Guwahati, Feb 11: A series of ‘Rhino Goes to School’ awareness programme was conducted during a span of four days across four schools located in fringe areas of Manas National Park & Tiger Reserve (MNP&TR) in Assam, covering the Bhuyanpara, Kokilabari and Panbari forest ranges.
The programme was conducted at Barmajra M.E. School, Khamardwisa High School, Panbari M.E. Girls School and Labdangguri M.E. School, reaching nearly 1,000 students and aiming to raise awareness on wildlife conservation with a special focus on the iconic Greater one-horned rhinoceros.
The programme was guided by Dr. C. Ramesh, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director, Manas National Park & Tiger Reserve and Dr. Deba Kumar Dutta, Deputy Director, Rhino Research and Conservation Division (RRCD) at Aaranyak. The initiative was implemented in close collaboration with Manas National Park & Tiger Reserve Authority and supported by KACF.
The awareness programme gets off with an introductory session on fundamentals of wildlife and conservation, highlighting the importance of biodiversity, protected areas and sustainable coexistence between communities and wildlife.
This is followed by a session on importance of Manas Tiger Reserve its rich bio-diversity and involvement of community and students for a better future of the National Park.
This session was led by Josimuddin Ahmed, AFS (Retd.), along with Pranjit Rajbongshi and his team. The core sessions focused on rhinoceros’ ecology, habitat requirements, threats, conservation efforts, cultural and environmental significance and basic wildlife behaviour. Students were also sensitised on human–wildlife conflict mitigation and the important role of local communities and young citizens in conservation.
To encourage active participation, interactive quiz and drawing competitions were conducted in each school. Based on their performance, ten students from each school were selected and the authority of Manas National Park & Tiger Reserve will facilitate an exposure visit to the park for these students, providing them firsthand experience of wildlife and habitat conservation.
The programme was coordinated by Aaranyak’s researchers Ujjal Bayan and Swapan Das and with active involvement of Jinti Das, a Ph.D Scholar from Cotton University; Dhritiman Sonowal, volunteer and MSW student and Raj Daimary.
The Rhino Goes to School initiative marks a significant step toward spreading conservation awareness among young minds and empowering local communities to participate in safeguarding the rich wildlife heritage of Manas National Park.
