A fruitful reconnaissance at Bellary-II

Peacock landing  Pic. courtesy: Pampaiah Swamy

Sloth Bear with cubs    pic. courtesy: Pampaiah Swamy

            On the trip to Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary to make arrangements for the teachers' training workshop, we were able to meet up with some of the stalwarts of Bellary in the field of conservation and Nature Education. They all hailed from the same district and had different educational background and professions but their common interest was Nature and Education.

Pampiah Swamy Malemut: He is one of the good hearted with a multi dimensional character. From social service to wildlife photography he has had several professional stints. A sales man of agricultural machinery, an entrepreneur, an eco tourism operator and for a small period he was a politician and served as the president of the municipality of Kamalapura. His pictures are selected for the state tour being conducted by the Vismaya Pratishtana and Parisara, in commemoration of the renowned writer Poornachandra Tejasvi.  

Santosh Martin: A Mechanical engineer with an M.Tec is a long standing sentinel from Bellary who had the honor of being the Wildlife warden of Bellary. Apart from being a avid wildlife enthusiast he has taken up the status surveys of several species like the Great Indian Bustard and Long billed Vulture. His other passion is prehistory of the region. With a vast collection of fossils that date back the Paleolithic times he is trying to establish a museum at Bellary with of the Department of Kannada and Culture. He is also the managing trustee of the Genesis school.

Samad Kottur: He is a versatile character who beautifully manages time and people for his deep hearted pursuit of wildlife conservation. He started his carrier as a science teacher in a high school and now a lecturer in English at a Govt. college in Hospet. He is a long standing campaigner for Wildlife of the region and served as a wildlife warden and a member of Zoo Authority of Karnataka. He writes very proficiently in English and Kannada and knows to use photography for his stories and legal battles. He has a wonderful book “Daroji an Ecological Destination” to his credit what he calls a coffee table book but which is quite encyclopedic in fact. He is now working on a pocket guide to the Birds of Hampi.