From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: Conservation experts, scientists and researchers from about 20 countries, attending a three-day 7th Asian Primate Symposium-2020 and the Ist International Conference on Human-Primate Interface here, highlighted various aspects of conservation of threatened primate species and their shrinking habitat.
The symposium, attended by over 200 participants on the first day, has been organised by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation and research organisation in collaboration with Zoology Department of Gauhati University and Primate Research Centre.
It has been supported by various other organisations including Global Wildlife Conservation, ICIMOD, Primate Conservation INC., ASTEC, One Earth Institute, Centre for Global Field Study of the University of Washington, etc.
Inaugurating the symposium, Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University Dr Pratap Jyoti Handique flagged that the importance of introducing a DNA-based analysing in research works carried out on different primate species and pledged to extend support from the varsity in holding such international symposium in future, too.
Noted conservation scientist and CEO, Aaranyak, Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar said, “Most of Assam’s present-day conservationists came out from Gauhati University (GU). As such when Dr Dilip Chetri of Aaranyak had offered that the 7th Asian Primate Symposium be organised in Assam, obviously Aaranyak opted to partner with GU.
“With North East India being home to diverse species of primates, Aaranyak hopes that this symposium and conference would identify key priorities of research on primates so that Gauhati University and Aaranyak could follow up those by encouraging young researchers to do research on primates and its habitat,” Dr Talukdar added.
Dr Prasanta Saikia, Head of Zoology Department of Gauhati University, hoped that young researchers and students would benefit attending such an international symposium.
On the occasion, three noted conservation experts – Parimal Chandra Bhattacharjee, Mewa Singh and S M Mohnot — were felicitated by the organisers with Lifetime Achievement Awards in recognition to their invaluable research-based contribution towards conservation of wildlife species.