Along with six other awardees from South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Kenya, Conservationist Y Nuklu Phom has won the prestigious ‘Whitley Awards 2021’. After three years, he is the solo Indian to have received this award for the year 2021.

Due to Phom’s initiative, Amur Falcons increased from 50,000 in the year 2010 to around 1,000,000 in 2019, as per Whitley Awards.

A network of community-owned forests will be created by Phom and his team at Lemsachenlok Society, to invigorate the plush biodiversity and culture of Nagaland, with the Whitley Award.

Phom and his team wishes to provide alternatives to indulge communities in preservation using the Amur Falcon as a flagship. They informed that from 2007, since the beginning of the project, three reserves have been set aside and the number of roosting falcons has greatly increased.

According to reports, Phom made it to the top six among the 15 names shortlisted from 105 who were recognized with the award.