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World after 5th Extinction
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Content Featured Topic Editors’ Desk Special Coverage Story Room Cohabitation Theme Poster
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World’s Endangered Species – Herbivores and Primates Rising Middle Class and World Environment Day Pesticides killing Sarus crane in Navegaon Bandh National Park Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary - A journey to a dense jungle of Odisha Amazing Wildlife of Laos – Part Four Holocene Theme Poster Competition
Team Exploring Nature Editors’ Desk Title & Logo Design Newsletter Design Theme Poster Collage
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Dwaipayan Ghosh, Arnab Basu, Anwesha Ghatak Arijit Das Majumder & Saikat Chakraborty Dwaipayan Ghosh, Arnab Basu Sulagna Das
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Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
Arnab Basu
Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and everyday actions they can take to help protect them. Started in 2006 by the United States Congress, Endangered Species Day is a celebration of the nation’s wildlife and wild places. Every year on the third Friday in May (and throughout the month), zoos, aquariums, parks, botanic gardens, wildlife refuges, museums, schools, community centers, conservation groups and other organizations throughout the country hold tours, special speaker presentations, exhibits, children’s activities and more to celebrate Endangered Species Day. Herbivores The world's largest herbivores are threatened with extinction due to an "empty landscape" and humans are partly to blame, according to a new study. In particular, 74 large herbivore species in Africa, Southeast Asia and India are diminishing. 60 percent of the world's largest herbivores are at risk of extinction, according to a new report published in the journal Science Advances. The study, "Collapse of the World's Largest Herbivores," provides a sobering look at 74 of the largest terrestrial plant-eating animals. The gentle giants have had a tough go as of late. Nearly 100,000 elephants were poached in just three years. A record number of rhinos were killed for their horns in 2014. And mountain gorillas are among the most endangered plant-eaters on Earth. A comprehensive analysis of a world without elephants and 73 other threatened large herbivores, paints a stark picture: More frequent and intense wildfires due to a build-up of flammable plant matter no longer being eaten by the missing herbivores • More habitat coverage for disease-carrying rodents • Dwindling food for large carnivores such as lions and tigers • Diminished seed dispersal for plants “The ripple effects are profound and significant not only for ecosystems, but for humans, too,” says Rodolfo Dirzo, professor of environmental science and a senior fellow at the Stanford University Woods Institute for the Environment. How to slow the destruction Hunting (for meat and animal parts, such as rhino horns and elephant tusks,) habitat change, and livestock pressures are the primary drivers of large herbivore population declines. But there may be ways to slow these destructive forces, scientists say: • Organize a coordinated research effort focusing on threatened species in developing countries. 2|Page
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• Take decisive policy actions to encourage and empower local communities in the management of protected areas through efforts such as sustainable tourism and education about the importance of large animals for disease regulation. • Engage policymakers—and society at large—in national and international campaigns to stop destruction, degradation, and over-exploitation of large herbivores’ habitat. There are about 4,000 known species of terrestrial herbivores, which live in a wide range of ecosystems on every continent except Antarctica. Of those, the highest numbers of threatened large herbivores live in developing countries, especially in Southeast Asia, India, and Africa. Only one endangered large herbivore lives in Europe (the European bison), and none are in North America, which, researchers say, has “already lost most of its large mammals” through prehistoric hunting and habitat changes. “The decline in the local abundance of large herbivores, the extinction of their populations in many areas of their distributional range, and the risks of their global extinction represent a major pulse of erosion of the Earth’s biodiversity,” Dirzo says. “Hopefully, this kind of research can help us prevent the defaunation—the loss of animals from ecological communities—of the planet’s remaining terrestrial large animals.” Primates The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates is a list of highly endangered primate species selected and published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group (IUCN/SSC PSG), the International Primatological Society (IPS), and Conservation International (CI). The 25 species on the 2012–2014 list are distributed between 16 countries. The countries with the most species on the list are Madagascar (six species), Vietnam (five species), and Indonesia (three species). The list is broken into four distinct regions: the island of Madagascar, the continent of Africa, the continent of Asia including the islands of Indonesia, and the Neotropics (Central and South America). Five species have been on all seven published lists: the silky sifaka (Propithecus candidus), Delacour's langur (Trachypithecus delacouri), golden-headed langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus poliocephalus), grey-shanked douc (Pygathrix cinerea), and the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus). More than half