Page 6 - Aatmava Sarvabhuteshu_Final Report_Neat

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The project “Aatmavat Sarvabhuteshu” is implemented
with a goal to seek long-term solutions for reducing the
human-sloth bear conflicts in sloth bear habitats of
western India. We are grateful to many individuals,
national and international organizations and Gujarat
Forest Department for their support, partnership and
helping us technically, logistically and financially. The
project initiated in February 2019 in central Gujarat, is a
huge success. Thanks to the involvement of volunteers
and support of our donors and partners.
We are grateful to Mrs. Aradhana Sahu and Dr K
Sasikumar CFs (Wildlife) of Vadodara circle to approve our
proposal to conduct the community outreach and
education and providing the startup funds. We are
thankful to Dr. Dhaval Gadhavi and Mr. Ravirajsinh
Rathod, the Deputy Conservator of Forests of Vadodara
wildlife division for logistic and financial support during
the fieldwork.
We are also indebted to our donors: The Serenity Trust-
Ahmedabad, The Bear Trust International - USA, Allwetter
Zoo, Zoo Leipzig of Germany and other European Zoos under The EAZA Bear
TAG Program for the financial and technical support throughout the project.
We also thank the organizations like, IUCN Bear Specialist Group, International
Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) for their technical and
financial support respectively in conducting capacity building programmes for
forest field staff and research students during the project period (2019-2023).
We have no words to thank Mr. Marshal Alaze (EEP Coordinator, Leipzig Zoo,
Germany) for helping us in fundraising through EAZA Bear TAG group. Without
his help, many components of the project would not have been possible. Dr.
Jennifer Sevin and her students from the University of Florida, USA have helped
us in fundraising and formulating the education materials and training
manuals for this project.
We are heartily thankful to PCCF (Wildlife) and the Wildlife Warden of Gujarat
state for approval of this project and financial assistance.
We are also thankful to Mr. Vishnubhai Desai DCF, Chhota Udepur for his
support and extending necessary facilities during our fieldwork.
The project team is grateful to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, the Bollywood superstar
for giving his video message in the short documentary film “Sloth bear: The Bear
of Indian Subcontinent”. His message has created a special impact in creating
awareness among the local community. We sincerely thank our volunteers, Mr.
Pradip Nayak, Ahmedabad, for making sloth bear sketches, Mr. Harsh Rana and
Nisha Patel for preparing sloth bear illustrations that we used in our
educational materials. Thanks to our past researchers Mr. Sachin Daraji, Ms.
Vaidehi Shah, and Ms. Shruti Patel for their active involvement and services
during the first year of this project. We sincerely appreciate the contribution of
our interns, Ms Aishwarya Laghate, Ms. Rutika Pandya, and Ms. Shraddha Sinha
for designing information posters, illustrations and promoting this project on
social media through their sincere efforts. We sincerely acknowledge Mr Aditya
Dharaiya for helping the project team in mapping and GIS analysis. We would
like to give special thanks to Ar Richa Raut, Assistant Professor of Architecture
from Rachana Sansad Mumbai, for giving her valuable time in designing the
bear book for children.
A special word of thanks to the Board of Directors and Members of governing
council of WCB Research Foundation for technical approval and their guidance
during the project. We are also taking note and thanking our colleagues at the
WCB Research Lab at HNG University for moral support, providing us
intellectual company during the lab work, and offering the lab facilities. The
authorities at Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University- Patan have
extended laboratory facilities and administrative support.
We sincerely appreciate and are grateful to all the media, including
Doordarshan, Ahmedabad, All India Radio, Top FM Radio, newspapers-
Divyabhaskar, Times of India, Gujarat Samaachar, Sandesh, and Mr. Mahesh
Shah, a senior journalist from Chitralekha magazine for giving nation-wide
coverage of our education programmes and activities. The team is highly
thankful to Ritesh Gohil for his interest in the community outreach work and
writing article on the sloth bear conservation.
Last but not the least, our sincere thanks to all the villagers, school teachers,
village heads, forest field staff and research students across the country for
joining our education programmes, outreach activities and trainings
respectively throughout the project period and appreciating our efforts to save
the sloth bear and people of central Gujarat.
~Team Aatmavat Sarvabhuteshu