IndiaWilds Newsletter Vol.1 Issue VI
Wildlife Management- Bandipur & other issues:
What is the state of wildlife in this country? Is the forest department concerned? What is the focus of our forest department officials? These and many other thoughts came to my mind when I visited Bandipur National Park.
I discovered a funny rule that forces the open gypsys to have a roof (a plastic cover). I met the DCF and he told me that it was meant for our security. 😀 I just couldn’t believe it as the only security a soft roof can afford is prevent you from getting drenched in rain, of course the sides are open and still you can get wet. He also told me that since I was staying in a tourist resort so I should not use a SLR camera and lenses as those are supposed to be used by professionals; and I should take a special permission to use such equipment as I have a chance of making money out of it. I realized that there was no point in wasting time in arguing with such individuals. At that moment a speeding car on the road in front of the forest department office hit a monkey killing it instantly. The police in the outpost there picked up the dead monkey and threw it away. A few people came to complain in the forest department office but it just fell on deaf ears. One can see tourists eating and drinking and making merry on the road connecting Bandipur to Ooty via Mudumalai. The road is strewn with plastics. If our pristine forests are polluted then our water sources will be polluted as well. Civilisations have been known to vanish due to want of water. I hope history is not repeating itself. But who cares? The forest department is manned by such individuals who have poor understanding of wildlife and they are too busy in administering such funny rules.
This Bandipur-Mudumalai-Ooty road was earlier closed to traffic after six in the evening. However, that order has been reversed and now vehicles are plying all through out the night. There is no respite for the wildlife.
It has become difficult for serious photographers and wildlifers to spend more time in the forests of South especially Karnataka. Vehicles of a few resorts are allowed inside the National Park after paying a hefty fee. Serious wildlifers and photographers are highly inconvenienced. However, who cares?
Please shoot an email to Shri B. S. Yediyurappa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka at cm@kar.nic.in and urge him to take action. Please remember that your voice matters.
In our previous newsletters we had focused on issues in Bandhavgarh National Park. A number of our members had written to the Hon’ble Prime Minster as well as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. As a result the park officials including the field director has been changed. The hut like watch tower constructed in Rajbehera in the path of the tiger has been closed to people. So take heart and keep on raising your voice for a cause.
It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that we have completed six months of our existence. We have taken baby steps in taking actions to preserve our wildlife including marine life and wildplaces. Now we have added another feature in IndiaWilds – the Natural History section.
The Natural History section aims to increase our understanding of the wildlife primarily through field observations and photography of rare behaviour. I am sharing a few links for you to check and enjoy. Please remember that you need to login to access this section.
Mating behaviour of tigers
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1096
Tiger hunting Method
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1111
Sambar’s Sore spot
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1115
Flesh eating behaviour of Wild Boar
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1124
And there are many more. I need your feedback so that we can further improve this important section.
Wildlife Photography:
We have started discussing bird behaviour including habitat, distribution, id etc in the birds section apart from critiquing images. Invite all of you birders to enhance the discussion. To sample one please check the Black and Orange Flycatcher by Prem Sagar
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1109
Some other fine images:
Brahminy Kite by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1059
Female Redstart by Rahil Abulghani
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1017
Egyptian Vulture
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=989
Bats by Kiran Ghadge
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=990
Leopard by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=926
Kanchenjunga by Sumanth Sharma -A lovely image taken with a compact camera.
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=966
Kanchenjunga again by Sagar Patil – another image shot with a compact camera
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1027
Calotes by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1004
Look forward to your feedback and your action in preserving the last tracts of wilderness and wildlife left in this beautiful country.
Regards,
Sabyasachi Patra
www.indiawilds.com/forums
(Circulated in June 2009)
Sabyasachi is available for Hire as a DP for shoots any where in India.
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