of the world’s apes, monkeys, lemurs and lorises are now threatened with extinction as agriculture and industrial activities destroy forest habitats and the animals’ populations are hit by hunting and trade. In the bleakest assessment of primates to date, conservationists found that 60% of the wild species are on course to die out, with three quarters already in steady decline. The report casts doubt on the future of about 300 primate species, including gorillas, chimps, gibbons, marmosets, tarsiers, lemurs and lorises. The most dramatic impact on primates has come from agricultural growth. From 1990 to 2010 it has claimed 1.5 million square kilometres of primate habitats, an area three times the size of France. In Sumatra and Borneo, the destruction of forests for oil palm plantations has driven severe declines in orangutan populations. In China, the expansion of rubber plantations has led to the near extinction of the northern white-cheeked crested gibbon and the Hainan gibbon, of which only about 30 or animals survive. More rubber plantations in India have hit the Bengal slow loris, the western hoolock gibbon and Phayre’s leaf monkey. Primates are spread throughout 90 countries, but two thirds of the species live in just four: Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In Madagascar, 87% of primate species face extinction, along with 73% in Asia, the report states. It adds that humans have “one last opportunity” to reduce or remove the threats facing the animals, to build conservation efforts, and raise worldwide awareness of their predicament. The market for tropical timber has driven up industrial logging and damaged forest areas in Asia, Africa and the neotropics. Mining for minerals and diamonds have also taken a toll. On Dinagat Island in the Philippines, gold, nickel and copper mining endanger the Philippine tarsier. In the DRC, hunters working around the tin, gold and diamond mine industry are the greatest threat to
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the region’s Grauer’s gorilla. The industries at work in tropical forest areas are expected to be served by an extra 25m km of roads by 2050, further fragmenting the primates’ habitats. Another major force driving primates to extinction is commercialised bush meat hunting, which has expanded to provide food to the growing human population. The report cites accounts that claim 150,000 primates from 16 species are traded each year in Nigeria and Cameroon. In Borneo, between 2,000 and 3,000 orangutans are killed for food each year, a rate that is far from sustainable. If we humans collectively and as individuals do not act to protect these endangered primates and their habitats, they both will disappear—lost forever! We should not be lulled into complacency by another upbeat report from the media. We must get involved, write letters, educate others, and help the local communities that live near the forest to preserve their wildlife. What We Can Do for Primate Conservation Support legislation that protects endangered species and their habitats, increases funding for foreign aid programs that specifically address sustainable development and the conservation of global biodiversity, increases enforcement of wildlife trade laws to stop the smuggling of endangered species, curtails the use of primates in inhumane experiments, encourages family planning and discourages human population growth. The earth has finite resources—we must control ourselves. Be an ecotourist rather than a sightseer. Be sure the tour company we choose follows the principles of ecotourism. The idea is to ensure that part of the money we spend will benefit the local community and not adversely impact the environment.
Source: Stanford University; Huffington Post; The Guardian; Primate Conservation Inc. Photography : Dwaipayan Ghosh and Arnab Basu
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Editors’ Desk
Rising Middle Class and World Environment Day World Environment Day (WED) occurs on 5th June every year, and is the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. World Environment Day was designated by the UN General Assembly in 1972 on the first day of United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, resulting from discussions on the integration of human interactions and the environment. Two years later, in 1974 the first WED was held with the theme "Only One Earth". It has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. WED has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, WED has a new theme that major corporations, NGOs, communities, governments and celebrities worldwide adopt to advocate environmental causes. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to add activities related to the environment for saving it & also motivate the initiative of others in celebrating & protecting our life forms' ecological and biological relationships with our shared ecosystem. Even though WED celebrations have been held annually since 1974, in 1987 the idea for rotating the centre of these activities through selecting different host countries began. The theme for 2017 was “Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator”. The host nation was Canada. The theme for 2016 was to “Prohibit illegal trade of threatened”. Angola was the host country of that year. With Canada celebrating its 150th birthday this year, it’s especially befitting that the country will host this year’s World Environment Day. The picturesque nation is offering free admission to their national parks, marine conservation areas, and historic sites throughout 2017. World Environment Day challenges us to leave a cleaner world for our children and grandchildren. Climate change is real. It is here. And it cannot be wished or voted away. That is why Canadian government has