KarmaTube Video

In an age of massive global extinctions, a remarkable wildlife biologist in India’s Northeast shows the life-saving impact of simple, direct local action. When Dr. Purnima Devi Barman decided to dedicate herself to the survival of the Hargila, Assam’s resident greater adjutant crane, the local population in Guwahati was a mere 20 nests. The scruffy, prehistoric bird was detested and routinely killed in Assam, which is home to most of the world’s endangered Hargila population. Her women’s conversation movement, called the Hargila Army, has grown that population to more than 200 nests. Dr. Barman’s work is beautifully captured by photographer Gerrit Vyn and videographer Andy Johnson of the Cornell University Ornithology Lab. The film reveals the awkward beauty of these birds, which may have evolved as far back as 15 million years ago, as well as their present peril.