St Aloysius helps bring electric patrol bikes to Bandipur Tiger Reserve
On 25 October 2024, Bandipur Tiger Reserve received three Revolt electric motorcycles for forest patrolling. The bikes were provided through a partnership between St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru, the Adavi Alert Foundation, Revolt Motors, Sunray INC, and the Karnataka Forest Department — two handed over through the partnership and a third co-sponsored by Revolt Motors.
For a reserve that depends on staff covering ground quietly and cheaply, it is a small change to the daily kit with a direct effect on how patrols are run.
The handover
At the handover, the reserve was represented by S. Prabhakaran, Deputy Conservator of Forests and Director of Bandipur. From St Aloysius, registrars Dr Ronald Nazareth and Dr Alwyn D'Sa, Director Dr Denis Fernandes, and Kiran Vati K, Assistant Professor in the Department of Zoology, attended alongside Pavan Joshi, founder of the Adavi Alert Foundation. The Foundation, which works on frontline wildlife protection, coordinated the donation.
Why electric bikes for forest patrols
Forest staff cover long distances every day to watch for poaching, track wildlife movement, and reach emergencies. That work has usually been done on petrol motorcycles, which are noisy, need regular fuel and servicing, and add emissions inside a protected forest.
Electric patrol bikes change three specific things:
- They run near-silently, so patrols disturb wildlife less and can approach quietly — useful for anti-poaching work.
- They produce no exhaust emissions on patrol, inside a reserve whose whole purpose is to protect its habitat.
- They cost less to run and maintain than petrol bikes, so a limited field budget covers more patrolling.
What the bikes do on patrol
Day to day, patrol staff use motorcycles to move along forest roads and fire lines, cover fixed beats, respond quickly to reports of poaching or of animals straying towards villages, and carry out routine monitoring. A quieter machine helps with all of these — wildlife is less disturbed, and staff can reach a situation before being noticed. Lower running costs also mean the bikes can be used freely rather than held back to save fuel.
About Bandipur Tiger Reserve
Bandipur, in southern Karnataka, is one of India's oldest tiger reserves, brought under Project Tiger in the 1970s, and forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It covers more than 870 square kilometres and joins with Nagarahole, Mudumalai, and Wayanad to make one of the largest stretches of protected forest in southern India.
The reserve is home to Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, leopards, dholes, sloth bears, gaur, and several species of deer, along with more than 300 species of birds. Keeping that habitat intact depends on daily patrolling by forest staff — the work these bikes are meant to support.
The University's part in it
For St Aloysius, backing the patrol bikes is an extension of the wildlife conservation work its Department of Zoology already does — biodiversity surveys, citizen-science projects such as the Campus Bird Count, and field collaborations with conservation groups. Providing equipment to the Karnataka Forest Department also gives students in zoology, ecology, and environmental science a concrete example of how a university, a manufacturer, a conservation foundation, and a forest department can put tools on the ground where field staff need them.
This is one of several initiatives under the University's Green Campus work. Students interested in this field can read more about the Department of Zoology and its programmes.
Frequently asked questions
How many electric bikes were donated to Bandipur?
Three Revolt electric motorcycles, handed over on 25 October 2024 — two through the partnership and one co-sponsored by Revolt Motors.
Who was involved in the donation?
St Aloysius (Deemed to be University), the Adavi Alert Foundation, Revolt Motors, Sunray INC, and the Karnataka Forest Department.
Why use electric bikes in a tiger reserve?
They run near-silently, produce no tailpipe emissions inside the forest, and cost less to run and maintain than petrol bikes, so patrols are quieter, cleaner, and cheaper.
Where is Bandipur Tiger Reserve?
In southern Karnataka, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, covering more than 870 square kilometres alongside Nagarahole, Mudumalai, and Wayanad.
