This year, the United Nations (UN) made a staggering announcement that the global human population would reach eight billion on 15 November 2022. And it sure did! This mammoth population relies on state-of-the-art facilities and rampant usage of natural resources. Due to anthropogenic activities, the planet has undergone surface changes of up to 75 percent — confining wildlife and our environment into a much tinier space. Today, nearly one million animals and plants are threatened with extinction, as per a report compiled by the UN.
In order to decelerate biodiversity loss, the involvement of not just conservationists, but humankind as a whole is essential. Thus, participation by corporations and locals is extremely crucial to conserve wildlife. To showcase their support towards this endeavour, renowned hotels in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, joined hands with Wildlife SOS recently.
Courtyard By Marriott
As a part of their Global Customer Appreciation Week 2022 celebrations, Courtyard by Marriott, Agra along with some of their esteemed partners initiated a fundraising event for Wildlife SOS. Twelve members from their team visited the Elephant Care and Conservation Centre (ECCC) in Mathura on 15 November.
The session was kickstarted with a presentation about wildlife conservation, focusing especially on elephants and the threats they face. Following this, the members received a tour of our centre, which was led by Wildlife SOS Education Officer, Mr. Shivam Rai. Visitors also had an opportunity to meet our resident elephants which included the trio — Maya, Phoolkali, and Emma — along with Lakshmi, who is known as India’s skinniest elephant, and Suzy, our geriatric pachyderm. While introducing these elephants, our team also informed the visitors about the horrors they have faced in the past, their rescue stories, and the striking change in their lives now. The members were also made aware of the day-to-day activities that take place in order to provide utmost care to the rehabilitated elephants, such as target training practice, medical examinations, and distribution of enrichments that elephants delightfully rummage through.
On October 12, Wildlife SOS, in collaboration with the IUCN Sloth Bear Expert Team and the Uttar Pradesh forest department, celebrated the World’s first Sloth Bear Day. The inaugural event, organised at the Courtyard by Marriott, Agra, was attended by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force of Uttar Pradesh Forest Department – Smt. Mamta Sanjeev Dubey, IFS along with the Member Secretary of the Central Zoo Authority, Govt. of India – Dr Sanjay Kumar Shukla, IFS, among several dignitaries. Wildlife SOS also invited students from schools in Agra to participate in art and creative writing competitions, and the winners were presented with trophies and certificates for their efforts.
The Need for Conservation Efforts
On 11 November, Wildlife SOS Elephant Care and Conservation Centre welcomed employees from The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra. The visiting group consisted of 15 department managers and they were given a tour of the centre along with the opportunity to interact with the facility’s staff. While witnessing the elephants under care, they were also made aware of the dire conditions they were rescued from and the urgent need for rehabilitation.
Wildlife SOS has worked for over 25 years towards wildlife conservation, becoming one of India’s largest wildlife rescue organisations. Along with providing care to the rescued and rehabilitated wild animals, Wildlife SOS is dedicated towards educating and creating awareness amongst the masses. We conduct numerous seminars, webinars and workshops that elicit meaningful conversations about conservation. Through our awareness and outreach programmes, we strive to evoke a sense of compassion within the local communities and changemakers. A more sensitised understanding of the environment is sure to inspire people to come forward and protect it.
If you and your team wish to learn about our work on wildlife through field visits and workshops, contact us at visit@wildlifesos.org.
