Situated on the eastern fringes of the Chotanagpur Plateau, the Asansol and Durgapur region in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district represents a unique ecological transition zone between the plateau and the Gangetic plains. This semi-arid landscape, shaped by dry deciduous forests, rocky outcrops, scrublands, and riverine systems, forms a mosaic of habitats supporting various adaptable wildlife species. Despite the region’s dense industrial presence, its scattered forest fragments continue to act as critical ecological corridors. These corridors allow seasonal wildlife movement and help maintain connectivity across the landscape, a feature becoming increasingly rare amid India’s accelerating urbanisation.
Among the quiet inhabitants of this diminishing wilderness is the elusive Indian Striped Hyena (Hyaena hyaena). This often-misunderstood scavenger now faces growing threats due to relentless industrial expansion.
The Raniganj Coalfield is India’s oldest coal mining area, where commercial operations began under the East India Company in 1774. It remains a major contributor to the country’s energy economy, hosting numerous government and private mining operations. However, centuries of mining through open-cast and underground methods have left a trail of ecological damage. Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation have reduced the availability of natural refuges for native wildlife.
For the Indian Striped Hyena, survival hinges on specific habitat needs such as undisturbed ground cover, minimal human disturbance, and secure, concealed denning areas. These requirements make the species particularly vulnerable to the pressures of habitat loss. Expanding mines, growing human settlements, and an ever-increasing network of roads have disrupted traditional wildlife corridors that once enabled free movement.
Despite these challenges, hyenas continue to survive. They find precarious sanctuaries along the fringes of abandoned or minimally disturbed mining zones. These neglected areas, often covered with loose boulders and avoided by people, offer the shaded and quiet spaces needed for daytime rest and the rearing of cubs. However, these makeshift shelters are fraught with danger. The unstable terrain, sudden reactivation of dormant mining sites, and proximity to heavy machinery expose hyenas to continuous threats. Additionally, roads slicing through fragmented habitats have become hotspots for wildlife mortality. Moreover, there have been sparse recent reports of road collisions and retaliatory killings in parts of western West Bengal.
These losses are deeply concerning, particularly given the species’ low abundance and reproductive potential. Indian Striped Hyenas face biological challenges during reproduction. The female hyena’s anatomy includes a narrow vaginal canal, often resulting in prolonged labour, stillbirths, or even maternal fatalities. With litters usually ranging from one to four cubs and modest survival rates in the wild, the death of each adult significantly undermines the population’s long-term viability.
In response to these challenges, West Bengal’s forest department has consistently supported conservation efforts through field assistance, outreach initiatives, and active involvement in grassroots-level programmes.
Within this fragmented and rapidly changing landscape, the forest department, especially the Durgapur forest division, has emerged as a proactive institution promoting hyena conservation in close collaboration with WINGS (Wildlife Information and Nature Guide Society). Together, they have spearheaded targeted awareness campaigns aimed at engaging diverse groups—village communities, school students, coal mining companies, and logistics personnel. These initiatives seek to bridge the gap between ecological priorities and industrial development by fostering dialogue with key stakeholders such as mine operators and transportation agencies. In a region where mining activities are rapidly expanding, such dialogue is essential to promoting coexistence between people and wildlife.
Supported by major conservation organisations including the Wildlife Trust of India, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, and WWF-India, WINGS extends its efforts beyond the Indian Striped Hyena to other lesser-known carnivores such as the Indian Grey Wolf, Bengal Fox, and Jungle Cat—species that play vital roles in maintaining ecological balance.
WINGS has initiated a systematic camera-trapping study in critical areas across the coal belt to complement outreach efforts with scientific evidence. This research is led by Arnish Bose and Arindam Roy, under the supervision of ecologist Arkajyoti Mukherjee. The study seeks to map high-risk roadkill zones, locate denning sites, and create a data-driven baseline to guide future conservation planning.
Moreover, through illustrated educational materials, interactive quizzes, and community engagement sessions, WINGS cultivates empathy and awareness for these often-overlooked animals, strengthening the foundation for long-term coexistence and conservation in this human-dominated landscape.
Prominent conservation experts have also lent their support to these initiatives. Anupam Khan, divisional forest officer of the Durgapur division, and Kaushik Deuti, scientist D at the Zoological Survey of India, have actively participated in these outreach programmes. Their contributions have helped strengthen ecological literacy and reinforce the importance of scavengers in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
These efforts have begun to show results. Several mining companies have responded positively to the forest division and WINGS recommendations. In key areas identified as wildlife crossing zones, they have installed speed breakers and wildlife signage. Some have also initiated internal sensitisation programmes for drivers and ground staff to minimise risks to wildlife.
Through community participation, scientific research, and institutional cooperation, WINGS and the Durgapur forest division are crafting a replicable model for conserving wildlife within heavily industrialised landscapes.
While education and outreach are essential foundations, the long-term survival of the Indian Striped Hyena in Paschim Bardhaman calls for a more comprehensive and multi-layered conservation strategy. This includes expanding public awareness to promote tolerance among mining communities, constructing mitigation infrastructure such as wildlife underpasses and speed-calming measures at critical crossings, and deploying monitoring technologies like GPS collars and camera traps to understand movement and habitat use better.
Local community participation remains vital. Programmes that train residents in citizen science, wildlife monitoring, and conservation advocacy empower people to act as guardians of their natural heritage. When small-scale interventions are consistently applied and backed by data and funding, they can evolve into impactful conservation outcomes. In this context, the Rapid Action Projects model implemented by the Wildlife Trust of India offers an effective template for swift and targeted conservation action.
The continued presence of Indian Striped Hyenas in the coal-dominated landscapes of Asansol and Durgapur is a compelling symbol of resilience and fragility. These quiet survivors embody the possibility of coexistence between nature and development, even in the most altered habitats.
Too often misunderstood or maligned, hyenas are indispensable to ecosystem health. As scavengers, they help prevent the spread of disease by consuming carrion and organic waste. Their disappearance would represent the loss of a species and a weakening of the ecological fabric that supports all life.
Protecting the Indian Striped Hyena is not only about preventing extinction. It is about redefining how society values life that persists on the margins. It is about creating a future in which biodiversity and industry are not at odds but are thoughtfully balanced to serve a more sustainable world. Even in the coalfields, conservation has a voice and a purpose, and the Indian Striped Hyena is a powerful part of that story.
Manish Kumar Chattopadhyay is Joint Secretary, WINGS
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth