Latest news with #Aaranyak
National Geographic
15-07-2025
- General
- National Geographic
They used to poach this rare bird. Now, they save them.
After decades of political unrest, former poachers and community members rallied to protect the Bengal florican. A Bengal florican sitting in long blades of grass. Photograph By Dhritiman Mukjerjee During mating season, the male Bengal florican bird, in glossy black plumes with streaks of white beneath a mottled back, performs aerial leaps as his white wings flare against a neck 'pouch' of puffed black feathers to attract females. The enamoured female, draped in buff-brown and black, then chooses her mate. Tourists now come to Manas National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Assam, India, to see the Bengal floricans, the world's rarest bustard, and other wildlife. But the birds' resurgence has been a long—and still challenging—process. Listed as critically endangered by the IUCN, fewer than 800 Bengal floricans survive globally. The world's largest population—between 350 and 400—is in northeastern India today, and part of their recovery is being driven by communities intent on saving these two-foot-tall, three-or-four pound birds. The twist? Many of them once hunted the bustards. 'I was around 14 or 15 when I began poaching with my friends,' says Rustam Basumatary, now 40, of the Bodo tribe, who lives in Khamardwasa village near Manas National Park and its adjacent non-protected grassland in Kokilabari. Basumatary says he and other young poachers once hunted birds, including the Bengal floricans, with slingshots and bow and arrows. They consumed the meat but also sold the surplus for profit. 'Poverty pushed certain sections of our community to hunt wildlife for survival,' he says. From the late 1980s through the early 2000s, a conflict between members of the Bodo ethnic group and the Indian state over the group's autonomy left Manas National Park desolate, devoid of patrols or offices. This meant its wildlife was more at risk than ever, says Basumatary. Bengal floricans were poached, but so were other animals like rhinos. Fewer than 800 Bengal floricans survive globally. Photograph By Dhritman Mukherjee When the Bodo movement ended in 2003, about 100 members formed the Manas Maozigendri Ecotourism Society (MMES) and pushed for change so that the park could regain its former glory. Basumatary was part of this effort to transform poachers into protectors. The MMES began reaching out to villagers, motivating them to become a part of their conservation movement. Local nonprofits, such as Aaranyak, also joined them to discourage hunting. 'We made them aware of the consequences, such as imprisonment, penalties, and environmental damage,' and encouraged them to divert their skills to protection, says Bibhuti Lahkar, Aaranyak's grassland expert. Gradually, community members began patrolling voluntarily alongside forest guards, protecting the very wildlife they once hunted. Basumatary notes that the transition was not easy, as poaching was, for so long, a means of survival But some nonprofits and wildlife enthusiasts provided essentials, including rations, for a couple of months to help the adjustment. The team's work was also supported by some senior district officials who visited their villages frequently and advised them to surrender their illegal arms and hunting weapons. Villagers 'would be thus relieved from the constant fear of being chased by police, and could return to a normal life,' says Anwaruddin Choudhury, a former senior bureaucrat and ornithologist who helped reform many poachers. Park enforcements were also strengthened to deter hunting. According to Basumatary, who began as a birding guide in 2004, over 60 weapons were willingly surrendered by villagers in 2006 and 2007, and in 2011, Manas National Park was removed from the UN's list of World Heritage in Danger. 'It was a moment of pride for our local community that our efforts were eventually paying off,' says Basumatary. According to records of the Bodoland Territorial Council, as of 2023, more than 800 volunteers, including former poachers and local community members, have been formally appointed to assist in various protection and forestry tasks. Today, a growing number of tourists from around the world visit, and have the chance to witness the Bengal florican and its legendary dance. And that helps the local economy. According to Basumatary, more than 2,000 families living around the park earn $400 to $450 per month during the florican season, from November through June. 'The same birds we killed in the past for food are today sustaining our households,' Basumatary says. Meanwhile, though still critically endangered, the Bengal Floricans are showing signs of improvement. A 2024 study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa found ten more of the birds in Manas compared to a 2011 survey, calling the modest increase an 'encouraging' sign. 'Today the Bengal florican has become a symbol of our culture, and we are proud in being able to protect the rare bird and show its unique ways to the rest of the world,' Basumatary says.
