Guwahati: Guwahati-based Aaranyak, a leading biodiversity conservation organization of Assam, has been bestowed with the esteemed ‘Mark Shand Award’.
The recognition came from the prominent UK-based charity ‘Elephant Family’ at their grand ‘Wonders of the Wild’ event held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, on May 13.
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Aaranyak received this distinguished award in recognition of its unwavering dedication and multifaceted approach towards the conservation of Asian elephants in Northeast India. The organization’s tireless efforts focus on fostering peaceful coexistence between wild elephant populations and local communities, said a press statement.
The award was presented to Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, senior scientist and head of Aaranyak’s Elephant Research and Conservation Division, by Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla, who serve as Joint Presidents of Elephant Family.
The star-studded ‘Wonders of the Wild’ event witnessed the presence of around 250 distinguished guests, including HRH Princess Beatrice, Lady Marina Windsor, Brazilian football legend Ronaldo Nazario, actors Ed Westwick and Amy Jackson, and singer Sophie Ellis-Bexter.
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Elephant Family was established by the late Mark Shand, the Queen’s brother, a renowned English travel writer and passionate conservationist who passed away in 2014. Shand was a vocal advocate for elephant conservation, documented in his bestselling book “Travels on My Elephant” which earned him the Travel Writer of the Year Award at the 1992 British Book Awards, and through his BBC documentaries.
Expressing his gratitude upon receiving the award, Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar said, “Thanks to all the people who are working with us to save one of the last remaining populations of Asian elephants in the Northeastern part of India. As a collective, we at Aaranyak vow to continue to work tirelessly, through multiple avenues, in order to mitigate human-elephant conflict in an effort to facilitate coexistence between wild elephants and communities, so that there is a better future for everyone.”
Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General of Aaranyak, highlighted the significance of their Elephant Research and Conservation Division, stating, “Aranyak’s Elephant Research and Conservation Division is one of the key divisions which deals with the conservation of Asian elephants in Northeast India. The division outlined a 20-year-long elephant conservation plan.”