KIOCL sells property for resorts in Kudremukh National Park

Courtesy : DHNS September 1, 2015,

A typical Mining Company, but with a Long term Goal of running Eco-Tourism !

The Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) has sold a part of its land along with some buildings to Alva’s Kudremukh Nisargadhama for constructing luxury health resorts to undertake eco-tourism within the limits of Kudremukh National Park, now a tiger reserve, in Chikkamagaluru district. This has caught the attention of the forest department which has served notices on both the companies.

This act of the companies, officials and experts insist, is a violation of various orders of the Supreme Court and the Wilderness Tourism Policy (WTP) 2004.

The department served show-cause notices on the chairman and managing director of the KIOCL, the Assistant General Manager, Malleswaram, Bengaluru, and the Department of Project Planning, Mangaluru, last week. “We will wait till this weekend for their response,” Ramesh Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Karkala Wildlife Division, told Deccan Herald on Monday.

The buildings that have been sold are located outside the boundary of the national park and are a private property of the KIOCL. But they fall within the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) as well as the deemed forest category. Hence, no commercial activity can be carried out without permission from the State Wildlife Board and the Chief Wildlife Warden, the official added.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Vinay Luthra, said that no file had come to him and no permission was given for the resort. Though the said property falls under revenue land, it is still a part of the enclosed tiger reserve. So, any clearance for a resort needs departmental permission. Under the WTP, resorts are not permitted in wildlife and enclosure areas. 

A typical Shola forest recovering its unbroken stretches that were subjected to open cast mining

On December 15, 2006, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a KIOCL petition to use existing buildings and infrastructure for promoting eco-tourism. Further, the court had directed the Central Empowered Committee to file a report on the winding-up status of the KIOCL, said K M Chinnappa of Wildlife First, a conservation advocacy organisation. “Any activity is transgression. Also, the area now belongs to the State government as the lease agreement of June 30, 2006, has ended,” he said. 

According to Kumar, a field situation report revealed that the KIOCL buildings are in a dilapidated condition and need at least a month for repair and renovation. “A lot of weeds need to be cleared. So, no guest can visit the place in the near future and we will take necessary action before that. We are also trying to confirm the actual transaction and agreement between the KIOCL and Alva’s.”

On April 7, 2014, the KIOCL had invited an expression of interest to throw open closed mining areas and residential quarters to tourism. Of the total 1,401 hectares, 281 acres belong to the KIOCL. The land is located within the national park area and falls under the ESZ. It is also a part of the Western Ghats ESZ, which the Ministry of Environment and Forests notified on March 10, 2014.
Despite repeated attempts, no KIOCL official was available for comment. 

Irresponsible Tourism leaves negative impact on Wildlife

-Manu K

The eco tourists at a beech, a nesting grounds of the Green Sea Turtle during the annual aribada or the 'Return for egg-laying' season

Eco-tourism can be just as damaging as honest hedonistic holiday-making.

-Anita Pleumarom

Eco-tourism, in the nineties was perceived as a harmless eco friendly activity and was provided with huge subsidies to develop it into an industry. It is still presented as sustainable, nature-based and environmentally friendly activity. In these days however it is a subject of considerable controversy. With lack of proper guidelines for tour operators and absence of any monitoring mechanisms in countries like India the business is sprawling. 

A Selfie enthusiast walking right upon arriving Sea Turtles.

‘Eco-tourism’ is the tourism industry's fastest growing subsector; with an estimated world-wide annual growth of 16%. Governments as well as the corporations promote eco-tourism, with claims of environment upkeep and economic benefits to the local communities.  It was campaigned that if the livelihood of the local communities are elevated they take custody of the forests or the species in it. But there are well-founded concerns that it lacks adequate scientific foundations, and is not viable as a solution to the world's social and environmental problems. One of the classical examples is that of the world famous Bharathpur Bird Sanctuary. In the eighties and nineties the birds as well as the industry thrived. Every house around the lake –sanctuary flourished as a Home stay facility. Like the name of the guest house the dishes and ice creams on the menu card were after one or the other bird. A crane’s cottage had rooms called barbet, bulbul and a sparrow while the menu card listed sandpipers delight or a shoveller’s scoop for deserts. Every rickshaw puller was a ‘bird specialist’ and could name a hundred birds.

 

The mad rush and the unruly behavior of the tourists made many turtles return back without laying, for which the Costa-Rican Government has ordered and enquiry.

But 2004 was a fateful year for Bharatpur; there was a periodic drought like in 1972 and 1979. As a mitigating measure the state government of Rajasthan prioritized the demand of farmers over the birds.  The Central Government tried to intercede, but the then Chief Minister Ms. Vasundhara Raje refused to relent. As though to appease farmers belonging to a particular community, she issued an order to divert water from the Ajan Bund away from the Bharatpur marshes and into the sugarcane fields surrounding the park. It unleashed a catastrophic consequence for this 250 year-old, man-made wetland. Both animals and birds died. In the whole episode the eco tourism operators never raised a voice. Even before the industry collapsed they had bolted towards Agra and Mathura.

Eco-tourism is an eco-facade

Many eco-tourism claims concerning its benefits are exaggerated, or owe more to labeling and marketing than genuine sustainability. Not only are such projects repeatedly planned and carried out without local consent and support, but they often threaten local cultures, economies, and natural resource bases. Critics regard eco-tourism as an `eco-facade': a tactic concealing the mainstream tourism industry's consumptive and exploitative practices by simply calling it ‘green’. 

Where is the privacy for Tigers or its prey? Modern communication gadgets help tour operators identify and communicate among themselves to assemble such crowds to witness Large cats.

Of particular concern is the side stepping of crucial questions in the promotion of eco-tourism, regarding the global economy and widening gap between rich and poor, particularly in Third World countries. Significant social and political issues such as the uneven distribution of resources, inequalities in political representation and power, and the growth of unsustainable consumption patterns are marginalized or ignored.

A typical example could be found in the islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Most of the investors on the islands are non residents from the distant states of West Bengal and Tamilnadu and simply out match the scale of operation of the local community deceiving the consideration of the carrying capacity of the site. While a middle man luring us to go to his destination for a stint of scuba diving, was out rightly mentioning the low costs of the other because it is operation since twenty years and his was a recent opening. He clearly explained how disturbed waters would be devoid of coral life. When questioned about hoe just was it to open up more and more beaches for such activities he admitted that he had no option for survival!

 

Responsible Safari Operators not common men.........

Environmentally risky

Eco-tourism may sound benign, but one of its most serious impacts is the expropriation of virgin' territories - national parks, wildlife parks and other wilderness areas - which are packaged for eco-tourists as the green option. Eco-tourism is highly consumer-centered, catering mostly to affluent urbanized societies. In order to rope in the new middle-class `alternate lifestyle' seekers low end eco tourisms are thought off. However, most destinations are advertised as heaven on Earth, `untouched' places, `off the beaten track' and once in a life time experience.

Operators are always looking for newer destinations and try to provide the best of urban comforts to their clients. As the Industry grows big it ties up with all other lobbies to harvest profits and wouldn’t bother to remember their moral code.  Now it is the turn of Kudremukh Wildlife Sanctuary which recently lost its berth as a Tiger reserve. The pristine landscape of these shoal forests were plagued by the unfortunate consequences of mining industry for thirty years between the seventies and the late nineties. Initiatives of the concerned citizens brought in a Supreme Court order of closure of all mining operations in the area since 2000. The Kudhremukh Iron Ore Company limited (KIOCL), however dragged the case and held on till 2005 asking for pull back time and claiming its responsibility of fixing the topsoil in the mined area. It is said that the company changed its bye-laws and had applied for permits to undertake tourism operations in the left behind infrastructure. Today it is read that the company has transferred some its residential complexes to Alva’s Kudremukh Nisargadhama which intends to construct luxury health resorts to undertake eco-tourism. The forest department has served notices on both the companies as it is a violation of the Eco sensitive zone and the Kudhremukh National park also of the Supreme Court and the Wilderness Tourism Policy (WTP) 2004. However the cultural bastions of Dakshina Kannada are grieving that the building are too worn-out and full of weeds and no tourist can come in the immediate future. While they say their only intention is to enhance the forest cover, they are forced to carryout some basic repair works of the buildings. Only time can tell how they justify their stands about violations and good intentions and concern of Nature and Wildlife. 

 

An un attended School crowd left aloof by the school teachers or a Nature Camp organisers amidst WIld boar.

Mega-resorts, including luxury hotels, condominiums, shopping centers and golf course, are increasingly established in nature reserves in the name of eco-tourism - in many cases protested as `eco-terrorism'.  What begins as Nature friendly gradually turns out people friendly, deceiving the natural local elements of every order. Flourishing eco tourism projects in many places across the globe are with completely artificial landscapes and exotic plants, tending to irretrievably wipe out native plant and wildlife species – some times the entire eco-systems.

No local benefits

Diverse local social and economic activities are replaced by an eco-tourism monoculture. Contrary to claims, local people do not necessarily benefit from eco-tourism. Tourism-related employment is greatly overrated: locals are usually left with low-paying service jobs such as tour guides, porters, and food and souvenir vendors. In addition, they are not assured of year-round employment: workers may be laid off during the off-season. Most money, as with conventional tourism, is made by foreign airlines, tourism operators, and developers who repatriate profit to their own economically more advanced countries.

 

Eco tourism in the Andamans; People thronging for a boat ride at Radhanagar Beach.

Eco-tourism's claim that it preserves and enhances local cultures but it is highly insincere. Ethnic groups are viewed as a major asset in attracting visitors; an `exotic' backdrop to natural scenery and wildlife. The simultaneous romanticism and devastation of indigenous cultures is one of eco- tourism's ironies.

Just beyond the tree line of islands is the garbage dump, well below the high-tide mark at the famous Elephant Island in the Andamans.

 Given a lack of success stories, and sufficient evidence of serious adverse effects, the current huge investments in eco-tourism are misplaced and irresponsible. Research, education, and information for tourists are an absolute need of the hour. Unfortunately there is no third party doing such work.  Every government has stood up to pump in money into the industry, provide a red carpet to foreign investors, and loosen the laws of the land and provide huge subsidies for ventures. Countering of eco-tourism's demeaning of local cultures and the local ecosystems and unjust sharing of profits must become something of a serious matter of the Governments. To accomplish this target, there has to be a civic engagement not as an option but as the central element of the charter. 

Blackbuck Reserve in Chamarajanagar District Proposed

- R Krishna Kumar in  The Hindu

Free ranging Blackbucks near Ummattur    M K Vishwanath

There is a proposal for a blackbuck conservation reserve at Ummathur and Bagli villages in Chamarajanagar district to sustain their numbers in the wild. Though a final decision on the issue is pending, it was decided at the recent State Wildlife Board meeting to send a delegation of experts to assess the habitat before approving the project.

The proposed reserve is slated to come up on 1,504.39 acres of government land in the two villages. The concept was mooted by the Chief Conservator of Forests of Chamarajanagar Circle under section 36-A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

In a preliminary report submitted to the authorities, it was pointed out that the area proposed was a good habitat to sustain a sizeable number of blackbucks along with other wildlife, and even the local community was not averse to the idea. Besides, the Deputy Commissioner, Chamarajanagar, has issued a no-objection opinion in this regard. The president of Ummathur Gram Panchayat and the panchayat development officer have also supported the concept to declare the area as a conservation reserve.

At present, the blackbuck conservation reserves are at Ranebennur in Haveri and Jayamanagali in Tumakuru. However, a senior Forest Department official said that there was no need for fresh introduction of blackbucks in Chamarajanagar as quite a few of them had been found in Kundagere range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. “They share habitat with spotted deer and live in open grasslands in the drier part of Bandipur. And since the area is protected these antelopes will continue to thrive there,” he added.

A threatened species, which was bordering on the verge of extinction due to extensive hunting in the pre-Independence days, their numbers are confined to a few reserves scattered across India. They survive in open and dry grasslands and woods. If the proposal for the reserve comes through, it will be the first such reserve exclusively for blackbucks in Old Mysuru region.

National Green Tribunal Orders Interim Stay on Netravathi Diversion Project

N Raghuram in the New Indian Express

A farmer showing the standing cropping plantation he would lose 

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) southern zone gave an interim stay for the Netravathi river diversion project in its order issued on Wednesday.

The appeal to the NGT was filed by K N Somashekar who had contested as an independent candidate in the previous Lok Sabha elections from Bengaluru.

