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Sanjay Gubbi of Karnataka and Purnima Barman of Assam have won the prestigious Whitley Award, popularly known as Green Oscars, for their efforts in wildlife conservation. 

The awards are instituted by the U.K.-registered charity Whitley Fund for Nature, which supports nature conservationists in their endeavour to conserve wildlife and nature. While Mr. Gubbi has been awarded for his work to protect tiger corridors in Karnataka, Ms. Barman has won the award for her work in conservation of Assam’s Greater Adjutant Stork and its habitat. The results were announced in London on Wednesday and Mr. Gubbi also wins £35,000 in project funding.

A wildlife biologist and scientist with the Mysuru-based Nature Conservation Foundation, Mr. Gubbi, who is an electrical engineer, went on to pursue his passion for working with wildlife and obtained his Masters of Science in Conservation Biology from the University of Kent at Canterbury. He is also member of the State Board for Wildlife and works at the grassroots to mitigate conflict issues. 

Meanwhile, a release issued by WFN said Mr. Gubbi works with authorities and stakeholders to secure and connect tiger habitat. In 2012, working closely with the State government, he secured the largest expansion of protected areas in India since 1970 — increasing the size of protected areas in Karnataka by 37% and enhancing connectivity across 23 sites. 

“With his Whitley Award, Mr. Gubbi will be working to reduce deforestation in two important wildlife sanctuaries, which connect several protected areas and act as a corridor for tigers, allowing them to move between territories, helping to prevent in-breeding and benefit other wildlife, including leopards, pangolins and honey badger,” the release added. 

Sanjay will also speed up compensation payments to farmers whose livestock has been blighted by tiger attacks reducing human-wildlife conflict and boosting support of conservation from those living alongside wildlife, according to WFN release. 

The two wildlife scientists from India were among the six selected out of 169 applicants from across the world working on conservation issues, said the WFN release.

Source: The Hindu