Shillong: Conservation geneticist Udayan Borthakur earned election as a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. The group formed in 1788 to track natural history. Borthakur brings two decades of field experience to the role. He started the Wildlife Genetics Laboratory at Aaranyak in 2008.
He leads the way in DNA tech. His work covers Northeast India. He studies the greater one-horned rhino, tiger, Asian elephant, leopard, and White-bellied Heron. The scientist uses non-invasive genetic census methods to track animals. This avoids the need to capture or touch the wildlife. Borthakur previously worked at the University of Chicago and the Wildlife Institute of India.
His lab serves as the only facility in the region notified under Section 329(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. State governments rely on this lab for wildlife forensic analysis and crime investigations. Beyond the lab, Borthakur produces documentaries and takes photos to highlight conservation efforts. The Linnean Society election recognizes his career, noting it "brings international recognition to conservation research emerging from Northeast India." This milestone reinforces his contribution to global biodiversity.
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