Thursday, February 4, 2010

Looking into Kat's Eye

Though still awaiting for the hard copy of it, I got the second issue of Kat's Eye today. The cover photograph of a sitting majestic tiger taken by Sanjay Kumar is simply awesome. I think it is one of the best photographs of Dudhwa Tigers ever taken, because getting such pose of tigers in terai is a rarity. It seldom happens; once in a while. I believe tiger sighting is comparatively difficult in UP terai due to thick foliage and tall wet grasslands. Terai is altogether a different landscape, one of the highly ecological productive ecosystem; in a mosaic form of wetlands-grasslands and woodlands. I remember Amit Misra has also taken some of the wonderful photographs of tigers of Dudhwa-Katerniaghat landscape.
The maturity and growth of Kat's Eye in this issue is very encouraging. And it has only become possible due to invaluable experience sharing by contributors like G. C. Misra and Romulus Whittaker. The article on elephants of Dudhwa is again an unusual narration by Sanjay Kumar. I am happy to see the article of B N Singh, Range Officer, on notable birds of Katerniaghat. It is a fact that field foresters are very poor in documentation but he has proved it wrong with his impeccable observations which will certainly encourage field foresters to document their experiences for this magazine.
The other features of news letter including efforts of KGF on Gyps vulture conservation, field activities, survey undertaken, seminar organised has made the issue readable. Kudos for KGF team.


Wednesday, February 3, 2010

A Dry wetland day

The world wetland day just passed yesterday. Silently. As variety of migratory birds fly back home being unnoticed at the end of winters.
It seems that we are loosing somehow real and genuine concern for our natural resources and their immense traditional conversational values. Somehow it is being felt, in general, that apathy for wildlife is increasing in the society day by day and an unprecedented antagonistic approach has slowly and slowly crept in the mindset of the people affected with the forests and their inhabitants.
Everyday wetlands are dying or being killed. Most of the remainings are in pathetic conditions. They are forced to be killed; reasons are known to everyone. Atleast the concern for them was alive but that too has started diminishing.
What to do now?
I would mention Mohmaad Ahsan Sahib's post on Face Book specially written for wetland day, which very truely colours this entire picture.
teri jhiilaiN hon ya mere pokhar / pareshaaN sab ke sab daur e haazir meiN
Photo: Suresh Chaudhary (Katerniaghat)-2006 Winters.