taken real, concrete action to address climate change, and to protect clean air and water. Last year, Canada introduced the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. Developed in partnership with the provinces and territories, and in consultation with Indigenous Peoples, it is Canada’s plan to grow a cleaner, more innovative economy that reduces emissions and protects our environment, while creating good, well-paying middle class jobs. They also launched the ground-breaking Oceans Protection Plan, which will vastly improve the marine safety and ability to conserve the precious ecosystems of our oceans. With Indigenous and Northern partners, they’re exploring ways to protect the future of the Arctic Ocean’s “last ice area” where summer is still visible each year. Meanwhile, they’ve committed to conserve at least 17% of the country’s terrestrial areas and inland waters by 2020, and to protect and restore their abundant coastal and marine ecosystems by 5% by the end of this year. They’ll also continue working with federal, provincial and territorial governments to better protect species at risk, and to support recovery efforts and habitat conservation. Now UN’s motto on this year’s WED arises questions. “Connecting people to nature”, is the theme the UN has chosen for the World Environment Day this year. This is how the UN suggests we celebrate it. It “implores us to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the Earth that we share.” But, as the UN website admits, billions of people living in rural surroundings do already directly connect with nature. So, this is a call to the rest. That implies that in India it is an entreaty to about 30% of the population living in urban zones. The call from the UN is likely to find a positive reaction among the rich out of this 30% who can afford such an idea of leisure and aesthetics — a trip to a national park or a hike in the mountains. The call by the UN is not about conserving the environment. Enjoining the middle and upper 5|Page
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classes of urban citizens to stay in ‘pristine’ national parks and close to nature has usually worked against environmental protection. In India, it has fuelled the “haves” to plunder natural resources away from the poor in the name of ‘natural beauty’. The notion of pristine nature locked inside national parks (kept safe for visitors) has come at the cost of a shameful dehumanization of tribes and other forest-dwellers. The protection and conservation of the environment, as compared to just the notion of pristine nature, is, therefore, a more complex, rather dirty and difficult job. Let’s look at this matter in another way and shed some light on ‘the rising middle class” of the modern world. The increase in average incomes and the fall in levels of absolute poverty, in particular during the last decade, suggest that an increasing proportion of the world’s population is neither rich nor poor by national standards but finds itself in the middle of the income distribution. If this expansion continues, the size of the “global middle class” will increase from 1.8 billion in 2009 to 3.2 billion by 2020 and 4.9 billion by 2030. The bulk of this growth will come from Asia: by 2030 Asia will represent 66% of the global middle-class population and 59% of middle-class consumption, compared to 28% and 23%, respectively in 2009. The developing world’s “emerging middle class” is a critical economic and social actor because of its potential as an engine of growth, particularly in the largest developing countries such as China and India but also in sub-Saharan Africa. But middle classes are not only a motor of consumption and domestic demand, their social role remains equally important. Middle classes are believed to support democracy and progressive but moderate political platforms. Strong middle classes can influence economic development through more active participation in the political process, expressing support for political programs and electoral platforms, in particular those that promote inclusive growth. This year on ‘World Environment Day”, UN’s recipient was the “Nouveau riche”, world’s bourgeois. But with wealth and power comes responsibility. The worldwide booming business of Eco-tourism might popularize trips to National Parks but that hardly garners awareness towards natural conservation. Not to forget, this staggering market of affluent class in the emerging economies, are the biggest consumers of syndicated poaching. The issue UN attempted to address in last year’s World Environment Day, organized in Angola, is very much apposite. Under the nose of state authorities, animals are being exterminated systematically, for business or for pleasure! “The Western Black Rhino’s” saddening entry into IUCN Red List’s “extinct” category raises serious questions about UN’s governance. The entire human population should live by the example of “Live and let live”. If we deprive one life to flourish on earth, we bereave us of a future. Academy-award winner and committed environmental activist, Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio gave an impassioned speech about climate change at the UN’s, before the Paris Agreement for Climate Change Signing. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has designated him as a United Nations Messenger of Peace with a special focus on climate change. Leonardo DiCaprio told world leaders at the United Nations that they are the “last best hope” for saving the planet from the disastrous effects of global warming. The celebrated actor and activist urged them to leave fossil fuels “in the ground where they belong” as he spoke before the Paris Agreement for Climate Change Signing. Drafted between 30th November to 12th December, 2015 and signed on 22nd April, 2016 in New York, the “Paris Agreement” (French: Accord de Paris), or “Paris Climate Accord and Paris Climate Agreement”, is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020. The language of the agreement was negotiated by representatives of 196 parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC in Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015. As of June 2017, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, 148 of which have ratified it. India ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change by depositing the instrument of ratification with the United Nations on Sunday, the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. A special event was organized to mark the occasion, also observed as the International Day of Nonviolence, at the UN headquarters. Living through an age of triumphant industrial capitalism, Gandhi had warned of the dangers posed by the unbridled exploitation of natural resources. Speakers at the event recalled Gandhi’s 6|Page
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vision that foresaw the pivotal role environment would occupy in development debates decades later. “Looking back, many now regard him as an avid and early environmentalist. Encapsulating the whole idea of sustainable development more than seven decades ago he had said, “The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our fore fathers but on loan from our children. So we have to handover to them at least as it been handed over to us,” said Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative of India to the UN, after handing over the instrument. Now, according to NCAER, India's middle class population would be 267 million in 2017. The forceful empowered citizens of India should follow the visions of the “Father of the Nation” on cohesive living. Eco-tourism in India is celebrated and organized with the co-work of state and private enterprises. Authorities in the National Parks are well equipped, still syndicated poaching is very much in existence in India. Disturbing news of an Indian engineer and wildlife photographer arrested with animal body parts, shatter our senses. To be emancipated is to make way for others, we all are born free and we all should live uninterrupted on our sovereign Mother Earth. Flocking to reserved forests to catch a glimpse of wild lives is exciting, if not dismaying their habitats. The enthusiasts should follow park rules and etiquettes, be sensible and informed about our biodiversities. There are quite a few individuals and groups working painstakingly for the betterment of ecological balance worldwide. It’s the role of the most dynamic band of men and women in the modern human civilization, the delegates of change, the “middle” section of the society, to mobilize the Governments, to stand guard of corporate intents. The “Global Power” United States of America, with one of the largest mid-income citizens, has withdrawn from Paris agreement arguing the nonbinding accord was unfair to American workers and U.S. competitiveness (points many economists fiercely dispute). “President Trump’s speech was confused nonsense,” said Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, in a statement. The think-tank has vetted the decision as discouraging as climate change is real and it’s threatening every living and non-living entity. Now the world needs to see how the American intelligentsias influence the country’s policies towards environmental reforms. The United States is the second biggest consumer of energy in the world, after China. Google alone uses enough energy to continuously power 200,000 homes. The amount of energy it requires to conduct 100 searches on the site is the equivalent of a standard light bulb burning for 28 minutes. The average American uses approximately 313 million Btu of energy, while the worldwide average per person is around 75 million Btu. A litany of sobering statistics shows just how profligate Americans have been in using and abusing natural resources. Again it’s on the shoulders of the inhabitants of world’s second largest democracy (after India), to reside sustainably. Our discussion is incomplete with the mention of China, the reigning nation in global economy. Killing elephants for their ivory, slaughtering tigers for their pelts and bones, and fatally hacking the horns off rhinos have reached epidemic proportions in recent years. Unfortunately, the bloody trail leads to Asia, particularly China and Viet Nam, where the demand and price for products from endangered species have sky-rocketed, propelled by fast-growing economies, an increase in purchasing power, the rising demand for rare animal parts to be used as ingredients in tonics, as “status symbols,” or investments, and the availability and accessibility of these products in the marketplace. Interpol has estimated the extent of the illegal wildlife trade between $10 billion and $20 billion per year. While the trade is a global one, with routes extending to every continent, conservationists say the problem is most acute in Southeast Asia with trade linkages to key markets in China, the United States, and the European Union. While the State Council of China banned the buying, sale and use of tiger bone more than twenty years ago, large industrial tiger farms have emerged in the country with the sole purpose of farming tigers for the trade in their parts and products. Under pressure from commercial interest in these “tiger farms”, wildlife authorities issued licenses for wineries and taxidermists, giving their tacit approval for the commercial trade in tiger bone tonic wine and tiger pelts used for home décor. South Africa, home to 73 per cent of all wild rhinos worldwide, has seen rhino poaching escalate from 13 killed in 2007 to 1,004 in 2013. While international commercial trade in rhino horn is prohibited by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), South Africa allows foreigners to hunt rhinos and ship the horns overseas as trophies. Taking advantage of this legal loophole, criminal gangs employ Thai and Vietnamese 7|Page
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prostitutes to pose as big game hunters to obtain fake trophy hunting permits to smuggle horns from poached rhinos. The repeated “one-off” sales of elephant ivory whetted market appetite and created opportunities for criminals to sell illegally-obtained ivory under the cover of the legal market. In China, purchase of legal ivory from southern Africa in 2008 stimulated demand and prompted increased production to meet market needs. Limited availability of legal ivory from the stockpile sale sent ivory prices soaring, attracting more consumers who value ivory as an investment and covet it as “white gold”. In many instances, tribal people have become the victims of the fallout from poaching. With increased demand in the illegal wildlife trade, tribal people are often direct victims of the measures implemented to protect wildlife. Often reliant upon hunting for food, they are prevented from doing so, and are frequently illegally evicted from their lands following the creation of nature reserves aimed to protect animals. Tribal people are often falsely accused of contributing to the decline of species – in the case of India, for example, they bear the brunt of anti-tiger poaching measures, despite the main reason for the tiger population crash in the 20th century being due to hunting by European colonists and Indian elites. In fact, contrary to popular belief, there is strong evidence to show that they effectively regulate and manage animal population. The world’s hefty population relishing prosperity is enslaved by greed. We need to break free from immorality; else, just a day in the name of “World Environment Day” will pass by, unappreciated. Let’s be the emissary of accountable upkeep and make our planet great again. There is no plan B, as there is no planet B. The indigenous people of Clyde River of Nunavut Canada are awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on their fight for Inuit rights and Arctic protection. The Canadian government failed to properly consult with the community (as required by law) before granting permits for companies to blast the Arctic in search of oil. Their case will be heard alongside the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, who are taking a stand to protect their land and water from the risky Line 9 tar sands pipeline. Both verdicts could have profound implications — across Canada and globally. Let’s join our hands in solidarity. There’s only one earth and merely one chance to live.
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Special Coverage
Pesticides killing Sarus crane in Navegaon Bandh National Park
Vrushabh Borkar
Abstract Environmental changes nowadays have become a burning issue due to increase in atmospheric temperature. Scarcities of rainfall, drying of water bodies, aggressive urbanization are having strong implications on biodiversity. Global warming has set in motion and is affecting the timing of migration of birds. Birds are reliable indicators of environmental changes for centuries and their arrival indicates start of winter and departure of summer. Migratory birds have been crucial to environmentalists to study the courses of Mother Nature. There are many examples of the effects of climatic changes on birds from all around the world which collectively provide compelling evidences that birds are losing their navigation resulting in losses of flocks. Some farmers of Navegaon Bandh National Park, Maharashtra, in the Western parts of India, are using a huge quantity of pesticides/insecticides which is fatal to the migratory birds. A survey of the Species of birds belonging to Grus antigone (Saurus Crane) were recorded in Navegaon Bandh Lake. An attempt of this article is to provide significant information about the birds, inhabiting Navegaon Bandh Lake and to garner global recognition of this habitat for the conservation of bird population. Introduction The sarus crane (Grus antigone) is a large non-migratory crane found in parts of the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. They are the tallest of the flying birds, standing at a height of up to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in), they are conspicuous and iconicspecies of open wetlands. The sarus crane is easily distinguished from other cranes in the region by the overall grey colour and the contrasting red head and upper neck. They forage on marshes and shallow wetlands for roots, tubers, insects, crustaceans and small vertebrate prey. Like other cranes, they form long-lasting pair-bonds and maintain territories within which they perform territorial and courtship displays that include loud trumpeting, leaps and dance-like movements. In India they are considered as symbols of marital fidelity, believed to mate for life and pine the loss of their mates even to the point of starving to death. The main breeding season is during the rainy season, when the pair builds an enormous nest "island", a circular platform of reeds and grasses nearly two metres in diameter and high enough to stay above the shallow water surrounding it. Sarus crane numbers have declined greatly in the last century and it has been suggested that the current population is a tenth or less (perhaps 2.5%) of the numbers that existed in the 1850s. The stronghold of the species is in India, where it is traditionally revered and lives in agricultural lands in close proximity to humans. Elsewhere, the species has been extirpated in many parts of its former range.
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Present Situation Lack of awareness among locals and particularly failure of the forest department and district administration to take corrective steps is taking toll on sarus cranes in Gondia-Balaghat districts. In 20th February, 2017 3 sarus cranes have died after consuming insecticide-infected crop in nursery beds in villages falling in the patch between GondiaBalaghat. Another adult male was found dead on a Sunday at Wainganga river bed. On February 1, a sub-adult and an adult sarus crane had died in Linga after consuming crops. This is the time when farmers, having good irrigation facilities, take up secondary crops and spray insecticides for speedy growth. “During rainy season, the toll is less due to continuous rain, but in dry season when sarus birds descend on the agriculture field to eat insects on crop, the pesticides prove to be a death knell," said Sawan Bahekar of Sustaining Environment and Wildlife Assemblage (SEWA), Gondia. The majestic tall birds are found only in Gondia-Balaghat and Bhandara in Maharashtra. However, their roosting and breeding places are found near agriculture fields, river beds, lakes and other habitat areas making them vulnerable. There is no special program or awareness initiative by the forest and district administration against uses of pesticides among farmers to conserve the bird species. "The farmers may not be doing it intentionally but awareness among them can help save the birds", points out Mr. Bahekar. Sarus cranes are listed in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and their status is 'vulnerable' on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Though the life cycle of these birds is of average 70-75 years, but due to habitat destructions, their numbers are dwindling drastically. During the annual count named “Sarus Scape”, 82 sarus cranes were recorded. Of these, 35 and 2 cranes were sighted respectively in Gondia and Bhandara districts and 45 in adjoining Balaghat. How to improve the situation and protect birds from pesticides/insecticides? According to my opinion, Forest Department with the help of district Administrations should encourage peasants for responsible and scientific application of pesticides. So that agriculture will flourish in the land without jeopardizing conservation the awe-inspiring bird species. Farmers should stop polluting the farm land with chemical fertilizer and instead start using bio-fertilizers. Reference: Authors - G.T Paliwal, S.V. Bhandarkar, W.R. Bhandarkar, Publication Date - 2013 Journal - Indian Streams Research Journal ISSN: 2230-7850, Volume – 1
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Story Room
Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary – A Journey to a Dense Jungle of Odisha
Subhro Gupta
Overture & Aperture Born and brought up in South Kolkata, I left my “city of joy” in the year 2005 for South India. My career paths took me to travel to various states and cities covering most parts of India. I have always been a travel freak and a nerd when it comes to photography. Sometimes I’m accompanied by friends, but most of the times I’m a lone wanderer. Being a shutterbug enthusiast, I longed to learn the art and science of camera. For a working class Indian, having a passion is a luxury. I could not pursue photography with seriousness for reasons relating to global inflation! I was facing the prose of harsh reality with tremendous work pressure and other hindrances. But life finds its way! In the year 2012, my first visit to Matheran, gave me leisure abundantly. During that time, a solitary Kodak Z712 IS was in my possession which I bought from abroad with very limited zoom of 12X. The next camera I purchased, again from abroad, Fuji S4500 with zoom of 30X, was in 2013. The more momentous I became about photography, the more desirous to get that perfect shot. Photography like any other form of artistic expression thrives like hunger from within. In 2016 I was a proud owner of Sony HX 400v and then my first DSLR D5200 in 2017. Thus the saga continues. Let me now divulge into the details about a trip to Odisha and about my “photogenic” moments in the course. The Journey The original plan was to come home to Kolkata in the month of April and start our trip to Balasore with my friend Ranjan. After travelling 19 hours perpetually, I was weary and decided to repose at Bhubaneswar. The sudden shift in my travel itinerary was communicated to my family in Kolkata. One of my friends, in constant touch with me over phone all the way, arranged a hotel for me to stay. Spending four lovely days there, I finally arrived at Howrah station early in the morning. My confidant joined me at 5 am sharp and we commenced our journey for Balasore at 6 am in Dhauli Express. We got down to Balasore prior to our scheduled arrival. A cab was awaiting there and dropped us to our reserved accommodation at Panchalingeshwar. We finished our breakfast in the train, so had our bath to freshen up. After a soothing shower, we were rejuvenated. It was sweltering summer in Odisha and our cab voyaged through to Panchalingeswar temple. Both of our photographic devices, a Nikon and a Sony were fully equipped. With traveler’s cap in our heads, filtering our eyes from scorching sun, we climbed 300 stairs with camera bags, to reach to the temple. “Darshan” was memorable and we enjoyed in every piece and bit. The temple was surrounded by dense jungle. Curious, I enquired the local people about animals in that jungle and was assured of elephants that come around 3 pm in the vicinity to drink water and the temple is kept close at that time. We paid a minimal amount of money to a local guide to take us to the mysterious forest. The journey was mesmerizing with semi dense jungle and mountains all around. Our presence was greeted by the chirps of many birds especially the black headed oriole, jungle fowl, in an allnatural chorus. We roamed around for half an hour in that lovely place.
