Hargila Army: how 10,000 women saved India’s rarest stork

Led by Dr Purnima Devi Barman, the ‘Hargila Army’ or ‘Stork Sisters’ movement rescued the greater adjutant stork from the brink of extinction. Presented with the 2024 Whitley Gold Award, Barman now plans to double her force.

By Daniel Graham

Published: Wednesday, 01 May 2024 at 19:30 PM

In 2007, the number of greater adjutant storks in India’s Assam state was estimated to be as low 450. The hargila, as it’s known locally, was classified as endangered.

Seeing the peril the bird was in, biologist Dr Purnima Devi Barman knew she had to intervene.

With the help of 10,000 rural women, Barman became the driving force in safeguarding the nests of storks as well as rebranding the prehistoric-looking scavenger from a bad omen to positive cultural symbol. The women became known as ‘Hargila Army’ or ‘Stork Sisters’.

Such was the success of the campaign that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reclassified the stork from Endangered to Near Threatened in December 2023. Since 2007, numbers have quadrupled in Assam to more than 1,800.

Recognising the incredible work, the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) have presented Barman with the 2024 Whitley Gold Award – an honour that recognises and celebrates grassroots conservation leaders – for her contribution to the project.

Aided by funding received with the Whitley Gold Award, Barman is now planning to double the Hargila Army to 20,000 women and expand from Assam to the Indian state of Bihar and overseas to Cambodia, covering all three remaining breeding grounds of the bird.

Saving the hargila – India’s rarest stork

An endangered greater adjutant stork pictured amongst the garbage in the Boragaon landfill in Guwahati, Assam, India. The landfill has the largest year-round concentration of greater adjutant storks in the world. Credit: Carla Rhodes
Greater adjutant stork
Of the world’s 19 species of storks, the greater adjutant is the rarest and most endangered. Credit: Carla Rhodes
Dr Purnima Devi Barman and the Stork Sisters
Dr Purnima Devi Barman and the Hargila Army, or Stork Sisters. Their contribution “extends beyond merely safeguarding the bird,” says Barman, as it “empowers thousands of women, enhancing their livelihoods and catalysing social change within villages as women emerge as conservation leaders.” Credit: ProntoProd
Greater adjutant stork community work
Jonali, a member of the Hargila Army, is pictured sewing a tote bag with an embroidered greater adjutant motif to combat plastic bag usage. Credit: Carla Rhodes
Greater adjutant stork
Boragaon landfill in Assam, India. A scavenger of carrion, scraps and refuse, with a preference for landfills, the stork was reviled by villagers who viewed it as unsanitary and would cut trees where it nested to rid themselves of the birds. Credit: Carla Rhodes
Celebrating the stork on World Wildlife Day
Celebrating the greater adjutant stork on World Wildlife Day. Credit: Carla Rhodes
Adjutant stork community awareness
Adjutant stork community awareness is an important part of the movement. Credit: AP Photo/Anupam Nath
Greater adjutant stork
Educational programmes at local schools are a key part of Barman’s conservation efforts. If students are taught at a young age to love and respect greater adjutants, the species will have allies in the future. Credit: Carla Rhodes
Purnima Barman in India
The Hargila Army is growing, with plans for the group to increase from 10,000 to 20,000 women. The community hopes to increase the population of storks to 5,000 birds by 2030 by expanding work overseas to Cambodia via local community programmes as well as to the state of Bihar in East India. Credit: Dipankar Das
Greater adjutant stork education
Barman’s outreach extends to schools. In one campaign, known as ‘village-to-village’, Barman and her team run impromptu field visits with locals that can last all day. “Magic happens when we involve communities. Hargila Army – it’s like a sisterhood network among the women,” she says. Credit: AP Photo/Anupam Nath
Greater adjutant stork
The stork has a wingspan of 2.4 metres, can reach 1.2 metres in height, and builds nests up to 1 metre wide. Thanks to Barman’s work, this impressive bird is now a cultural symbol in Assam. Credit: Bibekanda Kakati

Find out more about Dr Purnima Devi Barman and the 2024 Whitley Awards.

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