“What kind of far-sighted vision is needed to turn a devastated overgrazed landscape into a wildlife paradise?” I asked myself as I drove through the Van Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary, Dholpur. I tried to envisage what it would be like, or what it used to be like? Did it have the essentials to be restorable? How long would it take? What are the critical biodiversity ‘switches’, the key actions that are needed to transform a scrubland into a wilderness haven.
I was lucky. I had invited Dr. Goverdhan Singh Rathore to join me on my little expedition along Rajasthan’s borders. He had visited the area as a young boy, while his father, the legendary Fateh Singh Rathore, was busy laying the groundwork for the restoration of Ranthambhore in the 1980s. He knew what a bare denuded landscape looked like, and how it can spring back to life, as Ranthambhore did so magnificently, to become Rajasthan’s premier reserve.
“I slept here in this room, I remember, lovely view over the lotus-covered lake then. Just like Jogi Mahal in Ranthambhore really,” Goverdhan mused sadly, as he recalled his visit. “The place was full of wildlife. Animals drinking around the lake’s fringes, and I recall hearing tigers roaring as I fell asleep. My father loved staying here.”
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2018-Ausgabe von Sanctuary Asia.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2018-Ausgabe von Sanctuary Asia.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Why Children Are Needed To Help Save The World
On my very first day in India, I encountered many marvelous new customs not practiced in the United States, my home country. But the most curious by far involved trees. Here and there, alongside the roaring streets of Mumbai were rings of marigold wreathed around twisting banyan trunks like dried rays of afternoon sunlight…
Who's Who?
Fact: all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads! Let’s unpack this...
The Sea Raptor
The White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is one of the most common raptors along the Indian coastline. Nevertheless, the sight of this soaring, broad-winged, white and black bird of prey is nothing less than majestic
Bringing Up Bob Hoots.
While we were visiting a friend’s farm in the village of Yelachetty, near Bandipur Tiger Reserve, we found Spotted Owlets nesting on the tiled roof… and one of the chicks on the kitchen floor!
Yala, Land Of The Leopard
Yala is not only Sri Lanka’s second-largest, but also the most-visited national park in the island nation.
The Wizards Of Oz!
Australia is not only a country, but also a continent. The land down under, cut-off from the rest of the world has an abundance of unique species of native animals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants.
Scales & Tails
I was really excited and looking forward to the workshop on reptiles and amphibians at Nature’s Nest in Mollem, Goa, between June 24 and 26, 2017. It was my opportunity to meet renowned herpetologist Varad Giri.
Big, Brilliant And Endangered
When one thinks of elephants, the first word that probably comes to mind is BIG! But elephants, while they may be the largest creatures on land, are not just big and powerful, they’re wise and sensitive as well. Recent scientific studies have established that they are among the most intelligent animals in the world.
Earth Manners
Everyday habits matter! Let’s be kind to the planet, animals and ourselves!
World Scan
CHINA’S IVORY TOWNAn explosive investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency has revealed how criminal gangs originating from an obscure town in southern China have come to dominate the smuggling of ivory tusks poached from African elephants.
