'Wild Orissa' an organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860, was constituted for the purpose of conservation of nature and wildlife in Orissa. [Wild Orissa, 2011] Realizing the unabated poaching of waterfowl in Chilika lake and wild animals in the surrounding forests in Khurda it launched 2 (two) conservation programs, viz. the Chilika Bird Protection and Community Supported Control of Wildlife Poaching programs during 1996-1997. [Wild Orissa, 2011] Its members had ventured into the village of Mangalajodi on the northern shores of Chilika Lake in the year 1996-97. The initial visits were met with anxiety and expectations, and coupled with a lot of misgivings there was also a faint hope that perhaps with sustaining the effort and perseverance and diligence coupled with a lot of personal involvement, hunting/poaching in this village could be brought under control. Members of Wild Orissa began to talk to the villagers about the need for protection of birds. The beginning was difficult but slowly Wild Orissa could manage to involve persons who were concerned for the birds. During those years poaching and hunting of waterfowl was a round the year exercise bringing in its toll thousands of innocent birds. The state wildlife wing was poorly staffed which was in no way making it possible to control this rot.

Initially there were serious difficulties but eventually with the help of enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals in the village of Mangalajodi the issue of waterfowl poaching was discussed and suggestions were deliberated. During such deliberations the core persons were the poachers and hunters. Mr. Nanda Kishore Bhujabal, Governor of the Tangi Regional Chapter of Wild Orissa, and other members of Wild Orissa built a rapport with the villagers, especially poachers. They involved themselves in each sad and happy moments of villager's life, helped them to solve their problems, supported them in needs and constantly gave them realization about impact of bird poaching on village environment, eco-system balance, benefit of bird conservation by sitting and discussing constantly. The most important thing villagers realized was the feeling of ownership over Chilika birds which weren't there earlier, due to approach of forest and wildlife department to always accuse local people as destroyer and alienate them from benefits they enjoyed, which ultimately resulted in hardship for local people, split them from resources on which they depend from centuries. This discontent resulted in the feeling that bird, animals, tree belongs to the department, what can we gain from their protection? We will enjoy them at the maximum. [Neema & Ashish, 2006]