Page 7 - Aatmava Sarvabhuteshu_Final Report_Neat

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are also thankful to Mr. Vishnubhai Desai DCF, Chhota Udepur for his
support and extending necessary facilities during our fieldwork.

The project “Aatmavat Sarvabhuteshu” is implemented The project team is grateful to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, the Bollywood superstar
with a goal to seek long-term solutions for reducing the for giving his video message in the short documentary film “Sloth bear: The Bear
human-sloth bear conflicts in sloth bear habitats of of Indian Subcontinent”. His message has created a special impact in creating
western India. We are grateful to many individuals, awareness among the local community. We sincerely thank our volunteers, Mr.
national and international organizations and Gujarat Pradip Nayak, Ahmedabad, for making sloth bear sketches, Mr. Harsh Rana and
Forest Department for their support, partnership and Nisha Patel for preparing sloth bear illustrations that we used in our
helping us technically, logistically and financially. The educational materials. Thanks to our past researchers Mr. Sachin Daraji, Ms.
project initiated in February 2019 in central Gujarat, is a Vaidehi Shah, and Ms. Shruti Patel for their active involvement and services

huge success. Thanks to the involvement of volunteers during the first year of this project. We sincerely appreciate the contribution of
and support of our donors and partners. our interns, Ms Aishwarya Laghate, Ms. Rutika Pandya, and Ms. Shraddha Sinha
for designing information posters, illustrations and promoting this project on
We are grateful to Mrs. Aradhana Sahu and Dr K social media through their sincere efforts. We sincerely acknowledge Mr Aditya
Sasikumar CFs (Wildlife) of Vadodara circle to approve our Dharaiya for helping the project team in mapping and GIS analysis. We would
proposal to conduct the community outreach and like to give special thanks to Ar Richa Raut, Assistant Professor of Architecture
education and providing the startup funds. We are from Rachana Sansad Mumbai, for giving her valuable time in designing the
thankful to Dr. Dhaval Gadhavi and Mr. Ravirajsinh bear book for children.
Rathod, the Deputy Conservator of Forests of Vadodara
wildlife division for logistic and financial support during A special word of thanks to the Board of Directors and Members of governing
the fieldwork. 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
We are also indebted to our donors: The Serenity Trust- WCB Research Lab at HNG University for moral support, providing us
Ahmedabad, The Bear Trust International - USA, Allwetter intellectual company during the lab work, and offering the lab facilities. The

Zoo, Zoo Leipzig of Germany and other European Zoos under The EAZA Bear authorities at Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University- Patan have
TAG Program for the financial and technical support throughout the project. extended laboratory facilities and administrative support.
We also thank the organizations like, IUCN Bear Specialist Group, International We sincerely appreciate and are grateful to all the media, including
Association for Bear Research and Management (IBA) for their technical and Doordarshan, Ahmedabad, All India Radio, Top FM Radio, newspapers-
financial support respectively in conducting capacity building programmes for Divyabhaskar, Times of India, Gujarat Samaachar, Sandesh, and Mr. Mahesh
forest field staff and research students during the project period (2019-2023). Shah, a senior journalist from Chitralekha magazine for giving nation-wide
We have no words to thank Mr. Marshal Alaze (EEP Coordinator, Leipzig Zoo, coverage of our education programmes and activities. The team is highly
Germany) for helping us in fundraising through EAZA Bear TAG group. Without thankful to Ritesh Gohil for his interest in the community outreach work and
his help, many components of the project would not have been possible. Dr. writing article on the sloth bear conservation.
Jennifer Sevin and her students from the University of Florida, USA have helped Last but not the least, our sincere thanks to all the villagers, school teachers,
us in fundraising and formulating the education materials and training village heads, forest field staff and research students across the country for
manuals for this project. joining our education programmes, outreach activities and trainings
respectively throughout the project period and appreciating our efforts to save
We are heartily thankful to PCCF (Wildlife) and the Wildlife Warden of Gujarat the sloth bear and people of central Gujarat.

state for approval of this project and financial assistance.
~Team Aatmavat Sarvabhuteshu