A wildlife guide from Madhya Pradesh, a restaurant from Nepal and a nature tour operator from Netherlands were some of the winners at the fifth edition of TOFTigers Wildlife Awards here Thursday evening.
Organised by TOFTigers, in association with Sanctuary Nature Foundation, the ceremony saw awards distributed in eight categories including "Lodge Naturalist", "Wildlife and Tourism Initiative", and "Up and Coming Excellence in Nature Award".
Ramkali Dhurway from Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh won the "Billy Arjan Singh Memorial Award for Wildlife Guide" and Jatayu vulture restaurant from Nepal, which is famous for preserving vultures by providing them safe food, was given the "Wildlife Tourism Related Community Initiative" award.
With the theme of "Inclusive Conservation - People and Wildlife", the awards aim to highlight and reward individuals, businesses, service providers and community enterprises who have been leading the way in wilderness destinations in the Indian subcontinent, the organisers said.
"Today is the Unite Nations World Tourism Day, so it is a very appropriate occasion to celebrate the best of the best in nature tourism and how it is helping to sustain the protection and conservation of precious wildlife and wilderness across the sub-continent," Sir Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India said during the event.
The award ceremony was attended by noted environmental activist Bittu Sahgal and wildlife expert Raghu Chundawat among others.
Chundawat also launched his wildlife report titled 'The Value of Wildlife Tourism in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve'.
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