Anwaruddin Choudhury
Encyclopedia
Anwaruddin Choudhury MA, Ph.D, D.Sc, is an Indian naturalist, noted for his expertise on the fauna of North-East India.
He is an ornithologist, mammalogist, artist, civil servant, photographer and author. Choudhury is recognized by many as an eminent naturalist and conservationist studying wildlife throughout North-East India and adjacent areas. He is the Honorary Chief Executive of the Rhino Foundation for nature in North East India and Deputy Commissioner (District Magistrate), Lakhimpur district in Assam. Known as the "Birdman of Assam", he was the first to produce books on the birds of different northeastern states including Assam
, Arunachal Pradesh
, Nagaland
and Mizoram
. His studies have contributed enormously to the conservation and awareness in North-East India.
He is the author of 18 books and more than 560 articles and scientific papers.
Dr Choudhury is recognised as one of India's well known wildlife experts and conservationists. In particular he has spent more than two and half decades following the fortunes of North-East India's wildlife.
in 1981, and went on to Gauhati University
to obtain his Master of Arts degree in Geography in 1985. He obtained his Ph.D. on primates in 1989. He became only the second person to get D.Sc from Gauhati University, which was on mammals in 2008.
He married Bilkis Begum Mazumdar in 1994. A daughter, Dona, was born two and half years later in 1997. Later a son, Dino, was born in 2005.
Choudhury took up interest in wildlife since unknown childhood and continued with his love of wildlife and nature conservation.
From 1983, Choudhury is an Assam Civil Service officer holding various important posts such as Executive Magistrate, Research Officer, Sub-divisional Officer (civil), Project Director of Rural Development, Project Coordinator of Shifting Cultivation control, Joint Secretary of Environment & Forests, Tourism; Director of Tea, Deputy Commissioner & District Magistrate. He was also empanelled for the post of Vice Chancellor twice.
Bulletin published from U.K. He has also profusely illustrated his books with his art work.
published from Guwahati. The publications in local newspapers in 1980s brought him recognition in the field of ornithology across Assam but his writings in international scientific journals and his books brought him recognition in the field of ornithology far and wide.
Choudhury undertook systematic bird surveys in different pockets of North East India.
He rediscovered a rare galliform species, Manipur Bush Quail
in Assam after its last record 75 years ago. He has made several new country records for India and Bhutan
. He is the Coordinator of Asian Mid-winter Waterfowl Census for Assam and was also coordinator for the North East India. He is also the State Coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network.
He has done pioneering path-breaking studies on the endangered White-winged Wood Duck
and Mrs Hume's Pheasant, which revealed their accurate range and status in India.
) to start a two-decade long research on primates that covered the entire North-East India in later years. Little was known about the life of these simians in the wild until he started his writings on them. He has made several country records for India and Bhutan. But the most significant are discovery and description of two flying squirrels, new to science in 2007 and 2009. These new flying squirrels have been named by him Petaurista
mechukaensis (=nigra). and mishmiensis. He also discovered a new species of primate but identified it as a subspecies of Macaca thibetana. This was later on described by other scientists as Macaca munzala. He also revealed for the first time that the Stump-tailed
and Pig-tailed macaques
are restricted by the Brahmaputra towards west of their range. His authoritative works on the wild water buffalo have been published recently as the first monograph on this endangered species.
He was one of early members of the World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly called the World Wildlife Fund), and the Bombay Natural History Society in North-East India (since 1981) and has actively contributed towards their activities in this region including wildlife surveys, awareness and identification of Important Bird Areas.
/BLI
Specialist Groups, which in itself is a major conservation achievement. He is a member of IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant, Asian Rhino, Asian Wild Cattle, Bear, Cat and Small Carnivore Specialist Groups, and IUCN/SSC/BLI Waterbird and Galliformes Specialist Groups. In addition he is a member of IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group’s South Asian Network and was also with IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Choudhury went to the remote Himalayan region in Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan, and to the mountainous regions of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, which are occupied by people of the Tibetan-Burman and Tibeto-Chinese ethnicity and who heavily supplement their income by hunting wildlife (except Bhutan). Choudhury was there to study the vanishing wildlife as well as motivating the people for conservation with various amounts of success.
