NGO Participation

Our Appeal

HELP US in protecting two of West Bengal’s most iconic species—the revered Asian Elephant and the elusive Fishing Cat. We are working to restore the sacred bond between humans and elephants, rebuilding a future where they coexist peacefully on shared land. At the same time,  we are safeguarding the wetlands that the Fishing Cat calls home, preserving these critical ecosystems for generations to come.

Stand with us in securing a future where both elephants and Fishing Cats thrive alongside the communities that depend on them.

Restore Harmony Between Humans and Elephants in South West Bengal

The Problem: In South West Bengal (Jhargram, Purulia, West Medinipur and Bankura districts), humans and elephants have coexisted for generations, with elephants revered as living gods. However, desperation has strained this bond as these living gods lose the habitat that once provided them shelter and food. Elephants, struggling to find food in a barren landscape, raid paddy fields, causing crop loss and enter villages, destroying people’s homes. Villagers, facing financial hardship and inadequate compensation, are driven to harm the very creatures they once worshipped. The recent death of a pregnant elephant during a Hulla drive (the practice of throwing fire-lit mashaals at elephant herds to drive them away from farmlands) highlights the growing conflict.  

Our Intervention: HEAL is addressing this issue through the following interventions in Jhargram district : 

• Elephant Food Tree Plantation: We are planting 19 elephant-preferred fodder trees, turning barren lands into feeding grounds, which elephants can feed on in the long-term.
• Paddy Fields for Gentle Giants: We are also cultivating paddy in designated pieces of land,  where elephants can find nourishment without needing to cross into villages, until the fodder trees mature. 
• EleFences – Protecting Homes Against Elephant Intrusion: To further protect villages and offer safety to people, we have installed solar powered electric fences that deter elephants from breaking into people’s homes. 
• In-kind Compensation to Offset Crop Loss: We also support farmers through compensation for crop damage and promote community dialogue to restore mutual respect for these majestic creatures.

By supporting this initiative you will create a safe haven for South Bengal’s 180 elephants and help them share space safely with humans.

Fight for West Bengal’s State Animal – the Fishing Cat

The Problem: In a world where forests serve as the lungs of our planet, wetlands act as its kidneys—purifying and filtering the water we all rely on. Wetlands, the planet’s natural filters, are disappearing three times faster than forests, threatening both their beauty and the balance of life they sustain. Among the many creatures relying on these ecosystems is the elusive Fishing Cat, the state animal of West Bengal. With only 250 to 1,000 individuals left across the globe, this vulnerable species embodies the spirit of these vanishing wetlands. 

As wetlands are drained for agriculture and development, Fishing Cats lose critical habitat, becoming increasingly isolated and vulnerable. Roads that cut through these landscapes become fatal obstacles, with many cats dying each year from vehicle collisions. Local communities, fearing for their livestock or fish, often retaliate against the cats, mistakenly viewing them as threats. This cycle of misunderstanding and violence pushes the species closer to extinction. Protecting the Fishing Cat is about more than saving a species—it’s about preserving wetlands, which filter water, prevent floods, and maintain the ecological balance that sustains us all.

Our Intervention: HEAL works to protect the Fishing Cat through the following interventions:

• Education and Community Engagement: We work to replace fear with understanding, fostering pride in the Fishing Cat among communities that share its habitat. We also educate them about the Fishing Cat’s wetland habitat that forms the life blood of fishing communities.
• Fishing Cat Research: We conduct research to understand and preserve habitats critical for Fishing Cats that reside in Odisha and West Bengal’s marshes.
• Linking Livelihoods with Wetland Preservation: We support indigenous farmers in marketing red rice, a wetland variety cultivated in marshes around Chilika Lake in Odisha, thereby promoting the ecological preservation of Chilika’s marshy wetland, benefiting both the Fishing Cat population and the economic sustainability of the region.

By contributing, you will be making sure that this endangered wetland cat and the pride of West Bengal, continues to survive in its marshy home for generations to come.

Contact Details

Suvrajyoti Chatterjee

• Phone: 7980690537
• Email: chatterjeesuvra84@gmail.com

Website Details

• Website Link: https://healearth.in/
• Facebook Link: https://healearth.in/
• Twitter Link: https://x.com/Healplanet2016
• Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/@humanenvironmentalliancele2770
• LinkedIn Link: https://www.linkedin.com/company/human-environment-alliance-league-heal/mycompany/
• Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/healplanet/?igsh=MWU1cWpnZ3FxZXMwZg%3D%3D