The Corbett Foundation (TCF) and Kaziranga National Park jointly celebrated World Wildlife Day on Tuesday on the theme, Sustaining all Life on Earth.

Daylong activities organised in the park by frontline staff and officers and the TCF team were attended by students of five schools around Kaziranga, teachers, artists and media representatives.

The students were taken on a guided tour to the park’s central range by range officer Salim Ali and briefed about the diverse flora and fauna. They were also taken to the Kathphora and Daflong towers and captured the view of wetlands and tall grasses on beautiful greeting cards. Some of the cards also reflected the pain and sufferings of wild animals and people.

After an hour, the students returned to Mihimukh where the TCF had organised a photo exhibition. Divisional forest officer, Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, Ramesh Gogoi, interacted with them at the tower and the exhibition. Students and teachers from Dalgaon College, Darrang, participated in the interactive session.

As they left the park, the students gifted their greeting cards to tourists and thanked them for visiting Kaziranga. Many teachers said this to tourists was a new approach to promote tourism.

Naveen Pandey, a renowned conservation medicine specialist and deputy director and veterinary adviser to TCF, Kaziranga, said the programme was very successful as the students took part with full enthusiasm. “It is important to highlight the link between wildlife conservation and sustainable eco-tourism. Students from the fringe villages are ambassadors of the goodwill generated by the park through eco-tourism. Their engagement will result in a healthy relationship of the local community and park management. Students will shape the attitude of future generations towards wildlife,” he said.