Gagan Narang has many firsts on the shooting range. The 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist has now set an example off the competition arena which should be an inspiration for everyone across the spectrum.
Re-emphasizing his love for wildlife, elephants in this case, Narang tweeted on Wednesday announcing his involvement with a scheme that has just been launched by the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in association with Madhya Pradesh Tourism.
“These voiceless loving creatures have served us for a very long time and now it’s our turn to show them some love,” Narang said in an exclusive chat with indianshooting.com
With 181.2k followers on Twitter, Narang’s post is sure to make an impact. “They say an Elephant never forgets..what they don’t tell you is.. YOU never forget an Elephant when you see it this close. You can adopt an Elephant now too..” The tweet was accompanied by a photograph of the Arjuna Awardee stroking a tusker and has been widely appreciated with over 100 likes and many retweets.
The Tiger Reserve had tweeted on September 25 announcing the launch of the programme. “Ever wanted to adopt an elephant? Elephant Adoption Prog at Bandhavgarh starts today! Gentle giants work tirelessly in patrolling/search activities! Contribute towards their food/medicine/equipment!”
The scheme will cover the 15 elephants housed at the reserve and contributions can be made across four categories. The Platinum scheme entails and an annual expenditure of Rs 1.5 lakh, Gold a monthly expense of Rs 12,500, Silver Rs 3,500 per week and the Bronze plan entails a daily expenditure of Rs 500. Donors can choose the elephant they wish to adopt and will be issued a digital certificate. Platinum and Gold members will be entitled to participate in the annual rejuvenation camp for these majestic animals.
Narang’s love for wildlife conservation is well documented. After being introduced to photography by his former coach Stanislav Lapidus in 2004, Narang came out with a limited-edition calendar ‘Kanha Untamed’ in 2016, comprising photographs he had shot at the Kanha National Park with his Nikon D4S. From a hobby, photography is now a passion. In fact, Narang has said it is a way of unwinding away from the shooting range. With time, Narang has done his bit to further the cause of conservation. Coming from a reputed shooter, his efforts have been taken note of towards highlighting the tireless work by the unheralded heroes of this movement.
