Taiwan offers help in wildlife conservation

GUWAHATI: Wildlife conservation in the state is all set to get a foreign fillip with the Taiwan government coming forward to assist in conservation activities by funding NGOs in the field.

The Taiwan government has already been supporting eight conservation programmes in the state since 2007, at a cost of US $ 48,000. Taiwan will now fund Aaranyak, a Guwahati-based NGO, to the tune of US $ 6,000, for a project titled 'Monitoring of greater one-horned rhino in Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary'. Besides,it will provide US $ 5,000 to another NGO, Rhino Foundation for Nature in North East, for compilation and production of a monograph on 'Mammals of North-east India review'.

Taiwan ambassador to India Wenchyi Ong will be here on Wednesday to hand over the cheques to the NGOs on behalf of Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture of Taiwan. "As a token of support and friendship, Taiwan wishes to make a small contribution to the daunting task of conserving wildlife in the region," Ong said.