London: Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla awarded an Indian charity’s elephant conservation efforts at a gala fundraising event in London, organised to celebrate collaborative global efforts to protect the natural habitat of animals.
Dr Bibhuti Prasad Lahkar collected the prestigious Mark Shand Elephant Conservation Award on behalf of Aaranyak’s Elephant Research and Conservation Division at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London, on Tuesday night.
Aaranyak, fostering conservation of biodiversity in Northeast India, is a partner charity of the Elephant Family – a UK-headquartered initiative launched by Queen Camilla’s late brother Mark Shand.
Now part of the Charles-founded British Asian Trust, the charity has raised more than GBP 22 million since its birth in 2002 to work in partnership with conservation experts on the ground to tackle the challenges facing Asia’s wildlife and the communities that live alongside them.
“It just seems to me that this is a great example of why collaboration is far better than conflict,” said King Charles.
The glittering event, entitled ‘Wonders of the Wild: An Evening of Art and Conservation’ and sponsored by Swiss luxury brand Chopard, was attended by around 250 high-profile guests including members of the royal family.
It marked the grand finale of the Elephant Family’s Big Egg Hunt, delivered in partnership with Clarence Court as a campaign featuring more than 120 giant egg sculptures designed by leading names from fashion, art and design.
These sculptures were displayed across London as part of a free art trail in iconic locations including Buckingham Palace, Battersea Power Station, the Royal Albert Hall, Sloane Street and Canary Wharf. The King and Queen, joint Presidents of Elephant Family since 2014, were introduced to participating artists including Indian heritage artists Jag Sihra and Shantanu and Nikhil.
“Wonders of the Wild is a celebration of art and nature, which also serves to raise awareness and funds to support our critical conservation work,” said British Asian Trust CEO Richard Hawkes.
“Elephant Family partners with local organisations in Asia to reduce human wildlife conflict, increase biodiversity and invest in research and education programmes. Our mission is to create environments where people and wildlife can thrive together,” he said.
Elephant Family believes in using the power of art to inspire action for wildlife. It works with local partners in Asia to promote conservation and coexistence so that people and animals can safely share space.
“True to our founder, the guiding principle of Elephant Family has always been to raise awareness of wildlife conservation in the most joyful ways possible,” added Hawkes.
Since 2020, it has aligned with the British Asian Trust – founded in 2007 by then Prince Charles to positively impact the lives of millions in South Asia.
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