Higher officials in the NGT,Chennai, confirmed to Express that the stay order asked Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited to halt all works related to the river diversion project until the Forest Department produces a legally processed environmental impact assessment report.

A standing protest by every section of the public

“This is a victory to our struggle. Though we are aware that our responsibility has doubled with this order, it gives us time to monitor the project closer than before and also to strengthen our movement,” Dr Niranjan Rai, leader of the Netravathi Nadi Tiruvu Virodhi Horata Abhiyana, told Express.  “We are in consultation with top lawyers in the country for taking up the anti-Netravathi river diversion project on a higher scale,” he said.

An empty pot demonstration by the public

Appeal to Union Minister

The Abhiyana, Sahyadri Samrakshana Sanchaya and other organisations involved in the fight against the river diversion project, will also appeal directly to Union Minister of Environment and Ecology Prakash Javadekar.

The resistance for the project goes beyond party lines-The two leaders of the district being ridiculed

Students of MSW campaign through street plays educating the public.

Tough Job Ahead?

State Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology B Ramanath Rai, who had maintained that there was no damage to forests and ecology of the Western Ghats, may have to do a lot of homework and put his ministry on toes to put all the details before the National Green Tribunal , sources said.

Change in feeding behavior of Indian Wild pigs at Bandipur

 Narration and photographs by Manu K

A typical family of wild pigs in Bandipur tourism area

My earliest memory of going for a safari ride in Bandipur dates back to the days when it was just declared a Tiger reserve, after the initiation of the Project tiger in the country. Those were the days when safaris were conducted in an open lorry. People were all filled upon the back and there was little arrangement for sitting. Anyway most people preferred to stand as the roads were rough and there was nobody to establish order among the crowd. A lame guard with a double barrel gun in his khakhis on board was the guide. There must have also been some sort of mini buses commuting in the forests, for a different category of people.

 

A group of wild pigs on a deer carcass

Then came the days of H C Basappanavar, the first project director in Karnataka. He brought visible changes in the attitude of the public. Education camps for teachers and students began in war footing and a different class of people started emerging among the public. Ever since, people who cared to list their sightings on a safaris had wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a serious entry. One saw them so scarcely. As days passed, they became common and were soon not a subject with special emphasis.  As though an index of success of project Tiger, certain species started thriving all over the country. Among half a dozen such species the Indian Wild pig seems to top the list. A number of factors could have contributed for their success but one cannot ignore the adaptability and resilience of these species.

 

Wild pig feasting as a scavenger

In the post millennium times you have started seeing Indian Wild pigs right in the reception area. They, along with bonnet macaque are becoming commoner and commoner as though they are greatest beneficiaries of tourism. It is just not the litter generated by the passers by but people who stay over night are also too ‘spilly’ in their eating habits. Without any centralized garbage disposing mechanism in the establishment all organic wastes of both vegetable and animal origin in the kitchen and the widely dispersed accommodations are scattered locally. In a matter of seconds the scavengers clean it up making appear a very eco friendly way of disposal. But what worries is who the scavenging animals are. Instead of jackals, crows or vultures that traditionally cleaned up the left overs but now animals like the wild pigs and the bonnet macaques have moved in. They both eat up anything disposed by humans and are now competing with one another. In order to have the best access to the human generated food they have learned to guard their territories and be very patient with the humans.

A wild pig bolting with the remains of a chittal deer

Today they are seen holding their resting places very close to one or the other guest house. They appear to be very docile and domesticated and get to the door step of the visitors. But once they feel threatened or challenged they immediately plunge-back their own evolutionary past and become wild. There are many stray instances of humans, being hurt by the pigs and monkeys as well.

Off late the wild pigs are getting into focus in the reception area. The nice green lawn spread across the residential area and the kitchen has been the roost for at least a thousand spotted deer every night. This habit of the deer seeking shelter amidst human settlement is an age old phenomenon. The ungulates seem at home in human vicinity and carry out all their natural chores like mating to breeding in this area. No doubt the predatory tigers and leopards also have this turf as their home range.

When you went out for a nature walk in the early mornings a few years ago you would find traces of deer predation in the fringes of the open area. A leopard or a tiger would have made a kill and left the half eaten remains of its quarry and gone because of day break.

