Meghalaya: Aaranyak, forest officials sensitise BSF men on elephants

Guwahati: A team from Aaranyak has lent support to the Meghalaya Forest Department in organizing outreach events to raise awareness about Asian Elephants among personnel of the country’s elite border guarding force, the Border Security Force (BSF), deployed along the India-Bangladesh border in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya.

The BSF personnel, tasked with safeguarding the country’s frontier with Bangladesh in that region, often come across the gentle giants (Asian elephants) who sometimes find themselves in conflict with the human population residing in the area.

In response, the Border Security Forces invited the Meghalaya Forest Department for an outreach event aimed at educating personnel on Asian elephant behavior and potential measures for coexistence. A team from Aaranyak supported the department and conducted a sensitization event on February 16 for the 1st Battalion of the BSF stationed at Mahadeo in the South Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

During the event, Abhijit Boruah, an official from Aaranyak, delivered a lecture on ‘Encountering the Giants: Understanding Elephant Behaviors,’ while another official, Anushka Saikia, spoke on ‘From Human-Elephant Conflict to Coexistence.’ Rupam Goyari from Aaranyak provided valuable assistance during the program.

The Deputy Commandant of the BSF battalion, Sanjay Singh, along with 35 jawans, participated in the awareness program. Also present were Forest Range Officer Chinchin Sangma from Baghmara, and Officer in-charge Skilson D. Marak from Siju Wildlife Sanctuary, along with 17 frontline forest staff.

“Aaranyak, with support from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, has been engaged in elephant conservation efforts in Assam and Meghalaya, employing a multi-stakeholder and multi-pronged approach. These sensitization programs are part of a comprehensive elephant conservation initiative,” stated Dr. Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar, a conservation scientist at Aaranyak.

It’s noteworthy that the program held on Friday (February 16) was part of an ongoing sensitization series in the Garo Hills region of Meghalaya. Previously, on January 22, a similar sensitization workshop was conducted for the 50th Battalion of the BSF in the South West Garo Hills district.

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