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From there we started for Chandipur. I visited Chandipur way back in 1980, when there was severe cyclone in the coastal belt and had a hectic time returning back to Kolkata. Beaches are not my cup of tea but my friend has an affinity. We visited Jagannath temple on our way to Chandipur. We departed Jagannath temple mid noon and on the way stopped at the highway to “refuel”. Lunch in a road-side “dhaaba” is always sumptuous and we had to take a power nap in the car. We took a stroll on the sand towards the sea. The ups and downs of tides, moving miles away since morning till noon and then coming at night, symbolize the ever changing facets of nature. To sea-lovers high and low tides must be thoroughly enjoyable. I had some tea to refresh myself in the beach and retreated to the hotel. An evening in a trip is blunt without a plate of steamy, crispy “pakoda”. That snack was followed by simple dinner of “roti” and chicken. We went to bed early as we would have a long day tomorrow. Next day we woke up at 6 AM but could not start our journey until 9.15 AM. Our initial plan was to cover Devkund enroute Kuldiha. The cab driver was not properly communicated about the agenda and did not agree upon the fare, so had to cancel Devkund. Complimentary breakfast at our hotel was plenty and excellent. With bottles full of hydration, caps, towels to beat the heat, we began exploring with our cameras and power bank. Sun was scorching with little hope to find any animal in the forest. We sped through the highways making up for the delay. The driver was finally compliant so was his jeep. We travelled nearly 12 kms to get the permit to enter the jungle and from there we started for Kuldiha. We were easily permitted as the driver was influential and luckily I could speak “Odia”, the colloquial language of Odisha. On our way to Kuldiha we were taken aback with the greeneries and breathtaking landscape. We halted at a local shanty to have some tea. After exactly 1 hour and 10 minutes ride with 3 kilometres of rugged off-roading, we reached at the gate of our destination Kuldiha. We were in anticipation after learning from our driver about herds of elephants in the terrain and even a sudden prowl of a leopard. But we were not that fortunate, as the forest-inhabitants are mainly nocturnal. Before entering the core area, at the gate we met the locals who suggested us to carry food from the forest office. Tangy odour of chicken curry filled the air and we wished to savour it on our way back. We maintained our reticence once inside the forest to enjoy the tranquillity. Our driver slowed down at a speed of 5-10 kilometres per hour so that there is no disturbance in the natural occurrences of the ambience. The forest was thicker and I had to set both of my cameras pointing at the unknown. My friend was also composed with his point and shoot camera. While in the woods, we should always be attentive as we do not know what could unfold all of a sudden. Our driver had thorough knowledge about the zone and with his escort we got off the vehicle and ventured inside the jungle. The jungle can be threatening with possible fatal attacks by snakes, bears, elephants and leopards. They are the rulers and we, the intruders are always at risk of agitating them. Absolute silence is mandatory inside the core forest area and we must abide by the rules of the jungle. I am thankful to my father who at a very young age taught me to respect all creatures and uphold their freedom. My old man spent 10 long years in the dense forest of Daltangunj and Hazaribagh and his whole life has been impacted by the experiences gained in the wilderness. For birding in a jungle, one has to spot a place where birds come more often, probably near a tree full of ripe fruits. Patience is the key for successful bird watching, framing them requires 12 | P a g e E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
diligence. In wildlife photography, wild animals, flying birds do not follow instructions of the shooter, rather the models own the moments. It’s the flair and perseverance of the wildlife enthusiasts who could freeze a wild life in motion, as it is. A great shot involves high risks and without a covenant of success. If we know to honour the jungle and its residents, in return we will be rewarded with life altering events. As we slowly entered the jungle we could hear the noise created by crickets for their stridulating. We found ourselves in the midst of impenetrable jungle. At first our vision was blurred, but with the guidance of our seasoned chauffeur we could envision the magic of the woods. Paying few extra bucks to encourage the driver did not go in vain. He paused wherever we wanted him. We were click frenzy and the hours called for numerous photographic scopes. We could hear screeching sounds of giant squirrels. We stopped the car near a gigantic tree, up and above was a giant squirrel eager and watchful of our moves. It did not mind posing for our cameras. This species though giant, can camouflage itself in such a way that one cannot glimpse it patently. Slowly we moved ahead and could spot few birds but at great heights. My 55-200mm lens was not worthy of such long distant shots. I used the Sony model with lens capacity of 50X and captured the shots given below. We continued at a slow pace. Our driver took us to see a small pond