On Saturday morning, a large group of students, environmentalists, and wildlife enthusiasts participated in a walkathon from Sulthan Bathery to Muthanga on the Kerala-Karnataka border to sensitise the public on the significance of conserving wildlife and forests.
The programme was organised by the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WSS) as part of the Wildlife Week observance.
As many as 880 persons participated in the 16-km walkathon. ‘Protect mankind and conserve wildlife’ was the message of the programme.
Wayanad Sub Collector Sree Ram Sambasiva Rao flagged off the event. “Wayanad has emerged as the epicentre of man-animal conflicts in the State and it can be tackled effectively only through public participation,” Mr. Rao said. Events such as walkathon would help sensitise the public on the importance of conserving wildlife, he added.
Prizes and certificates were presented to the winners at the concluding ceremony held at Muthanga. Wildlife warden S. Mohanan Pillai presided over the function.
‘Cleaning the nature’, a cleanliness drive on both the sides of the Kozhikode-Mysore National Highway 212 and Pulpally-Sulthan Bathery State highway; ‘Spotting the bird’, a bird-watching competition for students; and ‘A Day in the Wilderness’, a wild safari inside the sanctuary for selected students and the public, would be held in the coming days, Mr. Pillai said.
