A vulnerable house cluster has been made predator-proof in Lohra Village in Nishangadha Forest Range of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India, as a pilot preventive measure to manage interactions between people and large felids. Forest-fringe settlements around Katerniaghat suffer frequent attacks by leopards on livestock, and occasionally children. Long-term data suggest eight children suffer injuries or death annually from leopard attacks. To address this challenge and strengthen coexistence, the Wildlife Trust of India, with support from the North of England Zoological Society at Chester Zoo, UK, and the Block Development Office and Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, have piloted the predator-proof house cluster. The structure was inaugurated on 22 January 2026 by the Sub-Divisional Officer and Range Officer from the Forest Department, Village Development Officer from the Block Office, Bahraich District, and the village head.

Analysis of 5 years of interactions between people and big cats identified 500 vulnerable house clusters across the Katerniaghat landscape, of which 90 reported frequent leopard attacks. The cluster in Lohra village, 500 m from the forest edge, where eight attacks and 12 leopard sightings were recorded in the previous 2 years, was prioritized.

Consultations with the village head and households were held during October–December 2025, to ensure informed participation. Following consensus, a formal implementation agreement was signed by stakeholders, including Nishangadha Forest Range Officer, the block engineer, the block and village development officers, village head, and beneficiaries. The agreement defined roles, joint implementation, and long-term maintenance through shared responsibility between households and the village planning committee. Beneficiary households contributed voluntary work, strengthening ownership.

The fence around the predator-proof house cluster is c. 4 m high. It encloses six households, with 22 residents, including 10 children, and their livestock and pets. Built using locally available materials (bamboo poles and PVC chain mesh), the 160 m × 33 m structure includes two automatically-closing metal doors, solar-powered motion-sensor lights along the perimeter, a central alarm system and emergency exits.

The absence of boundary walls and inadequate lighting are major correlates of negative human–leopard interactions in this region. Complementary measures implemented by the Wildlife Trust of India and Forest Department include primary response teams of trained volunteers, rapid response teams of biologists and sociologists supporting affected families and frontline staff, regular sensitization programmes, and mobile public alert systems.

The pilot predator-proof house cluster is designed to protect vulnerable households and livestock by reducing interactions between people and big cats. By lowering the risk of casualties, the intervention also aims to prevent retaliatory killing of big cats. The field team of the Wildlife Trust of India will monitor effectiveness using sign surveys and camera trapping, and will scale up the intervention with relevant stakeholders.

Aerial view of the predator-proof house cluster in Lohra Village, Nishangadha Forest Range of Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.