India: Saving one of the largest storks in the world | DW Documentary

The hargila, one of the largest storks in the world, is threatened with extinction. A group of female Indian activists want to prevent that - with weaving, music and dance. They’ve founded the ‘Hargila Army’ to further their cause.

The hargila, also known as the greater adjutant stork, has an impressive wingspan of more than 2.5 meters. It used to be found in wetlands from Pakistan to Cambodia. But its habitat is increasingly encroached upon by humans. The hargila population is thought to be just 1,200. Most of them live in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. And there’s a good reason for that. For several years now, local rural women led by zoologist Purnima Devi Barman have been fighting for the survival of India’s most threatened species of bird.

Hargilas aren’t popular neighbors. As scavengers, they’re seen as unhygienic harbingers of ill-fortune. Whenever they settle too close to villages, their nests are often destroyed. This film delves deep into the exotic and militant world of the Hargila Army. It accompanies the women as they go about promoting their cause, as well as making and selling their hargila-related merchandise. Any income doesn’t just benefit the storks, it also gives the activists economic independence and a new, robust sense of self-esteem in a male-dominated society. The local community mindset is slowly changing as a result of their campaign, but the women still have a long way to go. If the hargila dies out, many other species will follow. And ultimately, the survival of people in the region also hangs in the balance.


#documentary #dwdocumentary #india #storks
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