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Purnima Devi BarmanThis activist from Assam. It is highly probable you have not heard of her.She is an activist from Assam who has been working for over a decade for the conservation of the endangered adjutant stork.Ever since she started the numbers of this bird were dwindling and the count was as low as 30. But with her continued hard work and determination she formed the Hargila Army, an all-female team of conservationists dedicated to protecting the greater adjutant stork and through this programme, she helped provide sustainable livelihood, training and education opportunities. The project is also giving marginalised women a voice. Together they are changing local perceptions and numbers of stork nests have risen from 30 seven years ago to over 150 today.She recently won the Whitley Awards, one of the most coveted awards for environmentalists also known as the Green Oscars recently and was awarded by Princess Anne in London.Barman was selected from among 166 researchers from 66 countries and will receive 35,000 pounds prize money in project funding over one year.Fortunately her work got international recognition but the domestic government has failed to appreciate the brilliant efforts.Our media unfortunately is busy covering stupid spats between celebs and who’s dating whom that such noble people get overshadowed in the process.Even the social media is crowded by nuisances like Dhinchak Pooja(yes please be offended if you are!) that such work goes unreported.Hope she gets the appreciation back at home too.Thanks for reading.Links:Environmentalist Purnima Devi Barman wins Green Oscars - Times of India

There is something. And it's not something that will get lost in the enormousness of wildlife conservation issues that are happening in the world. It won't be the proverbial drop in the bucket. It is something that is meaningful, and can almost guarantee that you have made a difference in the life or suffering of at least one animal, the very first time you take action on it. You don't have to be a Democrat or a Republican… a hunter or a tree hugger. The only requirement is that you are human… and that this image bothers you:Yes, that is what it looks like. That is a photo of a large bird… a Cormorant… that was hanged by the neck until dead; without the mercy of a quick death that we’ve shown humans who we have hanged as punishment for some atrocity. This innocent bird committed no atrocities. He was simply living, until one day he was dying by slow torture, and it was directly caused by one particular human being. At least one; perhaps there were accomplices.It may at first seem like I'm being over-dramatic, but please do read on. You will see that that's not the case.What I'm talking about here is something that may seem very inconsequential to you right now, but I assure you that it isn't. If you haven't guessed by now, what I'm talking about is the seemingly meaningless act of fisherman all over the planet, who get a tangled or snagged line, and simply toss it aside and continue fishing.Now you may be thinking “Oh my God. That's all he's talking about, with this big build-up?!”Yes. It is. But it's not a small problem. It is a very large problem that is happening in incredibly large numbers even as I write this, and even as you read this, whenever that may be. It's an issue that gets nearly zero coverage. But yet, it tortures to death bird after bird after bird after bird all day long, every day around the world.Fishermen… and women… I'm beggin’ ya… don't just break off your line and bundle it up and drop it! There is a substantially large probability that it WILL end up torturing a bird or other type of wildlife to death. It's a far more common issue than nearly anyone thinks it is.But you say “But I never leave a hook on it when I throw it away!”I assure you… it doesn't matter. Most grisly animal deaths of this nature are not caused by the hook. The hook just adds to it.You may say… “But I don't even fish!”It doesn't matter. It's a certainty that at least some of you… many of you around the world have seen a tangled mass of fishing line on the ground, in the weeds, in a bush, near a river or lake or seashore at some point in your life… and many more of you will see it in the future. How many of you have picked it up? How many of you have seen a friend or stranger toss it away?“C’mon, how often does this actually happen?”Well, let me give you a first hand example:May 8th, 2020May 11th, 2020:May 20th, 2020:That's what I have come across just this month… in fact, all within 12 days… all within 75 YARDS OF EACH OTHER.