IPS officer, JK wildlife guard receive national animal awards

An Orissa-born IPS officer, a wildlife guard from Jammu and Kashmir and the Tibetan community were among the recipients of the tenth Venu Menon National Animal Awards this year.

The awards were conferred on six individuals, two organisations and one community for making a difference to the lives of animals by acts of kindness and extraordinary courage. Former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, Member of Parliament Dr Kapila Vatsyayan and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) President Fred O'Regan presented the awards at a function here last evening.

Vice President M Hamid Ansari, scheduled to present the awards, could not attend the function as he was indisposed. While the Venu Menon Lifetime Achievement Award went to the Tibetan Community, Urmila Ganguly of West Bengal won the Venu Menon Animal Allies Award.

Shree Vardhman Jeevdaya Kendra (Kutch, Gujarat) bagged the IFAW Special Organisation Award, Tribal Trackers EDC of Kerala were conferred with the David Shepherd Wildlife Award, Abdul Qayuoom Khan of Jammu and Kashmir received the IFAW-WTI Van Rakshak Award, Orissa-born IPS officer Bijay Kumar Sharma got the IFAW-WTI Endangered Species Award Baban Prabhakar Shakhalikar from Maharashtra bagged the Jury's Special Award Saumya Uttam (Delhi) and Tuhina Kahali (West Bengal) won the IFAW Animal Action Awards.

The awards carry citations, statuettes and cash prizes. The Tibetan community won the award for coming out strongly against wildlife crime. During Kalachakra ceremony in 2006 at Amarawati in Andhra Pradesh, they pledged not to wear, buy or sell animal products and also to burn the skins in their possession. Ms Ganguly, animal activist and secretary of the Pugmarks Society for Conservation of Natural Heritage in West Bengal, received the award for her significant contribution towards conservation and welfare of wildlife. She was actively involved as a supporter of the translocation of a dolphin from Damodar River to Hugli River. Ms Ganguly has given a new lease of life to performing monkeys, snakes and bears by releasing them in their natural habitat. She also worked to stop noisy picnics and film shootings in the area adjoining Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary.

-- (UNI) -- 20DI15.xml

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