Thiruvananthapuram is still a city with an enviable green cover. The city is also home to a wide variety of wildlife. On the eve of World Biodiversity day, MetroPlus speaks to some of the eco-warriors trying to preserve the rich urban biodiversity of the city even as growing concrete jungle threaten their existence.
World Wildlife Fund(WWF) - Kerala
Asian Palm Civet discharge is highly corrosive and can damage electronic equipment. But even if it costs them couple of computer keyboards every year, WWF-Kerala staff members are letting the civets stay in the attic of their office-building. The wild thrives in the midst of the city and mapping them and their lives are some of the activities of the WWF-Kerala. “Whenever we speak about wildlife, we only think about animals in forests. Rarely do we think about creatures living around us such as birds, insects, reptiles and rodent mammals. The city is home to a large number of animals and the zoo-museum compound is the most important habitat of all,” says AK Sivakumar, WWF senior education officer.
For the last few years WWF-Kerala’s classes at educational institutes and wildlife-week-related activities have emphasised on urban wildlife. Several surveys of birds, ponds and trees in the city have been published in the form of handbooks. WWF-Bird Race, an annual bird watching event held in the city, has become a much awaited event for wildlife enthusiasts of the city. A scientific approach towards future development activities in the city, Sivakumar thinks, is what is required to conserve the rich urban biodiversity of the city.
Bird-man of Jawahar Nagar
As an employee of NGO Thanal, which has its office in Jawahar Nagar, Raju S began spotting bird-life in the neighbourhood as part of a collective initiative in 1996. By 2005 he was keeping track of variation in numbers and variety of birds in the residential area over a period of time. He spent one hour every week watching the birds on the Jawahar Nagar main road for five years. Several species usually found in forest regions were seen there. But as the years went by, new buildings came up and several green patches disappeared. It had a huge impact on the population of birds in that region,” says Raju, who stays in Thrissur now. His study found that at least 77 species of birds live in and around Jawahar Nagar. Crested Honey Buzzard, Brown Hawk Owl and Ashy Wood Swallow were some of the unsual species spotted. Raju’s findings were later published in Indian Birds ornithology journal. He adds, “In my recent visits to the city I have not been able to find several species that I spotted during my study. The reason is the plethora of new high rises.”
Warblers and Waders
Tailed Jay
They have been keeping an eye on feathered residents in the city for more than 25 years. Their fieldwork reveals that more than 100 species of birds live in the city limits. Punchakiri wetlands, on the outskirts, alone host more than 150 species, which include a good number of migratory birds, says C Sushanth, coordinator of the group. “A lot of people are showing interest in bird- and butterfly-watching. Earlier the big birds used to be hunted on the outskirts. Today it is a rare incident, thanks to general awareness created by different conservation groups and the surveillance by flying squads of the Forest Department. But rampant developmental activities are taking a toll,” he adds.
Weekly birdwatching trips, camps and encouraging students to grow gardens to attract butterflies have sensitised many youngsters to the environment and turned many of them into birdwatchers.
Travancore Natural History Society (TNHS)
Small Cupid, usually found in moist deciduous forests
Did you know that the city is home to at least 120 species of butterflies and 30-40 species of ants? Thanks to members of TNHS, we now have a better understanding of the ants, spiders, butterflies and dragonflies that inhabit the city. “They are the best indicators of subtle changes in nature. Even small changes in land-use pattern and pollution levels affect their distribution,” says Kalesh Sadasivan, a plastic surgeon and an active member of TNHS.
Fulvous Forest Skimmer, a forest species found in the city
TNHS has published several scientific papers on the studies they have conducted. “We also train college students in ants and spider watching. A group of students in Karyavattom campus of the University of Kerala are currently documenting the ants and spiders inside the campus. Students at Mar Ivanios College were trained by us recently to begin an ant survey on their campus,” says Kalesh. Rare species like Myrmecina urbanii , an ant first seen in Silent valley region, is found near the city, adds Kalesh. TNHS, along with Kerala Forest Department, is in the process of creating a repository of ants in Kerala —a unique venture.
Trees as destination
Indian Palm Squirrel
Tree Walk has been documenting the plant diversity of this green city. The novel concept of a ‘green lung’, where many trees grow in a space, was found on the five-acre Attakulangara School where 32 tree species and 80 species of herbs were located. This became part of a study in four other schools in the city called ‘Growing up and learning with trees’ when students recorded the names and uses of 25 to 30 species of trees. The species diversity and ecological services of spaces like Tagore Theatre, Museum campus, various campuses and grounds of colleges and schools in the city, Kanakakunnu and Observatory campus were documented.
Some of the endemic and rare trees in the city are a Malabar Iron Wood on the museum campus, an Indian Cedar in University College, Velvet apple trees on the premises of VJT Hall, a Trincomalee tree in Tagore Theatre campus and a small-leaved Mahogany near Secretariat. The city can boast of some green corridors where canopies of trees interlock – the Kowdiar-Vellayambalam and Vellayambalam- LMS segment are two such areas. Through the data collated from the 60 walks done, Tree Walk has documented more than 100 species of trees in this city. There are many spaces that can be greened more so that the visitor and resident population can visit and plan a day out with the trees that will be both a learning and recreational experience.
(With inputs from Anitha S, coordinator, Tree Walk -Thiruvananthapuram)
Some rare species in the city
* Orange Breasted Green Pigeon
* Drongo Cuckoo
* Dorylus Ant
* Small Cupid
* Fulvous Forest Skimmer
Sparrow crisis
Sparrow tweets, that once resonated the city, is now a rarity. Surveys by WWF and TNHS in recent years reveals a sharp fall in House Sparrow number. “They survive on spillover grains. But nowadays grains are kept in plastic bags at shops instead of jute bags. So there isn’t much leakage of grains and not much food for sparrows. Sparrow population in Chala has dropped sharply,” says Sivakumar.