His writings in 1980s also resulted in shelving of a railway project through the southern edge of world famous Kaziranga National Park and World Heritage Site.
at the edge of Eastern Himalaya in Assam.
Dr. Choudhury's influence helped save many protected areas in North-East India from environmentally destructive developomental projects. The diversion of a National Highway from Manas National Park
and Tiger Reserve is a recent example. he always spoken against such projects including mega dams.
Many of Choudhury’s books continue to be references for the study of birds and mammals in North-East India. He is the author of:
He is an ornithologist, mammalogist, artist, civil servant, photographer and author. Choudhury is recognized by many as an eminent naturalist and conservationist studying wildlife throughout North-East India and adjacent areas. He is the Honorary Chief Executive of the Rhino Foundation for nature in North East India and Deputy Commissioner (District Magistrate), Lakhimpur district in Assam. Known as the "Birdman of Assam", he was the first to produce books on the birds of different northeastern states including Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
, Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
and Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
. His studies have contributed enormously to the conservation and awareness in North-East India.
He is the author of 18 books and more than 560 articles and scientific papers.
Dr Choudhury is recognised as one of India's well known wildlife experts and conservationists. In particular he has spent more than two and half decades following the fortunes of North-East India's wildlife.
Early life
Choudhury initially studied science but received his Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Geography from the B.Borooah College, GuwahatiGuwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
in 1981, and went on to Gauhati University
Gauhati University
Gauhati University, the first university of North East India, is in the Jalukbari area in the western part Guwahati city, Assam, India. It was established in 1948. It is a four-star rated university by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. It has 183 affiliated colleges.- Campus :The...
to obtain his Master of Arts degree in Geography in 1985. He obtained his Ph.D. on primates in 1989. He became only the second person to get D.Sc from Gauhati University, which was on mammals in 2008.
He married Bilkis Begum Mazumdar in 1994. A daughter, Dona, was born two and half years later in 1997. Later a son, Dino, was born in 2005.
Choudhury took up interest in wildlife since unknown childhood and continued with his love of wildlife and nature conservation.
From 1983, Choudhury is an Assam Civil Service officer holding various important posts such as Executive Magistrate, Research Officer, Sub-divisional Officer (civil), Project Director of Rural Development, Project Coordinator of Shifting Cultivation control, Joint Secretary of Environment & Forests, Tourism; Director of Tea, Deputy Commissioner & District Magistrate. He was also empanelled for the post of Vice Chancellor twice.
Success in art
He has artistic talent, which; however, was not inherited from anybody. He had his first exhibition in Guwahati in 1975. Choudhury has published his artworks in various Indian and international journals, magazines and periodicals including a cover of the Oriental Bird ClubOriental Bird Club
The Oriental Bird Club is a British-based club which exists to advance ornithology in the Oriental zoogeographical region. Its aims are to encourage an interest in wild birds of the Oriental region and their conservation, promote the work of regional bird and nature societies, and to collate and...
Bulletin published from U.K. He has also profusely illustrated his books with his art work.
Ornithology
Casual bird watching took a serious scientific approach in early 1980s. He started writing for popular magazines and started a regular weekly column as ‘Birds of Assam’ in an English daily The SentinelThe Sentinel (Gauhati)
The Sentinel is an English daily newspaper launched in 1983 in the city of Gauhati, in the state of Assam, India. It has five editions published simultaneously from Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Shillong, Silchar and Itanagar. It caters to the entire North Eastern region of India....
published from Guwahati. The publications in local newspapers in 1980s brought him recognition in the field of ornithology across Assam but his writings in international scientific journals and his books brought him recognition in the field of ornithology far and wide.
Choudhury undertook systematic bird surveys in different pockets of North East India.
