In the dark, quiet hours before dawn, a scene of extrordinary courage and empathy for wildlife unfolded in the forest-fringe village of Rata in Madhya Pradesh on July 10, 2024.
Under the starry midnight blue sky, a cheetal was being chased by three stray dogs through Rata, and the helpless deer's cry pierced through the blanket of tranquility that envelops the village at 3am.
Rata is one of more than 400 villages in the Kanha-Pench corridor (KPC) of Mandla district and is home to 693 people residing in 169 households (Census 2011). The village thrives on agriculture and non-timber forest products (NTFP), with mahua (Madhuca longifolia) being a key source of livelihood.
In the forests of Kanha, you can see a mosaic of lush green trees, chattering colourful birds and fascinating wild animals beautifully camouflaged with the forests.
The community's deep connection with the forest and traditional practices reflects their reliance on the natural surroundings for sustenance, balancing farming with seasonal foraging activities.
What happened in that July night was also an illustration of this connection. The cheetal, perhaps lost from the comforting embrace of the herd, had wandered too close to the human settlement, far from its forested home.
The unsettling noise stirred Dheeraj, a local villager, from his sleep. Peeking through his window, he saw the scene play out: The horrified cheetal fleeing for its life, the dogs chasing it closely. His heart raced — this was no ordinary night.
Instinctively, he reached out to his neighbours, Sukhcharan Sirsyam and Katikram Yadav. Within minutes, Sukhchain Sirsyam and his wife, Gindiya Uikey, arrived at his side, armed with a wooded stick called lathi and a shared sense of responsibility to protect the vulnerable cheetal. There is a long history of the coexistence of tribes and wildlife, as narrated by the ancestors.
With determined steps, the couple chased the dogs away, creating a safe space for the cheetal. The cheetal, panting heavily and eyes still wide with fear, reached Uikey's house and gradually found a comfortable space in her small kitchen garden.
It was now 4 am and under the feeble light of early dawn, Uikey and her neighbour, Rashmi Singraha, watched over the cheetal, ensuring it was safe.
They felt a mix of emotions of awe and concern — this was a rare and intimate encounter with the forest's wild spirit, now vulnerable in their midst.
Moved by the cheetal's plight, Uikey quietly set out a pot of water, allowing the animal to drink and regain some of its strength.
"As women, the spirit of motherhood is always alive within us," she mentioned regarding nurturing the fragile animal that represented KPC's fauna. "Just as we nurture our children, all the forest's biotic and abiotic elements are Van Devi's children. When I saw the frightened cheetal, I knew my duty was to protect and comfort it, just as any mother would. Offering water was my way of calming its fear, embracing it with the kindness and care that every child deserves, whether human or of the wild."
Singraha, an animator for the village, acted swiftly. She alerted Dushyant Kushram, the local beat guard of the forest department, to the situation. He advised them to keep watch over the cheetal until his arrival at the break of dawn. "Protect it from the dogs, guard it like you would your own," he told them. These words resonated deeply with the community —protecting wildlife is deeply linked to their way of life.
And so, for the next three hours, as light filled the landscape, the villagers of Rata stood sentinel, keeping the stray dogs at bay and ensuring the cheetal was safe.
The bond between the tribal communities and the forest — an unspoken understanding that their survival was intertwined with the health of the wilderness that surrounded them — became conspicuous. By 6:30 am, Dushyant arrived, and with the villagers' help, the cheetal was gently guided back towards the forest, its rightful home.
The sight of the animal bounding towards the forest edge filled the community with a quiet sense of pride and relief. In that moment, they were more than just witnesses — they were guardians of the forest, stewards of nature, living embodiments of the symbiotic relationship between human and wildlife in these crucial forest corridors.
This incident is not a one-off. It is a reflection of the deep-seated conservation ethos that resides within the tribal communities of KPC. The forests, rivers and wildlife are not seen as separate from their lives; they are revered as part of their heritage and identity.
By protecting this single cheetal, they were upholding an ancient promise to safeguard the forest ecosystem — a promise that has sustained life in the corridors of Kanha for generations and is at the heart of conservation efforts.
The selflessness and care of the Rata villagers showed that protecting wildlife is not just a matter for authorities — it is a shared responsibility, carried out with quiet determination and unwavering compassion.
Purvika Patel is senior project officer, central India landscape, WWF-India.
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth.