LOOK CLOSELY,
YOU MAY NEVER SEE THESE AGAINWill India still be India without the Tibetan Gazelle? Or the Great Indian Bustard? We all know about the tiger’s falling numbers. But there are other endangered species too, Sunday Times finds out as we mark World Wildlife Week.
Last week’s rare sighting of the bearded vulture was a cause for celebration but the outlook may not be so bright for other endangered species. Sparrows and mynah's are becoming rare in our cities and the list could go on. Many Indians may not even know what they are at risk of losing.
Wildlife activist Belinda Wright says, “Any loss of biodiversity is sad, but it’s not always obvious. Sometimes, we don’t even know what we have lost.” Or are at risk of losing. Here’s a sample:
Sarus Crane | 8,000Human greed and erratic rainfall have all but sounded the death knell for the world’s tallest flying bird. The sarus is traditionally found in the plains of western, northern and northwestern India. Its highest concentration is in UP. Over the years, wanton construction and agriculture have eaten into its habitat, the wetlands, threatening its very survival. Gopi Sundar, who heads the International Crane Foundation in India, says that if the trend continues, the future will be bleak for the sarus crane. “In 50 years, they will be gone,” he says.
Indians born in 2060 could not rely on seeing a Sarus Crane alive and in the wild.
Tibetan Gazelle | 200This antelope species, found in Ladakh and Sikkim and endemic to the Tibetan plateau, has seen sharply falling numbers for years. Once found in an area 20,000 sq km large, it now survives in a small 100-sq-km patch. Yash Veer Bhatnagar, a senior scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) in Mysore, says the Tibetan Gazelle is so seriously endangered in Ladakh, it could take as little as one severe winter to render it extinct.
Why is this beautiful animal in peril? Experts say the 1962 war with China, which saw the Indian army coming in from the mainland, dealt a heavy blow to the Gazelle population as its primary habitat, river basins and moist meadows, were encroached upon. Then, it had to compete for grazing ground with the livestock brought in by Tibetan refugees. Reckless hunting added to the problem. Does that mean the Tibetan Gazelle makes the front-page or any headlines at all? No, says Bhatnagar. Unfortunately, no concerted efforts are in place to conserve them. The NCF is trying to raise awareness but more needs to be done.
Indians born in 2010 could not rely on seeing a Tibetan Gazelle, alive and in the wild.
Great Indian Bustard | 400-500Once commonly found across the Indian subcontinent, this statuesque, ostrich-like bird is a rarity today. Ghatigaon Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh once boasted high numbers but doesn’t have a single Great Indian Bustard today. It’s the same situation in Karnataka and Rajasthan sanctuaries. Asad Rahmani, director of the Bombay Natural History Society, has laboured more than 30 years to save the Bustard. He says the destruction of its habitat is one of the main reasons the bird has become a dying species. This, because the Bustard, a ground-dwelling bird, finds its favoured spots,tall grasslands, disappearing on account of farming, cattle-grazing and unplanned construction. Rahmani insists on managing the grasslands. “Allow only limited grazing during the breeding season of the bustard.”
Indians born in 2020 could not rely on seeing a Great Indian Bustard alive and in the wild.
Gangetic (Ganga's) Dolphin |
Less than 2,000The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) latest report found that the number of Gangetic Dolphins had declined 50% in the last five decades. Less than 2,000 survive today. They are mainly found in the Brahmaputra-Ganga-Meghna river systems in India and Bangladesh. Their numbers are dwindling because they are hunted for blubber oil, which is used as fish bait. Polluted rivers further compound the problem. IUCN member Dr Abdul Wakil, who leads the research and conservation programme for the Gangetic Dolphin at Aaranyak, an NGO, believes the species can only be saved if there is action in concert with the local community. The Brahmaputra still offers hope to the Dolphins, he says, but not the highly polluted Ganges. But wildlife researcher Nachiket Kelkar is more optimistic. “River dolphins are opportunistic and resilient fish predators that seem to be doing well at present even in severely degraded river systems,” he says. But even he agrees that in 40 years, it may be difficult to rely on sighting a Gangetic Dolphin if the trend continues.
This message is in Against of man's mistreating the nature
Stop thinking about yourself ,start thinking about Nature
Try not to do anything affecting negatively to the nature
here is a cute small round press button at the bottom right corner of almost all monitors: Please make use of this
Let's not just wake up and walk out of finished meetings and conferences with a sigh of relief, let us remember to turn off the lights and projectors too.
Take few minutes to learn about topics like 'Global Warming' , 'Air / Noise /Land / Water Pollution ' etc apart from constant surfing of News, Latest Gadgets, Movies and Music.
Spread this message to your friends and colleagues. They too can make a difference.