He rediscovered a rare galliform species, Manipur Bush Quail
Manipur Bush Quail
The Manipur Bush Quail is a species of quail found in India, inhabiting damp grassland, particularly stands of tall grass, in West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, and Meghalaya....
in Assam after its last record 75 years ago. He has made several new country records for India and Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. He is the Coordinator of Asian Mid-winter Waterfowl Census for Assam and was also coordinator for the North East India. He is also the State Coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network.
He has done pioneering path-breaking studies on the endangered White-winged Wood Duck
White-winged Wood Duck
The White-winged Duck or White-winged Wood Duck is a large species of duck, formerly placed in the genus Cairina and allied with the dabbling ducks...
and Mrs Hume's Pheasant, which revealed their accurate range and status in India.
Mammal research
In 1986, he traveled to North Cachar Hills (renamed (Dima Hasao districtDima Hasao district
Dima Hasao district is an administrative district in the state of Assam in north-eastern India. As of 2011 it is the least populous district of Assam .-History:...
) to start a two-decade long research on primates that covered the entire North-East India in later years. Little was known about the life of these simians in the wild until he started his writings on them. He has made several country records for India and Bhutan. But the most significant are discovery and description of two flying squirrels, new to science in 2007 and 2009. These new flying squirrels have been named by him Petaurista
Petaurista
Petaurista is a genus of rodent in the Sciuridae family. Squirrels in this family are generally large nocturnal squirrels.It contains the following species:* Red And White Giant Flying Squirrel...
mechukaensis (=nigra). and mishmiensis. He also discovered a new species of primate but identified it as a subspecies of Macaca thibetana. This was later on described by other scientists as Macaca munzala. He also revealed for the first time that the Stump-tailed
Stump-tailed Macaque
The stump-tailed macaque , also called the bear macaque, is a species of macaque found in Southern Asia. In India, it is found in south of the Brahmaputra river, in northeastern part of the country.Its range in India extends from Assam and Meghalaya to eastern Aruanchal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur,...
and Pig-tailed macaques
Northern Pig-tailed Macaque
The northern pig-tailed macaque is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Traditionally, it has been considered a subspecies of M. nemestrina...
are restricted by the Brahmaputra towards west of their range. His authoritative works on the wild water buffalo have been published recently as the first monograph on this endangered species.
The Rhino Foundation
He is the founder Chief Executive of the Rhino Foundation for nature in North East India, a leading NGO of India since 1995. His pioneering work in conservation also contributed greatly to the awareness in North East India. His stewardship of the Rhino Foundation for nature in North East India as well as his other activities was recognised and he was appointed a member of the State Board for Wildlife, the highest policy making official body on wildlife in 2003 by the Government of Assam. The Government of Assam has also made him members of two other high official bodies, the State Wetland Steering Committee in 2003 and State Pollution Control Board in 2008. Prior to that the Government of India made the Rhino Foundation for nature in North East India a member of the Indian Board for Wildlife in 1999.He was one of early members of the World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly called the World Wildlife Fund), and the Bombay Natural History Society in North-East India (since 1981) and has actively contributed towards their activities in this region including wildlife surveys, awareness and identification of Important Bird Areas.
Conservation career
Dr Choudhury is a member of as many as nine IUCN/SSCIUCN Species Survival Commission
The IUCN Species Survival Commission is a special commission operated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The commission's "major role is to provide information to IUCN on biodiversity conservation, the inherent value of species, their role in ecosystem health and functioning,...
/BLI
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
Specialist Groups, which in itself is a major conservation achievement. He is a member of IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant, Asian Rhino, Asian Wild Cattle, Bear, Cat and Small Carnivore Specialist Groups, and IUCN/SSC/BLI Waterbird and Galliformes Specialist Groups. In addition he is a member of IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group’s South Asian Network and was also with IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Choudhury went to the remote Himalayan region in Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan, and to the mountainous regions of Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, which are occupied by people of the Tibetan-Burman and Tibeto-Chinese ethnicity and who heavily supplement their income by hunting wildlife (except Bhutan). Choudhury was there to study the vanishing wildlife as well as motivating the people for conservation with various amounts of success.