Two years ago, one early morning while I was with a group of students a female pig and her five juvenile offspring dashed out of a bush with a full rib cage of a chital deer. It was just astonishing to me even though I had read about the scavenging nature of the Wild pigs and how they could be a serious threat for an inexperienced predator. In about five minutes the family decimated the entire carcass.

Today you don’t see any trace of a kill in this area. Probably the wild pigs may be even snatching the kill off from their predators in case he is young or inexperienced. 

Last fortnight it was a sunny afternoon and even as the tourists started gathering for the safari, we were sitting under a Pongamia tree for a group discussion. As usual the bonnet macaques perambulated among various groups and were dis-heartedly settling around us as none of us had anything of their curiosity. All of a sudden there was an alarm call from a bonnet macaque as though there was some large sized predator. All we could see was a khakhi rag being pulled about by three pigs. It was a young female and her two juvenile companions man-handling a juvenile bonnet macaque. The larger of the pigs was holding the macaque by one of its legs and the other two fought to get hold of any spare of the macaque.  It was a strange team-up of the pigs yet they worked in stealth.  After an initial burst towards the predators, all the macaques bolted to safety and even started urinating and defecating where ever they were. The opportunistic predators simply bolted to cover with its half dead quarry in its mouth.  Half an hour later they were seen back sniffing around without a trace of blood on their face as I had just finished explaining the children how eating and being eaten is part of nature.

 

A bonnet macaque injured by a wild pig's attack

What makes the wild pigs change their behaviour?

Scientists propose several hypotheses, which need to be tested in the future, to explain the observed unusual behaviour of the boar. Shreejata Gupta and Anindya Sinha of the Indian Institute of advanced studies who have made similar observations explain the phenomenon as follows.

The opportunistic predator hypothesis: It suggests that the prey individual was foraging away from the other troop members and thus, perhaps, increased its chances of being attacked opportunistically by the predatory boar. Although opportunistic predators are not believed this possibility cannot be easily ruled out in this particular situation.

The habitat complexity hypothesis: This argues that a greater structural complexity of the habitat would promote relatively less visibility of a prey species to its predator and vice versa. The Reception area of the Park, where the hunting occurred, is characterized by open, well-maintained grassland with sparsely spaced tall trees. The natural habitat of wild boars in Bandipur, in contrast, is typically forested with fairly dense undergrowth and the contrasting open Reception area may thus have provided better visibility to the boar and induced an incipient predator-like behaviour to express itself.

The catch

The intra-guild predation hypothesis: A guild is defined as ‘a group of species that exploit the same class of environmental resources in similar way’. Intra-guild Predation refers to situations where two species, competing for shared resources, predate on one another. In this particular case, one of the major food sources for both the bonnet macaques and the wild boars in the Reception area of the Park is provisioning of human origin food by the visiting tourists. Such an anthropogenic foraging option could have potentially turned the two otherwise non-competing species into competitors. As a result, a novel case of asymmetric intra-guild predation could have emerged in this situation. 

The mother with the kill followed by her juveniles

Such observations raise several crucial issues pertaining to the behaviour ecology of species that commonly occur in anthropogenic landscapes. There has hardly been, for example, any systematic study on the behaviour of wild boars, which has the potential to uncover flexibility in behavioral traits such as the reported switch from a more species typical foraging strategy (carrion-feeding) to a more adaptive one (opportunistic  predation). Moreover, the possibility of a wild boar predating on a non-traditional prey species such as a bonnet macaque as a result of competition over human provided food resources, if tenable, has significant implications for their conservation in increasingly prevalent atypical ecological regimes.

Cheeni, the snake catcher!

Cheeni

Narration and photography: Sangamesh Mathad

Dogs thought to have originated from an extant canid species, which were selectively bred for millennia. Cheeni, Pomeranian in breed is around 3⅟2 years old I have kept. She proved to be a very good hunter apart from a perfect watch dog in our house in the outskirts of Mysore.

