HT Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Sept 2: Biodiversity conservation organisation
Aaranyak with objective to highlight importance of primate
species in our ecology, facilitated several collaborative
awareness programmes in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on
the occasion of International Primates Day.
Aaranyak in collaboration with the Government Upper Primary
School, Tafragram in Lohit district Arunachal Pradesh
celebrated International Primates Day, thanks to the initiative
of the school head teacher. The celebration was marked by
screening of short films on primates besides an audio-visual
lectures on primates in NE India with special focus on Hoolock
Gibbon.
There was also an interaction with students. The programme
ended with distribution of educational materials i.e. books,
posters on Gibbon conservation. Aaranyak’s resource
Mridupaban Phukan and Akshay Upadhya played a key role in
successful conduct of the programme.
Aaranyak also collaborated with department of Zoology,
Jawaharlal Nehru College, Boko in Assam to celebrate
International Primate Day. The programme was set on the roll
by the head of Zoology department and followed by audio-
visual lecture on primates of Northeast. There was also
interaction with students on the issues of primate conservation
in Assam. The resource person of the events were Dr Rekha
Chetry, associate Professor and Nanda Devi Associate professor
of department of Zoology.
Western Assam Zone of Aaranyak in collaboration with Aie
Valley Forest division, Bongaigaon district and department of
Botany of Abhayapuri College celebrated International Primate
Day in Hapachara Madhya & High School of Bongaigaon district.
The programme started with a drawing competition among the
students of class six to ten in two categories. An awareness
meeting was held where the head teacher of the school Ramen
Chandra Barman presided over.
Dharam Ranjan Roy, a member of Aaranyak delivered a brief
lecture with reference to the significance of the International
Primate Day. Dr Ashoke Kumar Das, the coordinator of
Aaranyak West Zone has elaborated about the present day
non-human primate family with special reference to the
primate species available in Assam.
As the school is located near the Kakoijana Reserve forest, the
habitat of the critically endangered Golden langur, he appealed
to the students and teachers to play an active role in the
conservation of Golden langur and their habitats.
On behalf of the Botany department of Abhayapuri College, Dr
Subrata Sarkar spoke about the role of primate and other
animals in the forest environment and the need for their
conservation.
