Jaipur, Apr 12 (PTI) The second day of the Royal Ranthambore International Tiger Week on Saturday brought together leading voices in wildlife conservation to highlight the urgent need for protecting India’s tiger population.
Wildlife Trust of India chairperson MK Ranjitsinh Jhala was conferred the award for ‘Lifetime Achievement’, acknowledging his decades-long contribution to tiger conservation and environmental policy in India.
Kishore Kumar, a late ranger from Rajsamand, was posthumously conferred the ‘Royal Ranthambhore Tiger Warriors’ award. The award also recognised forest officers Manu MJ and Aromal MA from the Periyar Tiger Reserve for their bravery and commitment to wildlife protection.
Debmalya Roy Chowdhury was honoured with the ‘Conservationist Under 40’ award while the ‘Emerging NGO’ award went to the Satpuda Landscape Tiger Partnership for its grassroots initiatives.
Kairav Engineer received the ‘Anant Bajaj Wildlife Philanthropist’ award for his contributions towards wildlife causes.
Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve was awarded the title of ‘Tiger Reserve with the Largest Tiger Population’ and Madhya Pradesh was recognised as the ‘Indian State with the Largest Tiger Population’.
The “Through the Lens of the Wild: The Rise of Wildlife Filmmaking in India” session featured wildlife cinematographer Subbiah Nallamuthu and Sariska Tiger Foundation founder-secretary Dinesh Durani, who discussed the growing influence of films in shaping conservation narratives.
In “Rajasthan: Crown Jewel of Tiger Conservation — Challenges and Achievements”, former National Tiger Conservation Authority inspector general of forests PS Somasekhar and Wildlife Institute of India ex-director Vinod B Mathur explored the state’s pivotal role in national conservation strategies.
Anupam Joshi, senior environmental specialist at the World Bank, and WWF India secretary general and CEO Ravi Singh offered insights into ecological sustainability during the “Beyond the Jungle: Securing Tomorrow’s Habitats” session.
The “Innovations in Combating Wildlife Crime and Poaching” session witnessed a discussion by Jhala and WWF India senior director Amit Mallick.
Apart from the expert-led sessions, the event has witnessed documentary screenings, student competitions and a community health check-up camp, all of which helped integrate the local population into the conservation narrative. PTI AG SZM SZM
