Large mammals are flourishing in the heart of India’s agricultural plains, challenging the long-held belief that wildlife can only survive within the strictly guarded fences of national parks. A new study published in the journal Ecology and Evolution reveals that the wastelands of India’s Deccan Peninsula, areas often earmarked for industrial development because they lack dense tree cover, are vital habitats for some of the country’s most iconic and threatened species. Researchers studying the Koppal district of Karnataka found that striped hyenas, sloth bears, and blackbucks are widespread across these human-dominated landscapes, indicating that nature and agriculture are far more intertwined than previously understood.

The research team, which included experts from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), National Centre for Biological Sciences and the Deccan Conservation Foundation, turned to indigenous science for their source of data. In areas with heavy human traffic, traditional tools such as camera traps can be difficult to use because they risk theft or raise privacy concerns among local residents. Instead, the researchers drew on the experiential knowledge of nomadic pastoralists. These shepherds walk the landscape daily with their livestock, making them expert observers of the local environment. By conducting hundreds of detailed interviews, the team mapped wildlife presence with remarkable accuracy.

To ensure the data were scientifically rigorous, the researchers used a statistical framework called occupancy modelling. This method accounts for the fact that an animal maybe present at a location even if it wasn’t seen during a specific survey. They also used a double-check system by showing shepherds pairs of photos depicting similar-looking animals, such as a wolf and a jackal, to verify the accuracy of their sightings. 

The results show that even without formal protected areas, striped hyenas were found to occupy 52% of the landscape, while the Indian grey wolf was estimated to be present in at least 76% of the region. Blackbucks, a species of antelope, were also widespread, covering 63% of the study area.

By looking at multi-use landscapes where humans grow crops and graze sheep, the study provides a baseline for a land-sharing approach to conservation. It highlights that the survival of wide-ranging species depends not just on isolated patches of forest, but on the vast, open ecosystems that the government currently classifies as marginal or underutilised. 

As India seeks to meet climate goals through massive green-energy projects and afforestation programs, these open wastelands are often the first to be built upon or planted with non-native trees. This research provides evidence to protect these regions from mismanagement. By recognising the ecological value of these working lands, policymakers can create conservation strategies that support both the livelihoods of traditional pastoralists and the survival of India’s unique biodiversity.