Cheque being handed over to Mr Ananta Ray

Bongaigaon, May 20, 2015: As a part of the International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) Supplemental Accident Insurance Scheme, ex-gratia support of Rs 25,000 was handed over to Mr. Ananta Ray. A Forester-I employed in the Panbari Range of Manas National Park, Mr Ray was attacked and injured by a wild elephant while he was patrolling the forest on May 10, 2015.

The IFAW-WTI team along with Mr. B Bobra, Range Officer, Panbari Range, visited Lower Assam Hospital, Bongaigaon, where Mr Ray is recovering from his injuries. The team spoke to the family of the injured Forester and Mr Bobra handed over a cheque to Mr Ray who has made a quick recovery and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the next few days.

“I came to know more about IFAW-WTI during the Wildlife Crime Prevention Training held in Bansbari in 2013. Today, I have no words to express my feelings while accepting this cheque from IFAW-WTI. I hope that forest staff would get a moral boost when they come to know about the crucial support that has been provided to me when I needed it most,” said Mr. Ray.

Mr. Ray was referring to the Van Rakshak Programme (VRP) training held in 2013 wherein a total of 100 frontline forest staff of Manas National Park, Manas Reserve Forest, Kachugaon Reserve Forest and Ripu Reserve Forest in Greater Manas were trained and equipped. In a bid to equip and strengthen the frontline forest staff of the country, IFAW-WTI has been conducting Wildlife Crime Prevention Training Programmes, under the VRP since 2001. VRP follows a multi-pronged strategy with four thrust areas, abbreviated as TEAM: Training, Equipping, Awareness and Morale Boosting, to broadly facilitate capacity building and strengthen spirits of personnel in tough field circumstances.

As protecting India’s natural heritage is fast taking the shape of an armed conflict with wild animals, armed poachers and timber smugglers, WTI runs India’s only NGO Supplementary Accident Insurance scheme, which brings all the frontline field wildlife staff in the country under an insurance umbrella, and covers them for Rs 100,000 on death or permanent disability. Today, 23 states have joined this scheme and more than 130 families have availed this insurance. Moreover, 20,000 field staff across the country have been covered against death/permanent disability while on duty. The Van Rakshak Project has trained and equipped over 15,000 forest staff in more than 150 Protected Areas of India and trans-boundary areas of Bhutan.