘Catapults to Camera’
Wildlife filmmaker Ashwika Kapur and HEAL co-host a special screening of this one-of-a-kind conservation film
07 January 2024
07 January 2024
Snake Identification and Snakebite Mitigation Program at Lepchaka Village
Mitigating fear to help communities appreciate Buxa Tiger Reserve’s snake diversity
01 January 2024
01 January 2024
Giving Back to our Community Conservation Partners
Sharing the warmth of community, solidarity, and the genuine spirit of togetherness
25 December 2023
25 December 2023
Awareness Seminar on Snakebite Prevention at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute
Can knowing snakes better replace fear with acceptance among urban communities?
04 December 2023
04 December 2023
Panel Discussion on Birding and Anti-poaching Activities in Murshidabad
HEAL and Birdwatcher’s Society discuss critical aspects of avian conservation at this jointly organised event
03 December 2023
03 December 2023
Striving Towards Zero Death from Snake Bites in Sundarbans
HEAL kicks off a project to foster human-snake coexistence
18, 25 and 26 November 2023
18, 25 and 26 November 2023
Bengal’s Fishing Cats Steal the Show at a Minicert in Kolkata
HEAL & The Fishing Cat Project facilitated a storytelling educational session at the Echoes of Earth Minicert at Hard Rock Cafe
04 November 2023
04 November 2023
HEAL at SCCS-Bng 2023
Teammate Vasudha Mishra presented her research work conducted as part of HEAL’s Striped Hyena Project t the Student Conference for Conservation Science in Bengaluru
09 – 12 October 2023
09 – 12 October 2023
Soumyadip Mondal Receives Biodiversity Conservation Award 2023
Our teammate was recognised for his outstanding on-ground conservation efforts
13 October 2023
13 October 2023
Snake Bite Awareness Program in Malda
HEAL received an invitation from the Block Development Officer to conduct snakebite awareness camps in Gazole
09 and 13 September 2023
09 and 13 September 2023
Fostering the Spirit of Coexistence on Independence Day 2023
Connecting communities to snakes through football!
15 August 2023
15 August 2023
HEAL celebrates World Elephant Day 2023
HEAL promotes human-elephant coexistence in Jhargram while getting recognised for its work in Jalpaiguri
12 August 2023
12 August 2023
Snake Awareness Programs for School Students
Educating the younger generation about snakes and ways to coexist with them
01 – 03 August 2023
01 – 03 August 2023
Snake & Snakebite Management Workshop at Sanjeeva Gardens
Helping urban citizens of Kolkata coexist with snakes
30 July 2023
30 July 2023
Felicitation on Global Tiger Day 2023
West Bengal Forest Department, Sundarban Tiger Reserve expressed its appreciation for HEAL’s work in the Sundarbans
29 July 2023
29 July 2023
Plastic Cleanup Drive on World Mangrove Day 2023
The second in a series of cleanup drives to help Sundarbans tackle plastic pollution
26 July 2023
26 July 2023
Presentation at Green Hub Central India Festival
An opportunity to share HEAL’s work to mitigate ritual hunting in South Bengal
15-16 July 2023
15-16 July 2023
Strengthening human-snake coexistence on World Snake Day
Awareness programs organised in three districts to mitigate fear of snakes and promote tolerance
16 July 2023
16 July 2023
Collaborative Plastic Clean-up Drive in the Sundarbans
Helping communities in Sundarbans to adopt sustainable waste disposal practices
5 June 2023
5 June 2023
Arrest of Illegal Wildlife Trader in Baruipur
Intel gathered by HEAL members proved instrumental in the arrest of a major bird trafficker
2 June 2023
2 June 2023
Fishing Cat Rescued and Released in Murshidabad
How HEAL helped promote coexistence between Hamidpur’s residents and a fishing cat
31 May 2023
31 May 2023
Faloharini Hunt Monitoring 2023
Efforts to thwart Howrah and East Medinipur’s biggest hunting event
16-19 May 2023
16-19 May 2023
Gopegarh Hunt Monitoring 2023
Documenting hunting activity and state’s enforcement measures in 2023’s first major ritual hunt
4 April 2022
4 April 2022
Humane Committee Meetings to Tackle Ritualistic Hunting
Meetings between stakeholders for devising strategies to reduce hunting in ritualistic festivals
March-April 2023
March-April 2023
Arrest of Hunting Party in Murshidabad
HEAL members detained a group of hunters, facilitating their arrest later
12 March 2023
12 March 2023
Snakebite Treatment Training for Doctors in Jhargram
Conducted by HEAL in collaboration with Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd. to train doctors in treating snake bites
6 March 2023
6 March 2023
Fishing Cat Awareness Drives in East Kolkata Wetlands
Spreading awareness on the fishing cat to Kolkata’s peri-urban populace
28 February & 3 March
28 February & 3 March
Conflict Mitigation Training of Karnataka Forest Department Staff
Training front-line forest staff in handling human-wildlife conflict situations
20-21 February 2023
20-21 February 2023
Arrest of Jackal Hunters in Murshidabad
Group of 17 hunters apprehended by Forest Department using intel gathered HEAL’s team
26-27 February 2023
26-27 February 2023
Arrest of bogari (lark) traders in Murshidabad
Lark traders arrested by Police and Forest Department, acting on intel provided by HEAL members
26 February 2023
26 February 2023
Fishing Cats Across Kolkata City’s Digital Hoardings
Raising awareness and garnering support towards fishing cat conservation among Kolkata residents
February 2023
February 2023
Snake Charmer Arrest and Snake Awareness Programme in Malda
Snake awareness programme conducted by members who assisted in the arrest of a snake charmer
1 January & 12 January 2023
1 January & 12 January 2023
Snake awareness and snakebite mitigation workshops in higher educational institutes
HEAL members conducted snake awareness programmes in IIM Calcutta and Banipur Mahila Mahavidyalaya
26 December 2022 & 5 January 2023
26 December 2022 & 5 January 2023
Arrest of Mongoose poachers from Jhanjra village in old Malda
HEAL’s Malda zonal coordinator assisted the forest department to arresting mongoose poachers
26 December 2022
26 December 2022
Fishing cat awareness rally in Malda
Joint awareness rally conducted by HEAL and The Fishing Cat Project
13 December 2022
13 December 2022
Collaboration with World Animal Protection
Interview surveys in Jhargram and West Medinipur to study socio-economic drivers of ritualistic hunting
November – December 2022
November – December 2022
Counteracting bird poaching in Murshidabad
Our Zonal Coordinator Soumyadip Mondal along with a local team removed a 200-m long bird trap net.
