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The tiger mystery that changed conservation in India

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Imrana Khan | Shubhangi Derhgawen
July 15, 2026

When every tiger vanished from one reserve in northern India, ecologist Ghazala Shahabuddin uncovered a bigger story about forests and the people who live there.

The disappearance of tigers from Sariska Tiger Reserve in 2005 reshaped conservation in India. Ecologist Ghazala Shahabuddin argued that poaching was only part of the story, pointing to habitat loss and environmental change. Her research led her to work closely with local communities, and later to co-found CEDAR, helping people document biodiversity and contribute local knowledge to wildlife conservation and forest protection.

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