"Indeed, pleasure can be from the most everyday birds in the most everyday surroundings and even the jaded city dwellers can regale their leisure hours without the necessity of going far afield in search of special opportunities.”
Salim Ali
The Birdman of India
The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is one of Goa's smallest protected reserves, but it's also one of the most vulnerable. An estuarine mangrove environment can be found at this sanctuary, situated on Chorao Island along the Mandovi River. Since the sanctuary is named after the great Indian ornithologist, Dr Salim Moizzudin Ali, also known as ‘The bird man of India’, it should come as no surprise that the location is home to some of the nation's rarest species. The sanctuary covers an area of 178 ha (440 acres).
The striated heron and western reef heron are two of the more prevalent bird species among the many that have been identified. Additionally, the little bittern, black bittern, red knot, jack snipe, and pied avocet have also been identified (on transient sandbanks). Mudskippers, fiddler crabs, and other mangrove ecosystem specialists can also be found at the sanctuary. On the basis of specimens collected from the sanctuary, the crab species Teleotanais Indianis was described there. One can see crocodiles and jackals in addition to the diverse array of birds. Coots and pintails, winter birds, are also seen inside.
This location has mangrove scrub vegetation, which creates an ideal environment for fish and insects of diverse species to spawn and find refuge. A three-story watchtower inside the sanctuary has been constructed to make birding easier. At three different heights, this tower provides an exquisite view of the sanctuary. Visitors can get a comprehensive picture of the area from above, below, and within the vegetation's canopy.
Delhi’s Wildlife Sanctuary at Asola Bhatti
It is true that “Wilderness without Wildlife is just a scenery.” One such effort to protect wildlife was made in Delhi which came to be known as Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. It is situated on the Southern Delhi Ridge of the Aravalli Hill range. The site holds huge significance as it lies within Indo-Gangetic plains and forms a part of the Semi-Arid Northern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor which is an important habitat for Indian leopards and jackals.
Leopard in Asola Wildlife Sanctuary
The area enjoys special protected status since1986. It had a history of illegal mining for red Badarpur sandstone (from Bhatti mines) and has a contiguous village called Asola. Thus, it came to be known as Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Later on, An Eco-Task Force (ETF) was created by Delhi Government in 2000 which was entrusted with the task of restoring the natural ecology of the badly ravaged area. The ETF has today succeeded in restoring a rich-green cover to this once-devastated area.
Red berries of Kankera tree, Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (February)
The sanctuary has rich ecology. A large number of flora and fauna are present. There are about 193 species of birds along with a large number of medicinal plants, species of butterflies, insects, mammals such as leopards, nilgai (blue bull, the largest antelope of the country), blackbuck (fastest land animal surviving in the wild in the country), black-naped hare, Indian crested porcupine, small Indian civet, golden jackal and jungle cat. Endangered species include red-headed vultures and Egyptian vultures. Vulnerable species include painted storks, white-faced ibis and European roller. It has many lakes also. The ‘Nilli Jheel’ (The Blue Lake) is the largest and can be called the Hidden Jewel of Bhatti. Near to it, is the Lake Peacock which has a narrow ribbon-like channel just like a peacock.
Great Cormorant, Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (February)
Mandovi river view from the Bird Sanctuary
It has a high potential for establishing conservation education and nature interpretation programs but Human activity like unplanned urbanization and pollution in name of development poses a great threat to it. Thus, it is high time to realize that “We don’t own this planet, we belong to it and it must be shared with our wildlife”.
Words to learn
Estuary - the tidal mouth of a large river, where the tide meets the stream
Spawn - offspring
Exquisite - extremely beautiful and delicate
Comprehensive - including or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of something
Canopy - the uppermost branches of the trees in a forest, forming a more or less continuous layer of foliage
Wildlife Sanctuary- A wildlife sanctuary is an area where animal habitats and their surroundings are protected from any sort of disturbance. The capturing, killing and poaching of animals is strictly prohibited in these regions.
Wildlife corridor- a strip of natural habitat connecting populations of wildlife otherwise separated by cultivated land, roads, etc.
Ecology- It deals with the relationship of organisms with one another and with their physical surroundings.
Flora and Fauna- It refers to all plant life and all animal life.
Endangered species- Those species which are on verge of extinction.
Vulnerable species- Species which are likely to become endangered unless some changes in the environment. They are near-threatened species.
REFERENCES:
Comentarios