King Charles III and Queen Camilla presented the prestigious Tara Award and the Mark Shand Award to Oscar-winning filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves and a wildlife conservation group from India, at the 2023 Animal Ball in London on June 28. Kartiki, the director of The Elephant Whisperers, and the Tamil Nadu-based The Real Elephant Collective (TREC) were honoured by the Royals for making significant contribution to human-wildlife co-existence.
The award citation of Kartiki reads, “The Tara Award, inspired by the sacred bond between elephants and humans, recognises extraordinary achievements in story-telling and advocacy for co-existence. We were delighted to present this award to Kartiki Gonsalves.” The citation further reads, “… the globally acclaimed documentary stands as a testament to the beauty of India’s wilderness, the wisdom of tribal communities, and the empathy that exists between people and animals who share the same space.”
The Mark Shand Award, named in honour of the Queen’s brother and founder of Elephant Family that works to protect Asia’s wildlife, went to the TREC, a community of 70 Adivasi artists and wildlife conservationists.