In Assam, located in the northeast of India, one biologist named Dr. Purnima Barman Devi is putting together an army of women to save the endangered Hargilla (The Greater Adjutant Stork) bird. Hargilla birds are scavenger birds that eat rotting meat from carcasses. A reason for its almost extension was that people viewed the bird as a messy and smelly bird and cut down the nesting trees, unaware that they help remove harmful toxins from the environment.
Purnima realized she had to change this perception. To do this, she visited many villages to talk about the bird and its important cleaning aspects, relating this to womanhood. By connecting all these women who now take care of and monitor the bird, she created the Hargilla army, which counts more than 10.000 women to date.
Following is a selection of videos that tell the story of her efforts:
