Parbati Baruah, 70, from Assam, India, has been honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award, for her four-decade-long dedication as the country’s first female elephant keeper. Hailing from a royal family in Dhubri, Parbati has trained over 600 wild elephants and pioneered efforts to resolve human-elephant conflicts. Known as ‘Haathi ki Pari’ (angel for elephants), she inherited the skills from her father and has worked tirelessly to coexist with elephants, emphasizing the importance of conservation and preserving wildlife habitats.
India’s First Female Elephant Keeper Receives Padma Shri for Lifelong Dedication
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