Guwahati, Oct 24 Assam Minister for Environment and Forests Jayanta Malla Baruah on Saturday said that several steps have been initiated to enhance women’s participation in wildlife conservation, particularly for protecting the endangered western hoolock gibbon, at Barekuri in Tinsukia district.
Barekuri village exemplifies how community spirit and women’s participation can contribute to wildlife conservation, with a cycling competition organised to raise awareness about the endangered western hoolock gibbon.
Scheduled for October 24 to mark World Gibbon Day, the initiative highlights how local communities can play a vital role in protecting the state’s unique wildlife.
“Our forests and wildlife can thrive when conservation becomes a shared responsibility. By encouraging women to participate, engaging local communities and promoting nature-based tourism, Barekuri is showing how people and wildlife can coexist and how local communities can play a vital role in protecting the animals,” Baruah said in a social media post.
On World Gibbon Day, the Barekuri Environment-Tourism Development Society and the Barekuri Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Society organised a gibbon sighting programme from 6 am, followed by a cycling competition for women aged 20 and above to encourage greater public involvement in conservation and strengthen ecotourism in the region, he said.
Barekuri, located around 16 kilometres from Tinsukia town, is known for its unusual coexistence of people and wild primates.
Around 20 to 21 western hoolock gibbons from five family groups live among bamboo groves and fruit trees in village backyards.
Residents have developed close relationships with these animals, demonstrating how community awareness and everyday actions support wildlife protection.
The minister pointed out that habitat fragmentation, electrocution and food scarcity are major threats to the gibbons.
Conservation efforts include planting thousands of fruit-bearing trees, insulating power lines and planning a green corridor linking Barekuri with Bherjan-Borajan-Padumoni Wildlife Sanctuary, he said.
These measures aim to improve habitat connectivity and support the species’ long-term survival, he added.
”Every protected tree, every safer power line and every community member who stands up for wildlife matters, Assam’s conservation journey grows stronger when local action becomes a collective commitment to protecting nature for future generations,” the minister said.
(PTI News)