15 November 2022
15 November 2022
Arrest of bird poacher in Bilkurul Beel, Murshidabad
A team of HEAL volunteers gathered intelligence on a bird poacher and assisted in his arrest
28 October 2022
28 October 2022
Arrest of Fishing Cat poachers from Malda
Intel gathered by HEAL members helps enforcement authorities nab wildlife criminals
23 and 28 October 2022
23 and 28 October 2022
Critically Endangered Turtles in Temple Pond Afflicted by Unknown Sickness
HEAL members assisted in the rescue of three sick black softshell turtles from a temple pond in Cooch Behar
25 & 26 October 2022
25 & 26 October 2022
Learning to train better
Suvrajyoti Chatterjee attended a workshop organised by the Wildlife Trust of India.
12-15 October 2022
12-15 October 2022
Snake awareness workshop at Sanjeeva Town housing, Rajarhat
Workshops aimed at replacing the fear of snakes with knowledge about them.
24 September 2022
24 September 2022
Training session for disaster management civic volunteers in Cooch Behar
Civic volunteers under ‘Aapda Mitra’ scheme trained on managing snakes and preventing snakebite
10 & 13 September 2022
10 & 13 September 2022
Talk on Hyena Study in West Bengal
Our member Vasudha Mishra was invited as a guest speaker for a session on ‘The lesser known stripes of Bengal’
8 September 2022
8 September 2022
Snake awareness programme at a school in North 24 Parganas
Snakebite mitigation and snake awareness programme at a school surrounded by wetlands
18 August 2022
18 August 2022
Training of IFS officers on wetland laws and conservation
HEAL’s Meghna Banerjee conducted a session on how litigation helped provide protection to Dankuni
05 August 2022
05 August 2022
Presentation at the O/O Accountant General, WB
Meghna Banerjee spoke about the major conservation issues plaguing West Bengal
29 June 2022
29 June 2022
Impact of an image
HEAL’s Arka Sarkar and Meghna Banerjee share their experiences on photography as a conservation tool
22 June 2022
22 June 2022
Large Indian civet rescued from garage in Cooch Behar
Uncommon civet rescued and released after local fears were dissuaded by HEAL members
22 June 2022
22 June 2022
International Day for Biological Diversity 2022
Fishing Cat release accompanied by an awareness session, and felicitation of local conservationists
22 May 2022
22 May 2022
Arrest of turtle trader in Malda district
A joint operation by HEAL & Malda FD to nab a major turtle dealer in Gazole
18 April 2022
18 April 2022
Ganga River Dolphin Day 2021
Awareness drives conducted in dolphin habitats across West Bengal
5 October 2021
5 October 2021
Dolphin Oil Trade Investigation
An investigation carried out to expose trade in Dolphin oil and body parts in central West Bengal
October 2019 onwards
October 2019 onwards
Hunting Surveys in West
Medinipur
Medinipur
Survey to identify ritual hunting dates and locations in West Medinipur
February 2020 onwards
February 2020 onwards
Hunting Surveys in Jhargram
and Bankura
and Bankura
Survey to identify ritual hunting dates and locations in Jhargram & Bankura
February 2020 onwards
February 2020 onwards
Post Amphan Relief Drives in
Sundarbans
Sundarbans
Relief activities in villages around Sundarbans hit by cyclone Amphan
25 May 2020 onwards
25 May 2020 onwards
Post Amphan Bird Rescues
Rescue of injured birds and fledglings in the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan
21 March – 28 March 2020
21 March – 28 March 2020
Covid-19 Relief Drives
Relief drives in villages of West Medinipur, Jhargram and Sundarban during Covid-19 lockdown
April-May 2020
April-May 2020
Bakkhali Beach Cleaning Drive
Clean up of plastic waste from Bakkhali Sea Beach
8 March 2020
8 March 2020
Fishing Cat Awareness Drive
Awareness Drive about Fishing Cats at Bhangar, South 24 Paraganas
1 December 2019
1 December 2019
PIL for Baghjan Incident
Help with an PIL filed in NGT to seek remediation for damage caused by blowout of oil well at Baghjan
June-July 2020
June-July 2020
Stopping Faloharini Hunt Fest
Stopping the major hunting festival of Faloharini Kalipuja – once the most destructive in West Bengal
2018-2019
2018-2019
Outreach Programs
to stem tribal hunting
to stem tribal hunting
Outreach programs in villages and educational institutions to create awareness against hunting
April, 2018 – Ongoing
April, 2018 – Ongoing
Snake Training Workshops
Joint workshops conducted with Forest Department to train forest staff about snakes and snakebite
11-13 July, 2020
11-13 July, 2020