Bangalore: The lion-tailed macaque is an indicator species whose presence indicates that 400 kinds of plants flourish in the area. The bamboo grows 60-70 feet every month. And the tiger needs around 52 average-sized prey animals in a year. Around 250 high school students of Trio World School, Sahakar Nagar were transported to the world of wilderness and wildlife when D V Girish, Managing Trustee of Bhadra Wildlife Conservation Trust, Founder of WildCAT-C and long term partner of WCS - India, addressed them on Tuesday at the international school.
D V Girish addressing high school kids © Pradeep Hegde
A slide show of exotic and rare species of wildlife found in the country had the audience spell-bound by the images of snakes, spiders, birds, Nilgiri Marten, leopard cat, etc.
From giving the student audience a picture of the flora and fauna of the country, Girish took them through the challenges facing wildlife and forests -- poaching, farming, mining, road kills, encroachment by roads and tourism, etc. He then proceeded to connect the dots and show why we need to save wildlife. He gave the students a glimpse into the research work done by wildlife researchers, pointing to how tigers are identified by their stripes and noting how collaring the tiger has helped scientists learn about the behaviour.
© Pradeep Hegde
He appealed to their sensitivity while calling upon the future citizens of the planet to tread softly on earth. "There is only one liveable planet as of now and we must learn to use the resources sparingly and wisely."
Wildcat-C is a long-standing and valuable partner of WCS-India, working in the Chikamaglur region to conserve nature and wildlife through a combination of activism, advocacy and building awareness.