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Quick reprive : Sarus in its home |
Wild Aid is the outreach arm of WTI that extends support to individuals and grass roots organisations, and works closely with the government doing small, short and medium term interventions to address urgent or critical conservation needs. It is non-bureaucratic, rapid in implementation and can react to requests, if required, within 24 hours. Here are some illustrations:
Post Tsunami Assessment
Following the massive tsunami in 2004 that hit the south Asian coastline devastating parts of India, Wild Aid was able to quickly reach the sites for aid, and later for an assessment of the damage to the coastal ecosystems and came out with reports that were of use to the government in designing and prioritising post-tsunami
packages. The survey also found huge damage to the coral reefs with virtually the entire Andaman coastline comprising of extensive beds of coral rubble, which was a cause of concern.
Securing Sarus Breeding Grounds
Wetlands of the Etawah and Mainpuri districts of the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which constitute the flood plains of the Ganges and Chambal rivers, are the breeding grounds of approximately 50% of the global population of Sarus cranes, the world's tallest flying bird. Unfortunately, the government of India's policy categorises most arid land and wetlands as wastelands. Taking advantage of this policy, the state government used a World Bank supported scheme to drain these wetlands to increase the arable area in these districts. As bulldozers and workers moved in, WTI, alerted by an alarm raised by an on-ground Wildlife Institute of India researcher, speedily filed a public interest petition in the High Court. The judges halted the drainage and directed the state government to take concrete steps to protect the bird and its habitat. The World Bank was compelled to rethink and withdraw from the project.
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Drive slow : Elephants have right of way |
Prevention of Elephant Deaths Due to Train Hits in the Rajaji National Park
Railway lines passing through forests pose a constant threat to wildlife. In the last 18 years, the broad gauge railway track passing through the Rajaji National Park has killed 18 elephants. This is a crucial, and only, lines that connects Dehradun, the capital of the newly formed state of Uttaranchal, with the rest of the country. Reacting to one such accident, Wild Aid carried out a rapid study to assess the need for elephants to cross the line, to delineate the problem areas and to mitigate them. Water was found to be the major limiting factor in the summer months. In search of water, the animals had to cross a railway line that was full of blind turns and so constructed in stretches that animals had no escape route.
The study suggested simple and elementary measures such as increasing visibility on the track, joint patrolling by forest department and railways on vulnerable stretches during summer and removing hurdles that trapped elephants on the tracks. Active lobbying by WTI's officer in the field led to workshops for train drivers and guards, clearing of obstructions and vegetation along the railway tracks and sign boards on vulnerable stretches. WTI also cleaned choked water bodies so that more water was available during the crucial summer months. The measures have ensured no elephants died due to train hits after 2002 in Rajaji NP.
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Preserving Tribal Traditions : With new lifestyles |
Changing Tribal Traditions to
Conserve Hornbills
For centuries, tradition forced Nyshi tribesmen in India's remote north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh to hunt the hornbill and wear its beak on their heads as a signature of their tribe and, more importantly, to get married. Increasing Nyshi population ensured the decimation of three species of hornbills.
WTI joined a local NGO, Arunachal Wildlife and Nature Foundation (AWNF) to encourage the tribesmen to adopt artificial hornbill beaks to give a modern conservation twist to the tradition.
The beaks produced by WTI and distributed with the help of AWNF and the Arunachal Forest Department became so popular that WTI decided to turn this into a sustainable activity. Tying up with the National Museum of Natural History and the Nyishi Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society it trained select local artisans to produce this beak with the result that a centuries old tradition has turned into a commercially viable activity.