Conservation results
Choudhury’s work in conservation has resulted in the protection of a large number of areas in the North-East India, more particularly Assam. Due to his work, at least 12 wildlife sanctuaries have been established, including Bordoibam-Bilmukh, Pani-Dihing, Barail, Bherjan-Borajan-Podumoni, Dihing-Patkai, Hollongapar Gibbon, Nambor-Doigrung, Nambor, East Karbi Anglong, North Karbi Anglong, Amchang and Marat Longri; and two Elephant Reserves, the Dhansiri-Lungding and Dihing-Patkai. He was also instrumental in upgrading Dibru-Saikhowa into a national park, inclusion of Laokhowa and Burhachapori Sanctuaries in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve and declaration of the White-winged Wood Duck as the State Bird of Assam. Interestingly, he is among very few fortunate scientists who could implement their own scientific/conservation recommendations later on as a bureaucrat. Many of the above have been officially notified and gazetted by himself as the Joint Secretary to the Government in Environment & Forest Department. He was also a key member of the Asam Forest Policy Drafting Committee.His writings in 1980s also resulted in shelving of a railway project through the southern edge of world famous Kaziranga National Park and World Heritage Site.
Other contributions
As a bureaucrat, Anwaruddin Choudhury was influential in ensuring a rural district of Assam to start e-governance giving transparency to the rural poor. He also took active part and partially succeeded in reducing social murders in the name of witch-hunting in remote areas such as Baksa districtBaksa district
-History:Baksa was notified as a district in October 2003 while it started functioning from 1 June 2004 when Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury of the Assam Civil Service took charge as its founder Deputy Commissioner...
at the edge of Eastern Himalaya in Assam.
Dr. Choudhury's influence helped save many protected areas in North-East India from environmentally destructive developomental projects. The diversion of a National Highway from Manas National Park
Manas National Park
Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National park in Bhutan...
and Tiger Reserve is a recent example. he always spoken against such projects including mega dams.
Publications and Writing
Anwaruddin Choudhury has written 18 books and monographs on the birds and mammals of North East India based on his own studies, and supported by long-term observations (list below). He has also written more than 560 articles and scientific papers about wildlife and conservation. Nearly three decades, Choudhury’s field research has helped shape wildlife protection efforts in India more particularly in North-East India.Many of Choudhury’s books continue to be references for the study of birds and mammals in North-East India. He is the author of:
Books and monographs authored
- Checklist of the Birds of Assam, Guwahati: Sofia Pub. (1990)
- A Naturalist in Karbi Anglong, Guwahati: Gibbon Books (1993,2009)
- Checklist of the Mammals of Assam, Guwahati: Gibbon Books (1994)
- Survey of White-winged Wood Duck and Bengal Florican, Guwahati: Rhino Foundation (1996)
- Checklist of the Mammals of Assam, rev.2nd edn.,Guwahati: Gibbon Books (1997)
- The Birds of Assam, Guwahati: Gibbon Books & WWF (2000)
- A Pocket Guide to the Birds of Nagaland, Guwahati : Gibbon Books & Rhino Foundation (2003)
- Birds of Kaziranga National Park : a checklist, Guwahati : Gibbon Books & Rhino Foundation (2003)
- The Mammals of Arunachal Pradesh, New Delhi: Regency Pub.(2004)
- Kaziranga : wildlife in Assam, Delhi: Rupa & Co.(2004)
- A Pocket Guide to the Birds of Arunachal Pradesh, Guwahati : Gibbon Books & Rhino Foundation (supported by OBC, UK; 2006)
- Birds of Manas National Park, Guwahati : Gibbon Books & Rhino Foundation (2006)
- Birds of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Guwahati : Gibbon Books & Rhino Foundation (2007)
- A Pocket Guide to the Birds of Mizoram, Guwahati : Gibbon Books & Rhino Foundation (supported by OBC, UK; 2008)
- A Naturalist in Karbi Anglong, rev. 2nd edn., Guwahati: Gibbon Books (2009)
- The Vanishing herds: the wild water buffalo, Guwahati : Gibbon Books & Rhino Foundation (supported by COA,Taiwan and CEPF/ATREE).