United News of India
05-07-2025
- United News of India
BSF troopers sensitised on human-elephant co-existence, wildlife crime along India-Bangladesh border
Shillong, July 5 (UNI) Troopers of the Border Security Force (BSF), guarding the India-Bangladesh border under Meghalaya frontier, were sensitised on the human-elephant coexistence and wildlife crime. The Meghalaya Forest Department along with Aaranyak, a premier biodiversity conservation and research organisation in the North Eastern states, conducted a crucial outreach programme yesterday for troopers of the 193rd BSF Battalion stationed at the Ranikor, Gumaghat Border Outpost in Meghalaya's South-West Khasi Hills district. Thirty-three BSF officers, led by Inspector Shravan Kumar of the 193rd Battalion, took part in the sessions to enhance awareness of wildlife encounters and trafficking among border troops. The primary objective of the programme was to train BSF troopers in safely navigating interactions with wild elephant herds—frequent visitors to the border zone—and raise awareness of wildlife crime trends and anti-trafficking strategies. Specialists from Aaranyak's Elephant Research and Conservation Division (ERCD) led sessions on animal behaviour and forest-smart tactics. Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar and Abhijit Baruah instructed officers on deciphering Asian elephant behaviour to preempt conflict and ensure safer border operations. Addressing the concern on wildlife crime and illegal trade along border areas, Aaranyak's Legal & Advocacy Division, Dr Jimmy Borah underscored evolving routes used by poachers, enforcement hurdles, and practical frontline prevention tactics. Forest Range Officer Sankupar Kharsyntiew of Nongstoin Wildlife Range in Meghalaya announced plans for joint strategies—including coordinated patrols—to better protect both the BSF troopers and wildlife. The programme's arrangements were overseen by Joseph Sawkmie, Beat Officer at Mawkyrwat Wildlife Beat. 'This unique collaboration marks an evolving approach: arming frontline forces not just for national security, but also to address the pressing conservation challenges posed by wildlife mobility and illegal trafficking in border regions,' the Meghalaya Forest official said. UNI RRK ARN
United News of India
29-06-2025
- General
- United News of India
'Rhino goes to School' : Assam's wildlife NGO's innovative campaign to boost rhino conservation
Guwahati, June 29 (UNI) The rhino goes to School in Assam! Sounds weird, but yes the rhinos are being taken to the schools to make the school children, particularly those living near the one-horned rhinos bearing areas in Assam, aware about the rhinos and to ensure better conservation of the species in future. While the rhinos are literally not going to the schools, a wildlife conservation organization, Aaranyak, has been taking one of their most effective campaigns "Rhino Goes to School" to make the younger generations aware about the one-horned rhinos, the state animal of Assam. Supported by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Aaranyak's main objective behind the program is to create awareness among students on Rhino conservation. "From this program students will get more information about Rhinos, so that they can contribute to conservation in the future. The program includes power point presentation, Poster Presentation, open interaction and open quiz sessions," said Arif Hussain, Programme Manager of Aaranyak. "We believe that we must teach the children about conservation of environment and wildlife at tender age only. We are running this programme for last 15 years and we are happy to announce over a lakh school children are trained under this programme," said Arif. He said that "Rhino Goes to School" programme does not only included awareness about the one horned rhinos. It also includes stories about real life experience on how we can contribute towards conservation, he said. He said that the goal of the programme is to create awareness about rhino conservation and build future stewards for the conservation of this iconic species which is also the State Animal of Assam. " Students were acquainted with basic knowledge on rhinos, their distribution and importance," said Arif who is the Manager, Rhino Research and Conservation Division of Aaranyak. Aaranyak is a prominent wildlife and biodiversity conservation organisation in UN framework convention on climate change have recently announced Aaranyak in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) as winner of its UN Lighthouse Activity Award 2014 for the successful implementation of the community-based flood early warning system in the Lakhimpur and Dhemaji Districts of Assam. UNI ANP BM
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Community-run irrigation canals revived in Assam
Dong, an age-old water distribution system of the indigenous Bodo community living along the border with Bhutan, has been revived in north-central Assam's Udalguri district. The Bhawani Dong in Uttor Garuajhar village and the Orang Dong in the No. 2 Sonajuli village, both in the district's Bhergaon Block, were rejuvenated recently under a programme to restore traditional water management systems and strengthen rural resilience. A dong is a community-managed water channel. It diverts water from rivers through earthen canals to irrigate agricultural land and fill ponds for household and farming needs. The dong system is especially followed near the India-Bhutan border, where water scarcity during the dry season — January to March — is a recurring challenge. However, these systems have been rendered non-functional due to neglect, sedimentation, and climate-related changes over the years. Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation, engaged with the communities to help rejuvenate the dongs. The Bhawani Dong caters to No. 1 Garuajhar, Orangajuli, and Uttor Garuajhar. It serves about 1,500 households and a population exceeding 10,000. The canal's water flow reduced drastically during the dry months over the years, leaving farmlands parched and downstream villages such as Kachari Basti, Gaonburha Basti, and Jhara Basti with little or no access to water. The situation contributed to reduced agricultural output and growing hardship. Following its restoration, the Bhawani Dong now delivers a consistent flow of water, enabling timely irrigation, reactivating abandoned agricultural land, and improving water availability even in previously neglected downstream areas. The Orang Dong in the No. 2 Sonajuli village, with around 120 households and a population of over 650, is the primary source of irrigation for nearly 500 bighas of farmland. Its revival has helped the villagers resume cultivation activities, assured of reduced risk of crop failure. 'Community involvement at every stage, from identifying repair needs to contributing labour for clearing blockages and maintaining flow paths, marked the effort to restore both these dongs,' Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, Aaranyak's deputy executive director, said.
New Indian Express
16-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Solar fence to mitigate human-elephant conflict
In a bid to mitigate human-elephant conflict and facilitate co-existence, biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak has installed a 30.1-km solar fence covering three project villages in Jorhat district in collaboration with the British Asian Trust and the Elephant Family with support from the Darwin Initiative. The project has benefitted over 1,047 households affected by human-elephant conflict. There was a time when herds of wild elephants would wreak havoc in these villages while foraging for crops, causing immense hardship to the agrarian community. However, the installation of these solar-powered fences helped significantly ease the problem. 15K bighas of satra land encroached upon: CM The 'satras' — monastic institutions within Assam's neo-Vaishnavite tradition — have lost over 15,000 bighas of their land to encroachment. Taking a serious view of it, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma noted that an area twice the size of Dispur had been encroached upon. 'The sheer scale of encroachment of the satras is a direct assault on Assam's culture and identity. Not anymore. We are dealing firmly with this,' he posted on X. The Satra Aayog, constituted by the government for reviewing and assessing the problems of satra land in Assam, has submitted its final report to Sarma with its recommendations.
