M. Indra Kumar is from Mangala village, near Bandipur National Park in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. His family had land a long time ago, but does not own any now. Indra, 38, lives with his wife and two kids, who go to school in Gundlupet, 19 kilometres away, by bus.
Indra is the manager at a wildlife souvenir shop in his village that supports the work of the Mariamma Charitable Trust. He also assists the Trust by documenting wild animal attacks on livestock. The Trust’s work includes financial compensation to villagers living around the reserve when they lose their cattle to predators like tigers, leopards and wild dogs.