A sand boa

This incident took place exactly a year ago. It was the first time she encountered a snake in my garden. It was dusk, I was sitting in my room and I heard cheeni barking. The way a dog barks, its master can easily make out what is it up to. So I stormed out. I was trying to figure out what was going on and then I saw a rat snake working its escape plan. It had coiled on one of the hibiscus plant. The plantations were quite dense there. Cheeni noticed my presence and I have no idea from where she got the guts, in a fraction of a second the rat snake was in its mouth. She was holding at almost quarter position of the snake’s body . Rat snake tried to strike the dog but cheeni started to jerk her head. Every jerk made sure that the snake hit hard to the ground. In 5 to 6 jerks  snake was half dead. She then abandoned the kill and moved away . I approached closer to get a better picture of the kill. I found 3 bike marks on the neck region and its bleeding mouth. When cheeni had caught the snake it its mouth, I was expecting it to rip its head off but it had a different method of killing it.  It was literally like hammering with snake’s head on the ground . I am pretty sure that there were many internal damages but externally I could see only few bite marks.

The kill: Spectacled Cobra 

Till date she has killed 7 snakes and we all got amazed when she encountered a spectacled cobra. She has killed 2 cobras,3 rat snake and 2 wolf snakes .her bravery has made her a celebrity in our locality . Well one afternoon my mother got a call from a neighbor saying they have a snake in their garden and asked mom to get cheeni along. As soon as I heard this I ran to their house to rescue it. Well it was a sand boa.

Cheeni, the brave!

Next time if your dog comes up with the same situation try not to get closer unless you are sure of grabbing it and taking away. Two things happen when you are close by, either the dog gets extra dose of energy and goes into a fight or might get distracted by your presence giving an opportunity for a snake bite.

Practical Ecology Lessons for High school students at Bandipur

Haritha Shaji the author of this write up

Pictures by Chethan Prasad M S

There could not have been a better class on Human Evolution 

Amrita Vidyalayam, Mysuru had recently arranged for an educational workshop on Ecology at Bandipur National Park. In fact, an in-house workshop on DNA technologies was planned earlier which was supposed to be carried out by an external agency from outside Karnataka. Since the agency could not make it, the school felt that the enthusiastic students should not be disappointed. The students were given a choice between molecular biology and ecology. The students unanimously voted for ecology! The school wholeheartedly provided an opportunity for the students to learn in outdoors, amidst nature.

The teacher and her taughts 

Excerpts from a girl’s dairy-

 I was very lucky to be one among the students who were taken to Bandipur National Park. We learnt about the evolution and were fascinated to know how we evolved from creatures like Chimpanzees. The fact that baby chimps keep up with human kids in intelligence and learning until they are two year and then start falling behind in development, also mesmerized  me.

Some lessons in Gaja Shashtra

The visit to the interpretation centre which had lot of pictures of Wildlife of Bandipur with some text was really informative. There were relief maps of the sanctuary that gave a realistic picture of the location of Bandipur- wedged between the three southern states of Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala. The extension of the forests of Bandipur across the river Kabini to its North into Nagarhole and to the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Sanctuary to the South west has made it into a healthy habitat of populations of Elephant and the Tiger.

This huge stretch of forest continues with the Wayanad forests of Kerala and that of Mudumalai in the south. All the forests put together is protected as a Biosphere. This was named as the Nilgiri Biosphere reserve and declared protected in the year 1986. It was all fine to realize the undisturbed stretch of forests set aside for the tigers and were known to contain more than 250 of them.  Bandipur alone was said to have 105 tigers, unfortunately we could not see any during our Safari….., well the existence of prey species suggests the existence of predators.

There weather was pleasant during our stay and we enjoyed the cool breeze. The lush green grass and abundance of lively deer on them filled joy in our minds. Manu sir told us told us the importance of Nature and he revealed the interdependence of various animals in it. 

Children inspecting the skull of an Indian Wild Pig.

He vividly explained about pollination and pollinating agents; trees, their seed designs and their dispersal agents. They all have evolved to live in unison and cannot isolate themselves now. Unfortunately I had no clear idea about pollination and dispersal and had thought them to be the same!

After having a delicious course of meal and playing with a pretty cat that enjoyed the comfort of the kitchen, we were divided into four groups and set for a group discussion. 

Students engaged in some group discussion with Manu K

The important factors for the depletion of wildlife and preventive measures that are to be taken up was the topic and we had four different stations to visit for inputs and complete the task. Each of the stations had a different resource person and was from different backgrounds and view points.

