GREEN WARRIOR
He is tomorrow’s face of wildlife protection and he is dedicated to helping protect the country’s endangered natural heritage. Bajrang Bishnoi, 16, is from a remote tribal community in Rajasthan and is passionate about the conservation of the environment.
Besides being one of the principal members of the Bishnoi flying squad to stop animal poaching in villages, Bajrang practices his religion actively, which includes love for all living creatures, a vegetarian diet and protecting desert animals and treating them as his own family members. His first field combat for wildlife took place in August 2002, when two poachers killed 10 Chinkaras from Samrathal Dhora, a sacred forest for the Bishnois. The incident charted his course of life as a protector of wildlife.
Ravi Aggarwal, an environmental activist and wildlife photographer says, “The Bishnois of Rajasthan are known for their animal reverence and protection and these values are deeply rooted in Bajrang. His respect towards nature at such a young age truly makes him an extraordinary person. If this is the face of tomorrow, India has a great green future.”
He inspires hope for the future, says Medha Patkar, social activist. She states, “In today’s modern world, where kids of his age only care about parties and PlayStations, efforts made by this young lad to save nature are astonishing. Such young naturalists should be felicitated as they work tirelessly to safeguard our planet from the worst impacts of climate change.”
For his efforts to protect nature, Bajrang was honoured as one of the India’s Earth Heroes and was given the “Young Naturalist” award by Sanctuary Asia magazine. His involvement does not stop at anti-poaching operations. On a daily basis, he takes care of wild creatures and often rescues and treats injured animals at the Bishnoi’s gaushala (cow shelter). He studies in the Sanskrit Gurukul of the Bishnois, and is keen to learn all that he can about the natural world from modern teachers as well.
Filmmaker and conservationist Mike Pandey says, “It is heartening to know that youngsters are becoming sensitive towards the environment. It’s truly remarkable for a kid like Bajrang to make such sincere efforts to put his house (nature) in order. It can be the call of the wild or his sixth sense which motivated him towards eco-system. Bajrang is a role model, whose great deeds will act as a catalyst in inspiring the country’s young naturalists.”
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