Aaranyak

Aaranyak, under WeForNature outreach programme and the Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI) in association with ASTEC, Govt. of Assam organised an open forum discussion on The conservation significance of the Foxtail Orchid in Assam on 28th November, at the auditorium of the IEI, Guwahati Office. Khyanjeet Gogoi, a renowned botanist and conservationist from Assam who is fondly known as the 'Orchid Man of Assam' graced the event as the Principal Resource Person. Faculty and students of botany of various colleges attended the event. #FoxtailOrchid #Aaranyak #IEI #ASTEC #WeForNature #Outreach #Conservation Assam Science Technology & Environment Council Udayan Borthakur Pranab Goswami

🐍 🐍 Awareness on #snakes and #SnakebitePrevention Snakebite envenoming is a substantial but neglected public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 5.4 million people worldwide are bitten by snakes, with 1.8 to 2.7 million cases of envenoming, and roughly 95% of these incidents occur in low- and middle-income countries. To halve snake bites by 2030, WHO launched a global strategy for strengthening global #snakebite data and the prevention and control of snakebite envenoming. The Government of India is also focusing on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) and mass media as one of the key strategies of the national action plan for prevention and control of snakebite envenoming (NAPSE). In #Assam and other Northeastern states, snakebites are a common cause of medical emergencies, often due to lack of awareness about role of snake behaviour and preventive measures. To address these challenges linking with sustainability education and #BiodiversityConservation initiative, a series of outreach events on "snake and snakebite management" are jointly organised by Aaranyak, #HelpEarth, and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre for Herpetology in #Guwahati, Assam. On November 27, a programme was conducted at Parijat Academy, located in the fringe of Garbhanga RF, Guwahati. Tikendrajit Gogoi, Project Officer, Environment Education and Capacity Building Division (EECBD) of Aaranyak, mentioned that fear and superstition about snakes in our society is the main reason for snakebite envenoming in North-East India. In the program, Mr Gogoi emphasised increasing scientific temperament among students about the role of #biodiversity and #sustainability and also elaborately discussed the diversity of snakes, their importance for a healthy ecosystem, and the necessary prevention of snake bites. The program was attended by the principal, teachers with around 55 students. #Aaranyak #HelpEarth #MadrasCrocodileBankTrust Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Centre For Herpetology Jayanta Kumar Pathak

🌿 Aaranyak’s senior primatologist speaks at the 9th Asian Primate Symposium The 9th #AsianPrimateSymposium took place from November 23-27 at Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Sumatera Utara, #Indonesia. The event saw participation from 295 registered attendees representing 20 countries. Among the distinguished speakers was Dr Dilip Chetry, a senior primatologist, Vice President of Aaranyak, and Vice Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group. Dr Chetry delivered two insightful presentations during the symposium. The first, titled “Tradition, Culture, and Conservation of Hoolock Gibbon in India,” highlighted the crucial role played by various tribes in #NortheastIndia in conserving the #Hoolockgibbon. He emphasised the urgent need to document traditional practices and cultural values that contribute to the #conservation of both the #HoolockGibbon and biodiversity more broadly. His second presentation, “Education for the Conservation of Hoolock Gibbon in and Around Kamlang Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India,” detailed Aaranyak's conservation efforts in the region. Dr Chetry, who heads the Primate Research and Conservation Division of Aaranyak elaborated on the 27 educational programmes conducted across various institutions, designed to raise awareness about the significance of the Hoolock gibbon. These programmes aims to educate students, provide conservation-focused materials, and inspire the next generation of conservationists in the area.

The hands-on workshop is being led by experts from Aaranyak's Geospatial Technology and Application Division, including Senior Manager Arup Kumar Das, Assistant Manager Madhumita Borthakur, GIS Analysts Avishek Sarkar and Shivani Khalote. TERI - The Energy and Resources Institute https://lnkd.in/dCnCj4SG

🦦 🦦 First photographic evidence of threatened Chinese Pangolin in Raimona National Park An exciting discovery has been made in the #RaimonaNationalPark with the first photographic evidence of #ChinesePangolin has been recorded. As part of the study published in the “Journal of Threatened Taxa”, a team led by Kachugaon Forest Division, Assam Forest Department, conservationists from #Aaranyak, and other organisations have confirmed the finding. The paper also clarified a confusion of the occurrence of #IndianPangolin in #Assam and Northeast India which will potentially rectify the distribution map of IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Aaranyak’s senior conservation biologist Dr. Dipankar Lahkar , senior scientist Dr M Firoz Ahmed, Bhanu Sinha AFS, DFO of Kachugaon Forest Division, Forest official Pranjal Talukdar, Biswajit Basumatary, Tunu Basumatary, Dr Ramie H. Begum, Associate Professor, Assam University (Diphu campus), Nibir Medhi, Nitul Kalita and Abishek Hariharan, Ph.D. , Director of Tiger Program, Panthera have contributed in the paper as well. Since 2019, the Raimona National Park authority, in collaboration with Aaranyak, has been conducting systematic annual #CameraTrapping surveys to assess and monitor species assemblages and populations of terrestrial mammals. During the systematic surveys, with the camera trapping efforts of 1,470 trap-days in 2022, three independent photo-capture of the Chinese Pangolin were obtained from the semi-evergreen forest on 30 January 2022 at 1213 h and 0239 h, and one more on 28 February 2022 at 0412 h from the Ranganadi area under the western range (Raimona) of the national park. Know more: https://lnkd.in/dqAY9CeK https://lnkd.in/dH_dKyFx PANTHERA