Technical Studies and Reports
- Primates of Assam : their Distribution, Habitat and Status. Ph.D. thesis. Gauhati Univ. (1989).
- A Report on Bird Survey in Dibru-Saikhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India. Report to the Oriental Bird Club, UK. (1994).
- Proposed Oil Field Nature Reserve, Digboi. The Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India & WWF-India NE Region, Guwahati. (1996).
- Survey of Primates in some parts of eastern and central Assam. Final Report to ASTEC (Assam Science Tech. & Environment Council), Guwahati. (1996).
- A collaborative study on Gaurs (Bos gaurus) in North Bengal, West Bengal, India. with S. Bhattacharyya & G. Biswas).WWF-India Eastern Region, Calcutta. (1997).
- Survey of grasslands in some parts of central and southern Assam : to assess their bio-diversity & socio-economic problem. WWF-India NE Regional Office, Guwahati. Final Report to WWF-India, New Delhi (a BCPP). (1997).
- Conservation Strategy for the Indian rhinoceros and Asian elephant in NE India. Asian Rhino & Elephant Conservation Strategy (AREAS). Final Report & Project proposals to WWF-India, New Delhi. (1999).
- The birds of Eaglenest and Sessa Orchid Sanctuaries, Arunachal Pradesh. Final Report to Oriental Bird Club, UK. (2000)
- Survey of birds in Sangti-Shergaon-Kalaktang areas of West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. BildLife International, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wild Bird Federation Taiwan and Bombay Natural History Society (2001).
- A systematic review of the mammals of North-East India with special reference to the non-human primates. D.Sc.Thesis. Gauhati Univ. (2001).
- Major inland wetlands of North-Eastern India. A report submitted to SACON, Coimbatore. (2002).
- Survey of Mrs Hume's Pheasant in NE India. Report No. 5. The Rhino Foundation for nature in NE India, Guwahati [final report to OBC, UK]. (2002).
- Biodiversity survey in the upper areas of East Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh. WWF-India Assam & Arunachal Office, Guwahati. (2002).
- The red panda - status and conservation. In 'Biodiversity 'Hiotspots' Conservation Programme (BHCP). Final report 1992-2002. 132-168. WWF- India, New Delhi. (2003).
- Survey of birds in Mechuka-Monigong-Jorgging areas of West and Upper Siang districts, Arunachal Pradesh. Bildlife International, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wild Bird Federation Taiwan and Bombay Natural History Society. (2003).
- Awareness for bird conservation in Nagaland in north-eastern India. Final Report to the Oriental Bird Club, UK. (2004).
- A survey of animal use extraction pattern in some areas of Indian Himalayas.: Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. with KT Thomas Rengma. WPA- India, Guwahati (2005).
- Survey and monitoring of nesting sites of Gyps vultures in Assam, India. Withb K. Lahkar and R. Risebrough. The Rhino Foundation for nature in NE India and Department of Environment & Forests, Government of Assam, Guwahati, India. (2005).
- Census of Wild Water Buffalo in Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife sanctuaries. With B.S. Bonal and C. Muthukumarvel. The Environment & Forest Department and The Rhino Foundation for nature in NE India, Guwahati. (2008).
- Census of Wild Water Buffalo in Manas National Park. With A. Swargiary, C.R. Bhobora and B. Saikia. The Field Directorate, Manas National Park, Barpeta Road and The Rhino Foundation for nature in NE India, Guwahati. (2008).
- Census of WildWater Buffalo in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. With A. Dey. The Environment & Forest Department and The Rhino Foundation for nature in NE India, Guwahati. (2008).
- Survey of mammals and birds in Dibang-Dihang Biosphere Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh. Final Report to Ministry of Env. & Forests, Govt. of India. The Rhino Foundation for nature in NE India. Guwahati, India. 70pp.