6 August 2026, Katerniaghat: A workshop on wildlife orientation for media practitioners was organized by the Divisional Forest Officer, Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary at the NIC Meeting Hall, Katarniaghat. The workshop, facilitated by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), aimed to strengthen collaboration between the media and conservation stakeholders while promoting informed, accurate, and responsible reporting on human–wildlife interactions.

The programme commenced with an inaugural address by Mr. Apoorva Dixit, DFO, KWLS, wherein he emphasized the vital role of the media in fostering public awareness, encouraging human–wildlife coexistence, and ensuring balanced and responsible reporting on wildlife-related issues.

A total of 20 media representatives from leading print and electronic media organizations, including Zee News, HT Media, Network18, Republic Bharat, UP Now, Dainik Jagran, Hindustan, Dainik Bhaskar and other national, regional and digital news platforms. participated in the workshop.

Participants during the workshop on wildlife orientation | Photograph by WTI

The workshop was led by Mr. Virat Singh, Head of Communications, Asar, and a Member of the IUCN Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence Specialist Group. Mr. Singh delivered an engaging session on the role of the media in reporting human–wildlife conflict, highlighting the importance of ethical, factual, and sensitive communication. Dr. Abhishek Ghoshal, Manager and Head of the Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation and Coexistence Division at WTI also led a technical session on understanding wildlife behaviour, the drivers of human–wildlife conflict, and practical approaches to promoting coexistence.

The technical sessions were supported through presentations of case studies, enabling participants to gain practical insights into conservation interventions currently being implemented across the Katarniaghat landscape. Detailed discussions were held on interventions such as the Predator Proof House Cluster (PPHC), Aapka Prahri – A Public Alert System, ANIDERS, RRT, and PRT modules. Participants were introduced to the objectives, implementation strategies, field experiences, and the role of these initiatives in mitigating human–wildlife conflict and promoting long-term coexistence.

Interactive session for media representative led by Mr. Virat Singh, Communications Head, Asar

The workshop provided participating media representatives with an opportunity to discuss the practical challenges they encounter while reporting wildlife incidents from the field. Discussions were focused on fact checking, responsible reporting during conflict situations, avoiding misinformation, maintaining sensitive communication with affected communities, and strengthening coordination between the Forest Department and the media. The discussion further enabled participants to share their experiences, raise queries regarding wildlife conflict response and information sharing, while offering suggestions for enhancing collaborative conservation communication.

Representing the forest department in the workshop were Mr. Shivkant Sharma, SDO, Mr. Ashish Gaur, Range Officer, Mr. Mayank Pandey, Deputy Range Officer and their respective field teams. Representing WTI were Mr. Raghavendra Pratap Singh, Mr. Archit Mishra, Mr. Arun Kumar, and Field Assistants Mr. Santram Chauhanand Mr. Rustam Rana.

Mr. Shivkant Sharma expressed confidence that such orientation programmes will continue to strengthen partnerships between the Forest Department, conservation organizations, and media professionals, ultimately contributing to more informed wildlife reporting and the promotion of sustainable human–wildlife coexistence across the Terai landscape.