“Okay, so you've made your point. It happens frequently. But how often does it really torture animals to death? It can't be all THAT much”.Well, having worked at a Raptor Rescue Hospital, I've seen the horrific results more than once. But let me get to that in a bit. First let me quote a few paragraphs from one biologist’s writings:Little thought is given to snipping monofilament fishing line line when it gets tangled in shoreline trees and shrubs, or when it becomes snagged on submerged vegetation. A typical response is “Darn, that was my favorite lure!”BUT THE PROBLEM IS MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT!Monofilament fishing line is by far the most dangerous kind of debris encountered by wildlife.Discarded fishing line routinely entangles and kills birds, fish, turtles, frogs, and small mammals; and the hooks that are attached to the snagged line cause internal bleeding if swallowed. And if the hook is embedded in the tongue, which is typical, it prevents the animal from eating, leading to starvation until death finally occurs. Both common and protected species of birds are found with fishing line tangled around their legs, wings and beaks. And many have been found hanging upside down in trees, exhausted after hours of struggling to extricate themselves.The restricted ability of entangled wildlife to move leads to drowning, starvation, vulnerability to predators, infections and even limb amputation as the animal struggles against the line or embedded hooks.That is a part of a paper by Dr. Ellen Rudolph. One of many many such papers and articles.Discarded Fishing Line Kills Wildlife!Now, I have written about this before. But my few casual strolls these past weeks right by my house have shown me so many tangled masses of line that I feel compelled to give this another try so that not any one of you will ever walk by such a dangerous object on the ground again, and you will in fact tell others about it so that they understand it is not a small problem.Here is my previous attempt at helping people to understand:“…was hanging from a branch, being slowly strangled and constricted by that fishing line, for 4 to 5 days…”I'm constantly reminding hunters and shooters to not use lead shot or bullets, because of the havoc that lead-poisoning plays on wildlife. Now, I’d like to make a request—no… demand—of fishermen, regarding throwing away tangled fishing line: Don’t do it!This is what happens:Photo by Roy W. Lowe, U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceThat is an upside-down osprey, tangled in fishing line. Dying.Below, is the Patient Intake Report on another beautiful osprey, that was checked into the Carolina Raptor Center. It was questionable if she would survive the night. Someone was careless with their discarded fishing line, and it ensnared her. It was tangled on her foot, then got entangled in branches.How very tragic. She was too injured, too weak, and in too much pain to even get x-rays taken.Photo by Susan Ahalt, Courtesy of Ironside Bird RescueShe did get a very thorough examination. Let’s go behind the scenes at the Raptor Hospital, and take a look at that medical report:------------- MEDICAL INTAKE REPORT ----------------Patient Species: OSPREYHistory: Finders found bird hanging in tree while on boat in lake. Reported that the fishing line was wrapped around her neck as well as around her body and down to her right foot.------------- PHYSICAL EXAM FINDINGS ----------------Behavior and Neuro : slight head tick, not holding head upGlottis : breathing labored when laying downLeft humerus : soft tissue wound on ventral side, green bruisingLeft ulna/radius: soft tissue wound on ventral side, green bruising, appeared to be dead tendon exposedLeft wing: severe droopRight foot, ankle, digits : toes 3 and 4 very dark blue and stiff in color, may have had circulation cut off since fishing line was tangled around themVent: very soiled and there appeared to be some fresh bloodDid not want to anesthetize for x-ray due to bird's condition. Did not anesthetize to clean wounds, kept on oxygen, could barely hold head up and keep eyes open. Cleaned wounds upright because she was having labored breathing on her back. Applied Tegaderm to wound on ulna/rad since the tendon appeared to be dried out if not already dead.------------- TREATMENT ----------------60cc LRS w/ vit B0.20cc torb0.10cc iron dex0.10cc meloxi1 large tab clavamoxnutricalPlaced in the turf padded kennel, was very awkward in towel donut, so tried to prop her up as best as possible so that her head stayed upright.That was her medical report on the evening she was admitted.The dedicated staff at the Raptor Hospital gave her World Class Service.Photo by Stefan Pociask, courtesy of Carolina Raptor CenterDespite that, I'm sorry to report that this patient, our beautiful "Sea Hawk”, didn't make it through the night. She was found dead in the morning. Our poor osprey was hanging from a branch, being slowly strangled and constricted by that fishing line, for 4 to 5 days; suffering stress and injuries from which she couldn’t recover. It’s heartbreaking, and so avoidable.Photo by Carly Ouzts, courtesy of Carolina Raptor CenterAt least with the pain-killers, she passed peacefully and comfortably. But somewhere, there was a nest, with a life-long mate, and possibly some chicks, who waited expectantly, and in vain, for this mama osprey to come home from her fishing trip.Please... never discard your tangled fishing line, folks. Put it in your pocket. Always… no exceptions. Someone else often ends up paying for it.Osprey will collect discarded line, and bring it to line their nest. To them, it looks like soft fluff, to make the nest comfortable. But what happens, is that the line will entangle a baby osprey or one of the adults. And then it’s only a matter of time.Photo by Susan Ahalt, Courtesy of Ironside Bird RescueIn the picture above, the mate in the nest had to watch and fret helplessly, as her lifetime partner flailed for his life, right below her. Who knows, for how many hours, or how many days, all the while, the line cutting deeper into the ankle and eventually simply encircling the bone.People often wonder what they can do, to personally