Guwahati, Dec. 21: He has spent the better part of his life protecting one of the world?s rare animals, the rhino, from poachers. Now, with recognition coming his way, he is exhibiting that even rarer quality called modesty. Bhupen Talukdar, conservationist extraordinary, was recently chosen for the Sanctuary-ABN AMRO wildlife service award from among hundreds of nominees. He was also named ?Earth Hero for 2003?, the archetype of the growing breed of ecology activists who have devoted their lives to the task of protecting the environment.
But Talukdar, who has defended the endangered rhino valiantly against poachers throughout 26 years of service in different wildlife habitats of Assam, gives the credit for his achievements to his colleagues.
?I wish all members of the wildlife department working in rhino-inhabited areas of Assam were given awards,? he said on getting the award.
An assistant conservator of forests attached to the Assam chief wildlife warden?s office, Talukdar shared the limelight with six more conservationists from different parts of the country. ?I do not know why I was chosen as one of the seven awardees,? he said. The conservationist, however, admitted that working in the wilds of Assam was tougher than doing the same job elsewhere. He said dedicated field staff willing to put their lives on the line was a must for success.
Recognising these very qualities, the jury that selected the wildlife official for the award said Talukdar was ?an asset to Assam, to India and to nature?.
Author, photographer and researcher Rishad Naoroji presented the award to him in New Delhi.
During his stint in the Kaziranga National Park in 1995-96, Talukdar was involved in as many as 20 skirmishes with armed poachers who had sworn to eliminate him. Seven poachers were killed in these encounters and a large cache of arms, ammunition and rhino horn was recovered.
The situation has improved since then and, according to official records, 1,500 rhinos inhabit the park at present.
At the Orang Wildlife Sanctuary, where Talukdar was based between 1987 and 1992, the rhino population rose to nearly 100 in 1990. Better still, it become the only rhino habitat in Assam where no poaching occurred for over a year.
The Sanctuary-ABN AMRO jury was effusive in its praise of these efforts. ?Wherever he was posted, the rhino population grew, habitat management improved, and grassland habitats began to regenerate.?
The regional director of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment, Bibhab Talukdar, spoke similarly of Talukdar. ?Very few wildlife officials today have the kind of knowledge he possesses.?
Officials close to him say Talukdar is tough and uncompromising. He is a warrior for the cause of nature and wildlife conservation in the true sense of the term. His experience is now being put to use in drawing up projects for wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in Assam.
?He does not like to be disturbed in his work. Attending to VIPs visiting the Kaziranga National Park was secondary to him, which led to his transfer to another area,? an associate said.