Living in the villages of Goa, one can easily sight peacocks, fork tailed drongos, whistling red-whiskered bulbuls, troop of monkeys and even slithering snakes. So much of wildlife at the steps of the home, imagine the wonders that can be viewed right there in the wild. Blessed with several wildlife sanctuaries, today, World Wildlife Day, is a wonderful opportunity to get closer to the wild.
On December 20, 2013, the United Nations
General Assembly decided to proclaim March 3 as World Wildlife Day to celebrate
and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The date is the day of
the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973, which plays an important role in ensuring
that international trade does not threaten the species’ survival.
In Goa, the Department of Forest, Government of Goa will be
celebrating the day with schools students from different regions that are
closer to the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Deputy Conservator of
Forests, Anand Jadhav, explains that children are the future of preserve the
true value of the forest and the wildlife and they are the ones who will take
their experience home and influence other people. “The main crux of the
programmes are focused on school children as they need to be sensititized. They
will be given brochures about the various animals in the wildlife sanctuaries,
the Olive Ridley turtles and their hatching or even information about
butterflies and birds. They will have something in their hard to remind them
about this experience. Looking at the larger picture, from 100 children even if
10 are sensitized and make a difference, then I am happy with the result,” says
Anand Jadhav.
The programmes at all the venues will begin at 10 am and will
end during the school hours itself. At Morjim, range forest officer (RFO) John
Fernandes will guide students about marine mammals, turtle hatchery and marine
wildlife sensitivity. They will be shown audio-visual clippings to give a
better understanding. At the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Chorao, students from
Chorao and Panjim will be taken for a bird walk and sensitized about estuary
and mangrove ecosystems and how it feeds the animals as well as its
relationship with humans.
At Mhadei National Park, school children from Maloli will be
introduced to the territorial animals at the Open Centre and they will also
come get to view butterflies and birds. At Mollem National Park and Bhagwan
Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary, school students from Collem and Mollem will get
educated about the importance of nature and the need for animal to depend on a
safe habitat. At Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, school students from Ganjem and
Guleli will learn more about the importance of wild animals. Through various
interactions and audio-visual aids at least 400-500 children will enjoy an
experience in the wild, breathing fresh air.
Amrut Singh, chief, Animal Rescue Squad, understands why animals
should be treated and rescued in the right way. His aim is to train youngsters
well and even to educate the younger generation about reptiles and mammals. “We
undertake training sessions according to regions and the members are thoroughly
trained with practical knowledge with updated equipment. We even record videos
of rescue missions which are used to further give them a better understanding
on what has to be done in that situation,” says Amrut Singh.
Nester Fernandes, research & outreach officer of ReefWatch
Marine Conservation, Goa educates children about the marine biodiversity.
“There are various factors that determine the period of when female Olive
Ridley turtles will swim to shore and lay their eggs. From a hatchling, it
taken an average of nearly 14 years for a female turtle to reach adulthood and
return to the same place where she was hatched to lay her eggs. This is a huge
gap which is the reason they should be preserved to lengthen their lifespan,”
says Nester.
World
Wildlife Day is the perfect time to celebrate the day with nature and
experience the true beauty of Goa.