Nature and Science

A mosaic of lakes and islands of mangroves, evergreen scrub and thorn forest, the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is spread over 30 hectares. Located 75 km away from Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, it is considered the oldest water bird sanctuary in the country. In addition to the fish in the lakes, paddy fields nearby too feed some of the bird species.

Every year, between November and June, several migratory birds, including some from as far as Europe, visit the sanctuary. Each season, at least 20,000 birds visit the sanctuary, only to usually leave in far greater numbers, accompanied by their offspring at the end of the season. However, monsoon failure in the region does affect the number of avian visitors. For instance, in 2013 and 2014, their numbers dwindled to just a few thousands after a disappointing monsoon. But, following a good monsoon in 2015, the number of birds increased drastically to several thousands.

The sanctuary hosts resident and migratory birds such as painted stork, Asian open bill, Eurasian spoonbill, glossy ibis, black-crowned night heron, Indian pond heron, grey heron, spot-billed pelican, little cormorant, great cormorant, oriental darter, black-winged stilt, red-wattled lapwing, pied kingsher, oriental white ibis, spot-billed duck, purple moorhen, coot, garganey, among others.

A considerate village

The sanctuary is named after the village it is located in. in 2018, a news report suggested that the villagers of Vedanthangla, by and large, had not burst firecrackers for close to five decades during Deepavali. And the reason is deeply linked to the birds. This festival of lights invariably falls during the time the birds begin arriving at the sanctuary, say during October or November. The villagers – across age groups – embraced this practice in deference to the birds’ safety. However, 2018 was a year when the lake had almost dried up, and the number of birds at the sanctuary had fallen to just a few hundred as against the usual several thousands. And that year, a few kids did burst firecrackers for Deepvali! Apparently, some of the adults still could not being themselves to, and many prayed for monsoon rains to save the lake and help the birds.

Meanwhile, the threat…

A study from July 2020 discovered the both ground and surface water downstream of a pharmaceuticals factory inside the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary “are polluted with industrial solvents, which can cause adverse health diseases for both humans and birds”. As many as four common industrial solvents used in pharmaceuticals manufacturing were detected in the water samples studied. The findings of the study point to a ground reality that differs from what the State’s pollution control board and the factory have been claiming – that it “is a zero liquid discharge facility”. The study came about around the time the Forest Department had proposed to “denotify the outer 2 km of the core zone of the bird sanctuary”. That proposal, allegedly aimed at helping the offending pharma company, caused collective outrage among people from several walks of life, including environmentalists.

Picture Credit : Google

A major coral reef area of India, the Gulf of Mannar comprises as many as 21 islands and spans an area of 10,500 sq.km. This large shallow bay lies between the southeastern tip of India and the west coast of Sri Lanka. In addition to the coral reefs, this marine ecosystem includes salt marshes, algae communities, mangroves, and sea grasses too. One of the world’s richest regions of marine biodiversity, it faces threats such as climate change, pollution, coastal development, coral mining and mechanised fishing.

A marine biosphere reserve, this region houses over 1,100 species of fish, 800 species of molluscs, 150 species of anthropods, five species of turtles, over 10 species of snakes, and seven types of marine mammals. The marine creatures include starfish, crabs, sharks, seahorses, barracudas, dolphins, sea turtles such as olive ridleys and green turtles, whales, dugongs, sea cucumbers and otters. In addition to these, a variety of birds such as seagulls, plovers, curlews, and terns too can be spotted in the region.

Algal bloom concerns

In September 2019, the Reef Research Team of the Suganthi Devadasan Marine Research Institute reported that algal bloom had killed more than 180 coral reef colonies in Shingle Island located within the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. The death of the corals came to light after the fisherfolk in Ramanathapuram (located near the Gulf of Mannar) witnessed the sea water having turned green and the death of fish in thousands. Scientists from the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) confirmed that the algae Noctiluca scintillans had bloomed. However, it was found that the nearby island of Krusadai was not impacted by the algal bloom. While climate change causes algal bloom, affecting corals and creatures such as fish, there was speculation if this incident was caused by ballast water. Ballast water is the water used in ships, especially cargo ships when they are empty, to help them with stability. This water carries several types of organisms. When the water is emptied into a region different from where it was collected, the organisms in it could cause negative ecological impacts on their habitat.

And some good news!

While COVID-19 has cost livelihoods and lives, and changed lifestyles globally, the pandemic is not without a few positives. The lockdown has had an especially positive impact in the context of ecology. And that is evident on the coastal ecosystems of the Gulf of Mannar along Thoothukudi district, according to newspaper reports. While collecting data for a State government project, the Suganthi Devadasan Marine Research Institute inThoothukudi conducted a study between May 25 and June 2 and discovered “a remarkable reduction” in the macro and meso-plastic pollution levels in many coastal locations in the region. The study also showed an “increase in the number of species of coral reef fishes from 89 in February to 96 in May”, at the Thoothukudi group of islands of Gulf of Mannar. It is said that fish normally migrated in the summer due to high population showed a spike, “thanks to less human disturbance during the lockdown period”.

Picture Credit : Google

One of the very few places in the world for spotting lions in the wild, the Gir forest is home to the largest number of wild Asiatic lions. Located in southern Gujarat, the region was first declared a reserve forest, and eventually granted the status of a sanctuary in 1965. The Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a dry scrubland spanning 1,400 sq.km. Around half of the forested area of the park is teak. The other half mostly has broad leaf and evergreen trees. The entire region is covered with dry deciduous forests, acacia scrub and grassland, and fed by rivers and reservoirs. Dominated by vegetation ideal for fauna, it is no surprise that over 250 species of birds are found in and around the area. This includes a whole variety from teals, kingfishers, nightjars and swifts to eagles, vultures, harriers, ibises and the oriental white-eye. While the lion is the most popular inhabitant of the Gir forest, the region also hosts the leopard, hyena, wild boar, spotted deer, nilgai, jackal, jungle cat, honey badger, porcupine etc. and reptiles such as Indian cobra and the marsh crocodile.

An unusual journey

The last time a tiger roamed Gujarat’s forest was in 1992. However, that changed in February 2019 when a school teacher saw a tiger crossing a road and took a photo on a phone. Having a big cat back in Gujarat was a huge moment of ecological victory. While the image went viral, the forest department got into action – camera traps were set up. Within a week, the tiger was spotted again; it was a young male. The same one that had started its journey from Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary in neighbouring State Madhya Pradesh back in 2017. When it reached Gujarat, it had travelled about 300 km, one of the longest journeys for tiger. The hope was that the tiger could eventually reach Gir forest, where it would settle in a conductive environment full of prey. However, the tiger died within weeks – of starvation. When it roamed the forests in Gujarat, the State became the only one to host the lion, the tiger and the leopard. That joy turned out to be short-lived. However, the tiger also left behind hope that someday someone else from his species would follow him and perhaps ensure that the joy lasts forever.

Lion deaths

On June 10, 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that “Population of the majestic Asiatic Lion, living in Gujarat’s Gir forest, is up by almost 29% Geographically, distribution area is up by 36%.” While this was comforting news, a report released by the government around the same time wasn’t. it said that as many as 92 lions had died in Gujarat’s Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL) since January 2020. ALL includes Gir National Park and Sanctuary, among a few other regions. These numbers are worrying, especially due to the canine distemper virus (CDV) outbreak that occurred in 2018. The virus infection had claimed the lives of more than 20 lions in Gir forest division in a matter of weeks. While the 92 lions “reportedly died of unnatural causes” this year, the State government has denied the presence of CDV.

Picture Credit : Google