Conserving the Critically Endangered Satara gecko with local stakeholders in Western Ghats

Vaishnavi Apte

Open ecosystems, which are critical for biodiversity, are threatened globally. The Western Ghats’ rock outcrops with the Critically Endangered Satara gecko being found only on one unprotected lateritic plateau are a case to the point. Despite its discovery in 2008, no information exists about its population status and ecology. The habitat faces significant threats due to linear infrastructure and wind farms, but its impacts on the gecko are unknown. Our project aims to determine the Satara gecko’s population size and demography and the impacts of roads and wind farms on the gecko. We plan to lay 150 plots near and away from wind farms and roads, thereby determining the density and population size of the gecko and the impacts of roads and wind farms on the gecko. Concurrently, we will engage with stakeholders, including government officials, local leaders, volunteers and wind farm managers, to raise awareness about the gecko and its unique rock outcrop habitat. By the end of the project, we aim to identify key threats to the gecko, share our findings through research publications, articles, workshops and interactions with stakeholders, and collectively formulate a gecko conservation plan. This will be achieved in collaboration with team members and mentors familiar with the species, ecosystem and local political, bureaucratic and social context.

Watch the team's project video: