For generations, the people of Gohain Chapori in Assam’s Dhemaji district have shared something special with the wildlife around them.
On the same land where villagers take their cattle and buffaloes to graze, wild deer have found a home. Birds, including wild ducks, are also part of this landscape.
For the families living here, sharing their surroundings with these animals has been a part of life for years.
But with hunting, encroachment and other pressures threatening the habitat, villagers began thinking about what they could do to protect it.
And now, four villages in Assam are coming together with an ambitious plan: to turn 1,044 bighas of shared grazing land into a village forest reserve, giving around 150 deer a safer home.
What makes their effort special is that the people who depend on this land for their livelihoods also want to take responsibility for protecting its wildlife.
A home for cattle, deer and everything in between
The Maghuwa Hola grazing ground stretches across Gohain Chapori, Hator Khola, Puthimari and No. 1 Barmuthoni villages.
Much of this government land is used for grazing cattle and buffaloes, while a small forest within it provides shelter to hog deer, wild ducks and other wildlife.
But sharing land comes with challenges.
Hunting poses a direct threat to the animals. Encroachment, grazing pressures and seasonal floods can also affect the places where they live.
The village also hopes to explore structured ecotourism as part of the initiative. Photograph: (Chandra Mohan Patowary)
And protecting the deer isn’t as simple as keeping people and cattle away. Families have depended on these grazing grounds for generations, so any plan to protect wildlife must also consider their needs.
That is what makes the villagers’ proposal meaningful. They want to protect the animals while ensuring that the land continues to support the communities living around it.
With support from the Dhemaji district administration and Forest Department, they are now working towards establishing the Maghuwa Hola Village Forest Reserve.
How four villages began turning their plan into action
On 2 October 2026, villagers, students, young people, women’s self-help groups and government officials came together at Maghuwa Hola.
And they began with something practical.
Through shramadan, or voluntary community labour, they worked on an approximately one-kilometre approach road leading towards the proposed reserve.
Native saplings were planted along the road. An exhibition helped people understand the deer population and conservation plans, while a signboard marked the beginning of the initiative.
The community also gathered for a Gaon Sabha, or village meeting, to discuss the proposal and the steps needed to protect the land.
The idea is to put the people who live closest to the forest at the centre of decisions about its future.
A village-level committee is planned to help manage the area, with proposed rules against hunting, burning and encroachment.
Grazing and fishing would be regulated so that people can continue using the land without putting unnecessary pressure on wildlife.
As Dhemaji District Commissioner Rahul Suresh Javir told Indian Masterminds, “The reserve should begin with the people who will actually protect it.”
What will it take to give 150 deer a safer home?
There is still some work to be done before Maghuwa Hola can officially become a village forest reserve.
Because the land is already classified as a grazing reserve, the Forest and Revenue Departments must examine its boundaries, legal status and existing community rights.
The proposal will then need approval from the Assam government.
Villagers also hope to explore responsible ecotourism in the future, which could create earning opportunities for local families while encouraging continued protection of the area.
But the most important part of this initiative has already begun: people are coming together to protect the land they share with wildlife.
There is no guarantee that creating a reserve will solve every challenge. Keeping hunting and encroachment in check, protecting the habitat and balancing grazing needs will require continued cooperation.
Still, the first steps offer hope.
For generations, these four villages have made room for deer alongside their cattle. Now, by working together, they are trying to make sure that the next generation gets to see these animals here, too.
