Nagarhole park celebrates wildlife week with eco-friendly initiatives

Team Udayavani, Oct 7, 2023, 1:03 PM IST

Hunsur: In commemoration of Wildlife Week, a series of eco-friendly programs were conducted within the serene environs of Nagarhole Park.

As part of the carefully curated program hosted at the Nagarahole Wildlife Zone, young students from the Nagarahole Government Ashram School dedicated the initial two days to collecting waste materials, particularly plastic, from the park’s premises. This hands-on experience aimed to raise awareness among the children regarding the detrimental effects of plastic on wildlife and the crucial aspects of wildlife-forest conservation and biodiversity.

Additionally, an engaging art competition centered around the biodiversity of Nagarhole was organized, fostering creativity and learning.
During the week’s festivities, students from Ponnampet Forest College in Kodagu paid a visit to the park, where they received valuable insights into the precautionary measures taken within the forest.

Nagarahole Park, sprawling across an impressive 843 square kilometers, lies adjacent to Bandipur on one side and is linked to the Wayanad forest of Kerala on the other. Some parts of the park even share borders with the Western Ghats. To mitigate conflicts between wildlife and humans, a range of measures have been implemented, including railway track fencing, solar fencing systems, elephant ditch management, and a dedicated team of guards. D.R.F.O. Naveen Rawat provided detailed information about grassland management, the significance of wildlife conservation, park management, and the activities of the forest department.

Furthermore, an elocution competition was organized for the students of the forest department college, where they eloquently discussed various topics related to biodiversity and the conservation of Nagarhole. The competition was skillfully guided by ACF Anusha and R.F.O. Mohammad Jeesha.

These engaging programs were not limited to Nagarhole Park alone; they extended to various sub-divisions, including Antarsanthe, Nagarhole, and Hunsur. Painting, essay, and elocution competitions were conducted for school and college students, fostering an enduring connection with wildlife and conservation in the hearts of the young generation.