Mountaineer Saves 18 Striped Hyenas in West Bengal

When Joydeep Chakraborty heard a strange cackling howl pierce the night air near Pakhi Pahar in 2017, he had no idea that sound would change his life. The mountaineer had just encountered his first striped hyena in the wild, one of fewer than 10,000 left on Earth.

What bothered him most was how little anyone knew about these animals, especially in eastern India. Striped hyenas clear disease-carrying carcasses from villages and play a vital role in keeping ecosystems healthy, yet they were being killed in retaliation by frightened communities.

Joydeep decided to do something about it. Starting in 2018, he walked an average of 25 kilometers daily through Purulia's forests, often covering ground with tribal villagers who knew the land intimately. For two years, he found barely any evidence of hyenas, but he found something more valuable: trust.

The breakthrough came through relationship building. Joydeep had befriended Paresh Mahato, a Santhal tribal member, back in 2012 during a mountaineering trip. Paresh introduced him to the community's annual hunting festival, where hyenas were traditionally killed. When Paresh died in 2016, Joydeep honored his memory by continuing the work they'd started together.

By 2020, the patience paid off. Villagers began sharing hyena sightings with Joydeep, guiding him to dens and tracking patterns. He confirmed the presence of 18 striped hyenas across the region through camera traps and community reports. More importantly, the same villagers who once hunted hyenas now actively protected them.

The transformation wasn't accidental. Joydeep spent countless evenings explaining how hyenas prevent disease outbreaks by removing dead animals. He listened to farmers' concerns about livestock and worked with them to find solutions. He became part of their community rather than an outside expert telling them what to do.

His timing proved crucial. In 2024, India moved striped hyenas from Schedule III to Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, granting them the same legal protection as tigers and elephants. The reclassification reflected growing concern about the species' survival, but laws alone don't change hearts.

Why This Inspires

What makes this story remarkable isn't just one man's dedication. It's proof that conservation works best when local communities lead it. The tribal villagers of Purulia didn't need outsiders to save wildlife. They needed someone who respected their knowledge, addressed their concerns, and walked alongside them, literally and figuratively. Now those same communities are the hyenas' fiercest guardians.

Today, those 18 hyenas roam Purulia's hills with a network of human protectors watching over them, turning a decade of patient work into a blueprint for grassroots conservation.