“On January 23, the driver of an RTC bus plying between Bejjur and Kagaznagar town in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district abruptly applied brakes when he saw a tiger crossing the road near Easgaon.
Not the one to panic, he allowed the tiger to safely cross over,” recalled Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Administration and Information Technology), Munindra, underscoring the driver’s comparatively higher level of awareness about wild animals.
“This is exactly the kind of awareness that we are aiming at through this calendar. People should actually welcome wild animals, including tigers, in the habitats close to their villages,” Kagaznagar Forest Divisional Officer A. Narasimha Reddy said as elaborated on the novelty of a calendar brought out by his department with an aim to create awareness among locals, especially students.
The almanac is already in demand and a reprint is being planned. It has the large sized pictures of seven species of animals, the majestic tiger, leopard, sloth bear, honey badger, Indian wild dog, sambar and spotted deer. Photos of three of birds, including the critically endangered Indian vulture or Gyps indicus, the peacock and the plum headed parakeet are also in the calender.
Additionally, photos of the landscape at vulture habitat in Penchikalpet forest range and a perch from where a forest team monitors the scavenger birds, all of which are found locally. Each one is accompanied by a relevant quote, including one from Mahabharata about relevance of tigers, and other details like scientific name. The International Union for Conservation of Nature status of the animal is also listed.
As many as 1,000 copies of the calendar have been printed initially which have been distributed among public representatives, government officials, banks and schools. “Hung on a wall, it will help develop passion among children towards wild animals like tigers and the important days connected with environment, which are marked,” the FDO said.
Kagaznagar has seen intensive awareness campaigns since last two years thanks to the vulture conservation team. A greater effort however, is needed as this generation seems to be far removed from living in harmony with nature despite living close to forests and harbours misgivings about the wild animals.
The forest division extends in about 91 lakh hectare of Reserve Forest made up of teak and mixed forest species and encapsulates two tiger corridors connecting Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur in Maharashtra and Kawal Tiger Reserve in erstwhile Adilabad district and the Alapalli-Bejjur-Indravati corridor, which is highly fragmented. The number of birds and wild animals depicted in the calendar does not in any way do justice to the number of species that the local forests support.
