“Proud to be part of the team that’s securing India’s natural heritage”, says the actor-filmmaker and former Miss Asia-Pacific, a nature lover and long-time advocate for wildlife conservation

^{Dia Mirza, actor-filmmaker, humanitarian, Champion of Nature and now WTI  Ambassador}

Mumbai, June 5, 2017: Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) is pleased to announce this World Environment Day that Dia Mirza, actor, filmmaker, humanitarian and Champion of Nature, has formally joined the WTI team as its Ambassador.

Ms Mirza, an ardent advocate for nature conservation in India, has consistently used her celebrity to bring conservation issues before a wider, more mainstream audience. She has been the face of several pivotal environmental and humanitarian campaigns and was last year made an Ambassador for the Swachh Bharat Mission’s ‘Swachh Saathi’ program. She has lent her support to WTI’s wildlife conservation endeavours for several years now and is a founder-member of the organisation’s Club Nature initiative.

“I’m proud to be part of the team that’s securing India’s natural heritage. I deeply admire WTI’s mission to conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the welfare of individual wild animals in partnership with communities and governments.”

“I’m proud to be part of the team that’s securing India’s natural heritage”, Ms Mirza said. “I deeply admire WTI’s mission to conserve wildlife and its habitat and to work for the welfare of individual wild animals in partnership with communities and governments. In my role as Ambassador, I look forward to launching and elevating the message of WTI’s next vital nationwide campaign, where we celebrate India’s mighty elephants through the Gaj Yatra.”

“Over the past few years, Dia has been a constant and generous supporter of our work here at Wildlife Trust of India, and it gives me great pleasure to officially welcome her to the WTI family as an Ambassador. Over the next few months we will be launching our mega campaign to celebrate elephants across the country, and having Dia on board as a social influencer would be an eminent addition to our team”, said Vivek Menon, Executive Director & CEO, Wildlife Trust of India.

Launching in August 2017, the Gaj Yatra is part awareness campaign, part celebration. It is an 18-month road show through 13 states; a confluence of local art, culture and imagination that aims to build a groundswell of public support for India’s elephants and the importance of securing elephant corridors – 101 vital habitat linkages across the country that WTI is trying to secure through its Right of Passage project.

^{Dia Mirza accepts a commemorative plaque from WTI Executive Director & CEO Vivek Menon}