We are at the 12th #InternationalTourismMart 2024 The 12th International Tourism Mart #ITM2024 for the North East Region is being held in #Kaziranga, Assam, on 26-29 November. Taking part in the exhibition, #Aaranyak, as a promoter of ethnic products of #IndigenousCommunities, is promoting eco-cultural tourism as well as #handmade indigenous products of #Karbi community through PIRBI. During his visit to the exhibition premises, the honourable Chief Minister of Assam Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with senior officials and other dignitaries, checked out the #Pirbi products on display. Also, we've got a lot of people visiting our stall who are from all walks of life and attending the ITM 2024. The ITM 2024 is an annual event organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, designed to highlight the tourism potential of the North Eastern region for both domestic and international audiences. This event serves as a vital platform, bringing together tourism businesses and #entrepreneurs from the eight North Eastern States – #Assam, #ArunachalPradesh, #Manipur, #Meghalaya, #Mizoram, #Nagaland, #Tripura, and #Sikkim – to foster collaboration and interactions among buyers, sellers, media, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

To address the burgeoning human-elephant conflict #HEC, Aaranyak installed 20 pairs of signages across #Udalguri, #Baksa, and #Tamulpur districts of #Assam over the last two months. The signages, designed in #English, #Assamese, and #Bodo, were strategically placed at identified #elephant crossing zones based on inputs from #ElephantConservationNetwork (ECN) members, local communities, and the Forest Department. These locations were selected as elephant movement often overlaps with human activities in these areas, posing potential risks to both humans and elephants. The initiative aims to increase awareness among local communities and travelers, including those travelling from the neighbouring country of #Bhutan, about the presence of these sensitive zones. By serving as visual reminders, the signages encourage caution and promote measures for safe #coexistence with elephants. This installation is part of Aaranyak’s broader efforts to address HEC and minimize its impact. Aaranyak’s Mondeep Basumatari, Abhijit Saikia, Dibakar Nayak, Jiban Chetry, Jaugashar Basumatary, Bikash Tossa, and Pradip Barman and intern Abhilasha Boruah—with active participation from local residents and support from the SBI Foundation carried out this activity.

Aaranyak in collaboration with #PobitoraWildlifeSanctuary Authority conducted a series of #sensitisation programmes as part of ‘Rhino Goes to School’ campaign for young students in a few schools located in the proximity of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary with support from the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. The objective of the #campaign is to impress these young minds about the importance of #conservation of one-horned #rhino, the State Animal of Assam that has significant ecological values attached to it. Following the first event conducted in Mayong Higher Secondary School, two more such programmes were organised on November 22 for students of Shankardev Shishu Niketan and BuraBuri Higher Secondary school in the vicinity of Pobitora WLS. The sensitisation programmes included presentations on rhinos including basic details about the animal and its #habitat, significance of #RhinoConservation considering its ecological importance. Arif Hussain, Manager of Aaranyak’s Rhino Research and Conservation Division (RRCD) conducted the programmes. About 850 students participated where Aaranyak official Arif Hussain made a lucid presentation to sensitise the students various aspects of rhinos, their importance to the environment and encourage the students to take lead in conservation of this iconic animal in whatever way they can. Range Officer of Pobitora WLS, Pranjal Baruah enlightened the young minds about the rich biodiversity of the sanctuary. The programme also included an open quiz to maintain engagement of the students throughout. Headmasters and teachers of the two schools, Forester-1 of Pobitora WLS Mitul Das, were also present in the programmes. David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, PhD Dr. Deba Dutta Arif Hussain Ujjal Bayan

The Secretary General and CEO of Aaranyak Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, PhD delivered a talk on #WildlifeConservation in #Global & #Local perspective on November 25th evening at the #RipunjayKnowledgeHub in Biswanath College. Ripunjay Knowledge Hub was established in the Biswanath college campus to help #Teachers & #Students to find the best resources in their pursuit of knowledge. Credit: Bibhab Talukdar/Twitter Indianapolis Zoo Whitley Fund for Nature

In a #CommunityOutreach event organised by us at human-elephant conflict #HEC affected Bhutankhuti in #Baksa district of #Assam on 21 November, our team embarked on our signature campaign #GajahKotha to highlight insights into #ElephantEcology and behaviour, the drivers of HEC and effective HEC mitigation strategies for #coexistence. A #documentary was also screened for local communities and members of Anti Depredation Squad (ADS). This was followed by #FieldGear distribution for members of the Manas Sousi Khonkhor Eco-Tourism Society and the ADS members operating under the Batabari Forest Range of Baksa Forest Division to bolster grassroots #conservation efforts and foster harmonious #coexistence. We provided 72 jackets and 91 sweaters to them to aid their efforts in monitoring wild elephants and mitigating HEC. The event was facilitated by Aaranyak’s Rabiya Daimari, Abhijit Saikia, Jaugashar Basumatary, Pradip Barman and intern Abhilasha Boruah. The event was supported by the SBI Foundation.