A smuggler-turned-forest protector bags prestigious award

Sub :Env

Sec: Climate change

Context:

Sabu Varghese, once a smuggler in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady, India, has received the prestigious Cricketers for Wildlife Conservation Service Award.
This award recognizes his remarkable transformation from a forest exploiter to a dedicated protector.

Key Points:

Sabu, also known as Kunjumon, was previously involved in illegally harvesting and selling Vayana bark (cinnamon tree bark).
In 1996, he and 23 other smugglers decided to stop their illegal activities and join forest protection efforts.

Periyar Tiger Trail initiative:

The Periyar Tiger Trail, an ecotourism initiative, was created to provide sustainable livelihoods for former smugglers.
This program became a national model, offering legitimate income and social acceptance to those who had renounced illegal activities.
Conservation Efforts:
- Sabu became a key figure in anti-smuggling operations in the PTR.
- He joined the Cheetah Squad, which caught sandalwood smugglers from Tamil Nadu.
- Sabu also helped other former smugglers reintegrate into society through the ‘Vidiyal’ ecotourism program.

About the Cricketers for Wildlife Conservation Service Award:

Sabu received the award at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Former Indian cricketer Gundappa Vishwanath presented him with a cash prize of ₹1 lakh and a memento.
The award was established by Cricketers for Wildlife Conservation, an initiative by former Indian cricketers Sandeep Patil, Yusuf Pathan, and Harbhajan Singh.
It aims to recognize unsung heroes of forest conservation and motivate those protecting India’s forests.
Additional Recognition:
- M.N. Jayachandran, an environmentalist from Idukki, won the award in the Wildlife Crusader category.

Source: TH