help wildlife. If you like to fish, I know you’ve heard that you shouldn’t let your tangled or broken line float away or get thrown in the bushes. But in case you never really knew what could happen… well, now you have a better idea. Large birds hang themselves. It happens much more often than you may realize. Yes, it’s a real thing. I see it much too often on our examination table in the hospital; and that’s only the ones that get hung up in an area that people happen to see them, and not in the woods, where they writhe, suspended, all alone, until they die of stress, pain and exposure; and that’s only the ones that are still alive when people happen to find them helplessly hanging and flapping.Photo by Susan Ahalt, Courtesy of Ironside Bird RescueThis isn’t a problem suffered only by osprey. Here is a mallard hen with a hook stuck in her cheek; the other end of the line caught in a bush. The duck was trapped in the water, just off shore, with no way to get loose.Photo by Susan Ahalt, Courtesy of Ironside Bird RescueIf Susan Ahalt, from Ironside Bird Rescue , hadn’t found out, and been able to wade out and free this lady duck… you can only imagine what a long and lonely death would have resulted.Photo by Susan Ahalt, Courtesy of Ironside Bird RescueSo, here’s that one weird trick that anyone and everyone can do… should do… if you see some discarded line along the river bank, in a bush, in the parking lot near the lake: Don’t just walk by, like most people will. Be weird… be different… be a hero… be the one who makes a difference, and gather it up, would you? We’ve got innocent friends out there, who’d really appreciate it. There’s someone who depends on them getting back home.Screen capture, Boulder County Osprey CamSo that's the article I wrote maybe a year ago. Hopefully some people took it to heart and picked up those tangles of line they found and cut through it once with scissors before throwing it in the trash. But of course there are millions more of you out there who don't understand yet, and never gave it a second thought. So I'm giving it another try and am asking you again to now understand and pick it up when you see it. Birds love the stuff and take it to their nests. Others get tangled in it just by flying from tree to tree. And yet others eat the bait or the lure or just get snagged on the hook. All of them suffer terribly, as most all these things happen in the woods where nobody ever finds them. So this is what you can remember and do to save a wild animal. Pick it up and pass the word. Explain it to people. And you fishermen… for God's sake… please stop leaving your line behind. Just don't. And teach your kids as well. It matters.Thank you.There are thousands of photos like this. Need I go on? This isn't like the horrible but occasional plastic straw in a turtle's nose. This… happens… all… the… time.Feel free to share this one. Especially with hikers, campers, and fishermen. Every person who understands the dangers could be one more bird saved.

Dashrath Manjhi (1934 - 2007) was born into a poor laborer family in Gahlour village near Gaya in Bihar, India. He is also known as Mountain Man. Dashrath Manjhi's wife, Falguni Devi, died due to lack of medical treatment because the nearest town with a doctor was 70 kilometers (43 mi) away from their village in Bihar, India.Dashrath did not want anyone else to suffer the same fate as his wife, so he carved a 360-foot-long (110 m) through-cut, 25-foot-deep (7.6 m) in places and 30-foot-wide (9.1 m) to form a road through a mountain in the Gehlour hills, working day and night for 22 years from 1960 to 1982. His feat reduced the distance between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks of the Gaya district from 80 km to 13 km, bringing him national acclaim.Source - Dashrath ManjhiIndian man single-handedly plants a 1,360-acre forest-Jadav Payeng turned a barren sandbar in northern India into a lush new forest ecosystem.The forest, called the Molai woods, is a safe haven for numerous birds, deer, rhinos, tigers and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss.A little more than 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav "Molai" Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India's Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng planted — single-handedly.The Times of India recently caught up with Payeng in his remote forest lodge to learn more about how he came to leave such an indelible mark on the landscape.It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life."The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng, now 47.While it's taken years for Payeng's remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn't take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deer, rhinos, tigers and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss.Despite the conspicuousness of Payeng's project, forestry officials in the region first learned of this new forest in 2008 — and since then they've come to recognize his efforts as truly remarkable, but perhaps not enough."We're amazed at Payeng," says Gunin Saikia, assistant conservator of Forests. "He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero."Source Mohit Arora's answer to Facts and Trivia: What are some of the most random but interesting facts or stories you know?&Arpit Tolani's answer to What are some of the most random but interesting facts or stories you know?