Sanctuary Wildlife Awards 2016

Awards in its 17th year of celebrating extraordinary people dedicated to nature conservation

• Sanctuary Lifetime Service Award 2016 presented to legendary forest officer S.E.H Kazmi, who helped resurrect Jharkhand’s Palamau Tiger Reserve.
• Buddhist monk from Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh wins a Wildlife Service Award for mobilising a movement to save the Black-necked Crane and its habitat against all odds.
• Young conservation biologist, focused on protecting the vanishing marshes of the elusive fishing cat in West Bengal, wins award.

Mumbai, December 1, 2016: Sanctuary Asia, supported by DSP Blackrock and Deutsche Bank, India announced the winners of the 17th Sanctuary Wildlife Awards at a press conference on Thursday.

The award categories include the prestigious Lifetime Service Award, five Wildlife Service Awards, three Young Naturalist Awards, one joint Green Teacher Award, one Wind Under the Wings Awards and four Special Maharashtra Wildlife Service Awards. The winners will be felicitated at the 17th Sanctuary Wildlife Awards ceremony at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai on December 2, 2016. List of awardees enclosed

Bittu Sahgal, Founder and Editor, Sanctuary Asia said, “Since the year 2000, Sanctuary has celebrated extraordinary men and women who have dedicated their lives to safeguard the future of wild nature… all our lives actually. Largely unnoticed in the larger scheme of national development, these Earth Heroes’ hearts beat for nature and they do what they do from inner conviction, undeterred by threats, obstacles, or distractions. These men and women are nation-builders, planet-protectors and were nominated by Sanctuary Asia readers and supporters from across the country. Sanctuary is extremely grateful to our sponsors, DSP BlackRock and Deutsche Bank for their unstinting support, which goes far beyond mere financial assistance.”

Hemendra Kothari, Chairman, DSP BlackRock, said, “For us at DSP BlackRock, supporting tigers and Sanctuary comes very naturally. We also believe that just like we honour the members of our armed forces, everyone should also respect and honour the brave individuals who battle against all odds to keep India’s wild landscapes safe for future generations. It should be clear to economists, bankers and others that economic growth without ecological security will not only adversely impact our businesses, but will threaten the water and food security of our great nation. Over the years we have been proud to stand shoulder by shoulder with Sanctuary and the Earth Heroes we are honouring. They are nation builders and future generations will recognise them as the founders of a new India, which rises not merely on its economic but also on its ecologic strength.”

Ravneet Gill, CEO – India, Deutsche Bank, said, “Deutsche Bank is committed to supporting sustainable growth, which is built on a thriving ecological foundation. Our coming together with Sanctuary to honour wildlife heroes is an expression of this resolve, as is the support to the Community Nature Conservancy programme in Umred-Karhandla, which seeks to make local communities the primary beneficiaries of renewed biodiversity. We remain determined to continue deepening and strengthening the links between people, the economy and ecology.”

The winners of Sanctuary Asia’s Wildlife Photography Awards 2016, selected from over 5000 entries, will also be felicitated at the event. The panel of judges for the photography contest included National Geographic conservation photographer Steve Winter, founder of kolkattabirds.com Sumit Sen, Sanctuary Asia’s Image Consultant and conservation photographer Nayan Khanolkar, Head, Natural History and Science, Sanctuary Asia Dr. Parvish Pandya, Executive Editor, Sanctuary Asia Lakshmy Raman and Editor, Sanctuary Asia Bittu Sahgal.