SACON scientist Honnavalli N Kumara elected as INSA fellow

COIMBATORE: Honnavalli N Kumara, principal scientist (conservation biology) at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), the South India Centre of the Wildlife Institute of India in Coimbatore, has been elected as a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA).

The INSA fellowship is one of the highest scientific honours in India, recognising outstanding and original contributions to science. Beyond individual excellence, the fellowship offers scientists opportunities to influence science policies, conservation initiatives and international collaborations.

"Kumara created history by becoming the first person from Coimbatore to receive this honour in the field of science and the first from Tamil Nadu in the field of Conservation Biology," a SACON official said.

"One of his most notable contributions is over two decades of dedicated research on the slender loris, which played a pivotal role in the Tamil Nadu govt's decision to declare the Kaduvur Slender Loris Sanctuary. Spread across 11,806 hectares in Karur and Dindigul districts, this sanctuary represents a landmark achievement in primate conservation and a shining example of how long-term ecological research can lead to tangible conservation action," the official added.