where the animals come to quench their thirst. It was our lack of fortune that after 4 consecutive visits to 4 ponds, we had no sighting of animals. The jungle sees us even when we can’t see through the soul of the jungle. My friend was complaining about the soaring mercury. I consoled him saying that summer could be worthy for bird viewing. But at high noon, we had no other sightings except for the squirrel. And then, suddenly, there was a huge crested serpent eagle resting on a tree shed. It was our driver who spotted the raptor. I got down from the car slowly and quietly and proceeded to discern the eagle closely. My heavy boots and tough jeans helped me to overcome my fear and I came back with some great shots of this medium-sized bird of prey. I was content to catch a glimpse of this jungle beauty. For my friend, for the first he noticed an eagle in natural surroundings. He was jubilant with this finding, but rushed back to the car dreaded for snake bites. I was till overwhelmed and unperturbed about any peril. With our hearts filled with joy and optimism, we toured deeper into the jungle. The concoction of calls of different birds’ captivated us. Few calls, for instance, sunbird, jungle fowl and peacock, I was familiar with. The jungle beckoned us and I was excited to spend couple of days in the forest guest house. Interestingly, salt pit was kept near the bungalow and from the guards we learnt that, all sorts of animals pay visits nearby. Leopard pug marks were discovered just few days back near the lodge. Night safari is strictly prohibited as nocturnal animals like elephants, wild boars, bears reign in the den. After refreshments we decided to explore the forest before sundown. A bit exhausted we could hardly keep our eyes open. Then there was a sambar deer, the state animal of Odisha, for a brief moment, vanishing into the jungle swiftly. Our purpose of coming to the jungle was revelation and we were moved by the elements of surprises. We combed through the jungle and spotted footprints of elephants with fresh dung. A glimpse of a wild ox on our way back was a one of a kind experience. We cruised through two entry points but did not have any significant sighting. We did find another eagle, quite smaller in size. We 13 | P a g e E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
visited a place where elephants come to drink water and traced fresh dung of elephants as well as gaurs. Our expedition was coming to an end. At the climax we visited a placid lake. This lesser known lake clamed our nerves down as we sat in the banks and breathed in fresh air. The jungle promises enrichments only if we listen to the silence, visualize the invisible. We humans do not care to give back anything to our Mother Nature, instead encroach her realm, destroying natural resources. It’s high time that we walk in the path of redemption and reclaim her lost glory. We whine about not sighting any animal in the jungle during our visits, but never give a thought about extinction of so many species during the modern human civilization. The blood is on our hands. It’s time to act judiciously; else in another 20 years there will be no forest, no other living being, only humans acting alone, solely responsible for 6th mass extinction!
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E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
Cohabitation
Amazing Wildlife of Laos – Part Four
Compiled by : The Outlander
In Laos, from May 2016 to January, 2017, most of my time was spent at Pak Lay – a small town in Xayaboury Province. My inquisition passed with ‘flying colours’ after I witnessed some pretty creatures of nature – butterflies, symbols of glorious natural metamorphosis. The count and the types of those beautiful bugs were really massive. During that period, I sighted 150 species of butterflies (some of them are unidentified till date), alongside 5 species of birds, 2 species of Geckos (including Tokay Gecko), 3 species of Moths ( including Atlas Moth), 2 species of Lizards, 1 species of Bat (unidentified), 2 species of Frogs (1 unidentified). The list of butterflies identified by me is given below, in subsequent issues of Holocene, few more species of butterfly and other spotted and identified species will be published. BUTTERFLY FAMILY : PAPILIONIDAE
Common Jay
Common Mormon
Common Rose
Five Bar Shordtail
Chain Shordtail
Great Mormon
Common Lime
Common Mime
Tailed Jay
White Dragontail
Golden Birdwing
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E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
FAMILY:LYCAENIDAE
Common Pierrot
Common Red Flash
Dark Cerulean
Dark Oakblue
Gram Blue
Pale Grass Blue
Plains Cupid
Margined Line Blue
Common Quaker
Slate Flash
Many Tailed Oakblue
Common Posy
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E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
Theme Poster
Holocene Theme Poster Competition #1
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E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
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E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
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E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in
Year – 2/Issue – 10/ June - July, 2017
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E-mail: holocene@exploringnature.org.in Website:www.exploringnature.org.in