Guwahati: Renowned ornithologist, wildlife researcher, author and administrator Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury was presented with the Kaziranga Wildlife Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award was presented to Choudhury for his immense contribution to wildlife conservation at an event held at the Paramananda Lahon Auditorium of Convention Centre, Kohora, Kaziranga on December 12 on the occasion of the 53rd Foundation Day of Kaziranga Wildlife Society.
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Speaking at the event, Choudhary said, “Conservation is teamwork. School-going children need to have basic awareness on wildlife conservation since this will facilitate them to carry forward the work on environment protection during the later period of their life.”
Choudhury’s research on primates has led to newer findings of subs-pecies of Macaques and Hoolock Gibbon.
Choudhury also studied the Wild Water Buffalo and his work –The Mammals of North East India–is considered the most comprehensive work compiled on the mammals of the region.
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One of India’s well-known authors on birds Anwaruddin Choudhury also undertook systematic bird surveys in different pockets of Northeast India.
He rediscovered the rare Manipur Bush Quail in Assam after its last record 75 years ago. It was because of his pioneering work on the White-winged Wood Duck and Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant, that the accurate range and status of these birds in India could finally be ascertained.
Choudhury also campaigned extensively for the conservation of the migratory Amur Falcon across Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland and carried out detailed monitoring of their roosting population in Karbi Anglong.
The Award was given away by the Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve Jatindra Sharma who was the Chief Guest of the event.
Sharma who himself discovered many rare species of plants in various parts of the country stressed the need for the preservation and identification of indigenous species of flora.
The award function also coincided with the Dr. Robin Banerjee Memorial Lecture.
While delivering the Seventh Dr. Robin Banerjee Memorial Lecture, Sachin Ranade, senior scientist associated with the Bombay Natural History Society and in-charge of the Vulture Conservation and Breeding Center (VCBC) at Rani near Guwahati, said, “Conservation of vultures is important to maintain ecological balance. The vulture is an important scavenging bird that helps maintain a clean surrounding since these birds eat up almost every part of the carcass of animals and other livestock and thereby help to prevent spreading of diseases.”
Ranade was speaking on the topic “Survival of vultures is crucial for ecological balance.”
He also informed that currently two species of vultures namely the White-backed Vulture and Slender-billed Vultures have been taken for captive breeding at the Rani VCBC to increase the population of these species.
Six species of vultures including –King Vultures, Cinereous Vultures, Himalayan Griffon and Eurasian Griffon are available in Assam, said Ranade.
The secretary of Kaziranga Wildlife Society, Mubina Akhtar, said since the population of vultures in the state has been declining so it was very important to create mass awareness on the conservation and protection of vultures at the village and community levels.
She said that the oldest conservation NGO of the Northeast, Kaziranga Wildlife Society, during its glorious journey of 53 years, has been able to garner mass support in different conservation issues from time to time.