Kota (RJ) Mar 26 (PTI) Anita Chaudhary, a forest guard posted at Rajasthan’s Shergarh sanctuary, has been conferred with the ‘Machhli National Award’ presented by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature.
The award, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to wildlife rescue and conservation and entails a Rs 50,000 cash prize, was presented at a state-level function held in Jaipur on Monday.
Chaudhary, who joined the forest department in 2016 and served at the Shergarh sanctuary for nearly a decade, has rescued more than 500 wild animals, including several rare and dangerous species. Her work often involves significant personal risk, as she has repeatedly intervened in critical situations to ensure both wildlife safety and protection of local residents.
Apart from rescue operations, Chaudhary has played a key role in curbing illegal activities in the forest area. She has led campaigns against illegal mining, tree felling, unauthorised collection of tendu leaves, and encroachment on forest land.
“While serving on duty alone in the middle of the forest, forest guard Anita Chaudhary performed noteworthy tasks including rescue of animals including crocodiles, arrested poachers, including the one hunting wild boar and jailed him and stopped completely the unauthorised collection of tendu leaves in her area despite aggressive opposition of her campaign by local villagers,” said Anurag Bhatnagar, Assistant Conservator of Forest and Wildlife, Kota.
Her consistent efforts have earned her recognition at multiple levels, including state, divisional, district, and sub-divisional levels.
Chaudhary is particularly noted for her crocodile rescue operations. Of the more than 550 rescues she has carried out, over 50 involved crocodiles. In one widely cited incident, she safely rescued a nearly six-foot-long crocodile that had entered a 70-year-old woman’s house and hidden under a cot, averting a potentially dangerous situation.
“The honour to forest guard Anita Chaudhary with the prestigious Macchli award will motivate forest personnel to exhibit their commitment to wildlife. She has consistently displayed courage and commitment to duty throughout her work, and that has fetched the award,” said Vivekanand Bade, district forest officer, Baran. PTI COR RUK RUK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.