National webinar organized to observe Wildlife Week

ALIGARH  : The Department of Wildlife Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University organized a one-day webinar to observe the “National Wildlife Week-2023, along with a plantation drive at Biodiversity and Environmental Studies section of the department.

Eminent scientist, Prof. Gopi G.V., Head, Department of Endangered Species Management, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) delivered a talk on “Biodiversity / Wildlife Conservation in Northeast”, a biodiversity hotspot of India. He discussed the effective role of advanced techniques like radio-telemetry and camera trapping in wildlife conservation.
Earlier, welcoming the guest speaker, Dr. Nazneen Zehra (Organizing Secretary) said that the Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav coincides with the Wildlife Conservation celebration and we are fortunate to have a visionary Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, under whose guidance India successfully re-introduced Cheetah conservation in Kuno National Park.

Mr. Arun Chaudhary highlighted the importance of the Wildlife Week and shed light on India’s status as one of the mega-bio diverse countries. He called for wildlife awareness in view of the prevailing threats, including habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species, pollution and diseases, to more than 42000 species with the risk of extinction.

The keynote speaker, Prof. P.K. Malik, who is involved in Cheetah Reintroduction Programme, spoke on “Human-Wildlife Interface, Biodiversity Loss and Climate Change: Relationship with Disease Emergence”.

Sana Zameer opened the webinar, while Mr. Intakhab proposed a vote of thanks. Devanshu and Aliyan managed the telecast of the webinar successfully.
About 600 participants from across the country and abroad attended the webinar.

Under the plantation drive carried out at the arboretum, dry deciduous saplings were planted under the leadership of Prof. Jamal A. Khan.