The Hindu Business Line : ‘Earth Heroes’ turn poachers to protectors

Mumbai, Dec. 8 Poachers of the tiger and deer in Sunderbans are slowly turning into protectors with just a little bit of loving persuasion from children, says Sukumar Paira, headmaster of a school on Bali island, Sunderbans, and the winner of the Sanctuary-ABN Amro Green Teacher Award.

Paira has created 26 nature clubs, with over 2,500 children studying in 20 schools. The kids have now begun convincing their parents not to poach animals and not to look for wood or fish from the inner core of the park. Distressed by the tense relationship between men and tigers in the Sunderbans, Paira has made it his mission to reach out to families of poachers and convince them to protect the tiger.

Paira is one of the ‘Earth Heroes’ recognised by this year’s edition of the Sanctuary-ABN Amro awards.

Dr Ullas Karanth, the winner of the Wildlife Lifetime Service, is a leading tiger researcher and conservation zoologists, and his work is one of the reasons Nagarhole and Bhadra Reserves are doing reasonably well. He led a team that conducted a country-wide survey of tigers, radio-collared many tigers and leopards in Nagarhole to understand them better and established ‘camera-capture-recapture’ as the method of choice to estimate tiger numbers.

Although the winners came from different walks of life they shared a strong commitment towards the environment.

The mahouts of Bandhavgarh reserve led by their head E.A. Kuttapan were honoured for the unrecognised role they often play in anti-poaching, fire fighting and park monitoring.

Ritwick Dutta, on the other hand, uses his legal skills to make a contribution to environment conservation. He draws upon his education in environment law to take the legal route in protecting India’s forests and wildlife.

Other winners included Sasi Kumar T. for tracking several illegal wildlife trades; Bholu Abrar Khan for protecting birds in Bharatpur; and Prerna Singh Bindra for prolific environmental journalism.

The young naturalists awards went to Aditya Panda, a young naturalist defending wildlife in Orissa and jointly to Latha and Aneesh, Manan tribals part of the Periyar’s forest protection force.

Romesh Sobti, Country Executive, India, ABN Amro Bank, said, “India is passing through a critical period when economics and ecology must find a harmonious balance. At ABN Amro, we have always believed that good ecology amounts to good long-term economics”.

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‘Earth Heroes’ turn poachers to protectors