Assam's Dr. Panjit Basumatary honored with Animal Welfare Award in London

Dr. Panjit Basumatary, a distinguished veterinarian and the Manager of the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC), received the prestigious ‘Animal Welfare Field Veterinary Award’ at the 24th International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Animal Action Awards held in London, UK. The ceremony also celebrated actress and wildlife ambassador Dia Mirza Rekhi for her significant contributions to wildlife conservation in India.

The IFAW Animal Action Awards recognize the unsung heroes dedicated to protecting and conserving wildlife. Dr. Basumatary, a resident of Kokrajhar in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam, was honored for his exemplary work in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. With over 14 years of service at the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), he has played a crucial role in rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and distressed wild animals.

Throughout his career, Dr. Basumatary has attended to approximately 3,000 individual animals across more than 250 species, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. Notable achievements include hand-raising 26 orphaned Greater One-horned Rhino calves at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga, many of which were successfully rehabilitated and released back into the wild.

Currently, Dr. Basumatary leads the CBRC, India's only facility dedicated to the hand-raising and rehabilitation of orphaned Asiatic black bear cubs, located in the Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh. Since its inception in 2002, CBRC has successfully rehabilitated and released over 60 bear cubs into their natural habitat, showcasing the impactful work being done for wildlife conservation in the region.

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