The leading wildlife conservation group Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) has implemented a multifaceted community-oriented approach to accomplish its objectives in the ongoing effort to promote coexistence and lessen human elephant conflict (HEC). The multi-dimensional strategy comprises of staging street plays to sensitise the HEC-affected communities on ways to usher in an ecosystem of coexistence with wild elephants as well as providing the community options of alternative crops not palatable to elephants so as to supplement their livelihood in HEC affected areas where traditional crop culture stands vulnerable to depredation by wild elephants.
Aaranyak organized a street play at the 13th Indo-Bhutan Friendship Mela in Subankhata, Baksa district o January 25 in coordination with Subankhata Bi-weekly Market Management Committee and with support from the SBI Foundation. The play, titled “Koka Nati Aru Hati”, was performed by a group of students from Sripanchami Himalee High School, Bhutankhuti, who were earlier trained by the Aaranyak team.