Raviraj's station : Students are given a different opinion on the same issue

 Mr. Raviraj highlighted the immediate threats to the wildlife like the road kills and the Man-Animal conflict, Geetha madam highlighted the issues related to invasive species and the devastating effects they have left behind upon native species and Manu sir threw some light on the deterioration of wildlife populations due to Climate change. Later on we were all made to sit upon the lawn and present our findings in groups.

As we were all engrossed in the presentations we witnessed a juvenile monkey being killed by a wild boar. The unfortunate monkey was taken unaware by a young female boar and her two younger cousins(?). They literally tore the primate apart and carried it far away dodging every one who tried to hush up the kill. There was a chatter of unrest and helplessness among other monkeys who were safe upon the tree. We felt sad for the monkey and angry over the boar.

Wild pigs taking taul of an unwary bonnet monkey. 

But there is nothing wrong in it, if we think logically that is how Nature works. Manu Sir explained the interdependence of species and the relationship between prey and their predators. A predator is a necessary factor to keep the prey population fit and healthy.

In the evening we went out for a safari ride through the forest. As the bus went through the forest upon an unbeaten track, we could see bushes of all sorts running parallel to the forest path. Sir explained it as invasive species which have infested the forest in the recent years. We saw several deer, peahen, Indian Gaur and a couple of Common Langurs. I think the tigers were not in a mood to see us. We were eager to see them but couldn’t see any. 

Black mushroom with tar like spores

In the evening we had a documentary session where we saw two movies. One was about the origin of life and the diversification of life forms.  It revealed many truths about DNA and the deviations it takes. The second documentary was about the trade of Wild animals and their products. The cruelty to the animals seemed endless in the south-east Asian countries, in the name of medicine, vanity and   livelihood. 

Mushroom associated with Elephant dung.

Between the two sessions we had a dinner break. We had to walk a little distance for the dining hall across a field. In the night of the dark we could see a thousand eyes shining against a beam of torch light. We had a splendid time watching them graze and lol about in the safety of human settlement.

Early in the morning we went for a nature walk and collected many evidences of the animals that lived in the forest. From droppings to dropped antlers and seeds to feathers we learnt a lot. We were taught to identify the calls and find meanings from it. To me this nature walk was the best of the sessions as I learnt many many things about nature.

All set to go back with a difference.....

Yettina Hole Study Trip in Pictures

The Camp site- a theatre that holds one or two festivals a year is constructed on an altar and gives a wonderful view of the Western Ghats all through the day. 

The Gypsy and his caravan;  early birds do the most waiting.

The Best activity the children enjoyed was putting up their own tents

The boys did not find it hard to get along with the make shift arrangements

Getting on with the makeshift class room, cum studio ...

Typical Lunch time; 

Visiting a Land Loosers house was very touchy. He was in grief to part with the standing coffee, areca and pepper that stands in the back drop of his two room house. 

Visiting a Land Losers house was very touchy. He was in grief to part with the standing coffee, areca and pepper that stands in the back drop of his two room house. 

The tanks that supplied water to Raxidi village placed upon a hillock were not considered a daily essential when water was being discussed with the local community. Incidentally, in spite of the rains the camp site was depending on this water for every use and there was  problem due to power cut.

A water tank used to to store water during the curing season of Coffee. Such tanks were common on the bigger estates such as Poornima and Raxidi. 

A 25HP  diesel motor in possession with an estate right on the banks of one of the streams that is proposed to be taped. The estate needs water for coffee curing. We cant depend on the govt supply says the owner of Purnima Estate.

It was a breath taking experience to see hundreds of gigantic pipes laying all around the forests....waiting for a chance to get aligned towards the Eastern plains, up the Western Ghats. An estimated length of 800 kms and more of these pipes are to be put up to carry water from this "Water rich area" to drier districts of Karnataka.

Some biodiversity recorded by the students.

What ever the intention, children had a chance to be close the many creatures they wouldn't have made  an eye contact with. Here a friendly calotis jumps upon the mobile phone they tried to photograph with.

A beautiful fern amidst a gamut of ground cover in a Coffee estate

A colourful Millipede coils like a chakli the moment it is disturbed. This endemic species is harm less and lives on leaf litter making inroads across the topsoil and increasing the porosity of the soil.

This is another species of millipede called the Wood louse. This too has the tendency to curl up into a metallic ball at any instance of disturbance. Its hard shell and jointed legs have brought in another name in the western folk a Armadillo beetle.