A breeze came through the window as Captain Sundaram sat at a table composing a letter. He wrote many letters – thousands during his lifetime on behalf of animals – often dozens of letters each week. This one was to the temple authorities of the Meenakshi temple in Tamil Nadu, in south India.
He asked that the temple discontinue their practice of allowing worshippers to donate parakeets to the temple. These long-tailed parakeets – or parrots as they are generally called in India — were being sold to devotees by shops along the streets near the temple. After they were purchased, the birds were then given to the temple, supposedly as an offering to the Goddess Meenakshi, who was always depicted along with a parrot. Sadly, instead of being well cared for, the parrots then found themselves in an overcrowded aviary at the temple, where they did not live long.
Early days of Blue Cross of India
Captain Sundaram, along with his wife Usha Sundaram and his son, then a teenager – now Dr. Chinny Krishna -was one of the founders of the organization Blue Cross of India. Blue Cross is well known all over India for their outstanding work with and on behalf of animals.
Today, several decades later, whenever Dr. Chinny Krishna is visiting Madurai and has a chance to go back to the Meenakshi temple, he is pleased to note that the big parrot cage is now gone forever and that the parrots are no longer condemned to life in a cage. The big cage was taken down and the parrots are instead flying free in the wild, as they should be, as native birds of India.
When the temple authorities discontinued the practice of allowing birds to be donated to the temple, newspaper reports at the time reported that this practice was being stopped. They gave credit to Blue Cross of India for their persevering work encouraging the temple to abandon the unkind practice.
Back to the wild
The long-tailed parrots – or parakeets — are a species native to India, where they have always lived happily out in the wild. They can also be spotted up in the branches of city trees – and definitely heard as well. Like parrots generally, they enjoy singing really loudly, especially as the sun sets in the early evening.
Now flying free in the wild, the parrots are happy, and Dr. Krishna smiles too, glad that that they are living their lives in freedom.
His father’s letters, over so many years freed many birds and animals from harsh treatment. It was a mistreatment that did occur, but that was always out of line with the ancient reverence that people in India have traditionally held for the natural world – a country where animals historically have always held a respected place as the companions and friends of the Gods that are worshipped.
Blue Cross of India is now celebrating their 60th year of saving many thousands of city animals – and occasionally protecting wild ones, like the parrots. Blue Cross is the largest, the best known, and the earliest of the modern animal organizations in India, which now number several thousand groups.
From 1993 to 2020, Selvapandian R helped transform fading green spaces attached to temples across rural South India into the thriving sacred groves they once were and now are again. Over 27 years, the Environmental Education Officer at C. P. R. Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC) planted thousands of saplings, walked miles in the darkness of dawn to check on them, powered through injuries and fatigue, and built relationships with hundreds of hardworking villagers – from temple priests to bright-eyed schoolchildren – all of whom played a part in restoring the emerald-green cover that is protected with a ferocity worthy of its holy status. “The people who water the young saplings often take off their footwear before entering the area. I’ve visited groves where you aren’t even allowed to break off a twig,” says Selvapandian who was part of CPREEC’s mission to restore sacred groves in India, right from the program’s inception in 1993. The program sprouted from a meeting between prominent agronomist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan and Dr. Nanditha Krishna, founder of CPREEC.
The groves, which are under the jurisdiction of the country’s Forest Department, have also found their way into the school syllabus following approval in Parliament. Selvapandian brightens at the memory of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister conducting a meeting at one of these groves instead of in an auditorium. It was a news item he read after retirement in 2021, a rare occasion for him to sit back and marvel at the progress the project has made. “I was so happy that people (in the audience) were resting in the shade of trees we planted,” he says. “As long as we were working, when we visited any of these groves, we’d only remember the blood, sweat and tears. I mean literal blood – I once had a head injury that required stitches but I refused to take a leave of absence”.
Selvapandian’s team started small, by giving saplings to residents for planting as part of their rural eco development program. They also trained locals in the art of sustaining kitchen gardens and devised clever ways to advocate for the cause. “At the time we began, every village had perhaps 10 television sets if at all,” he says. “We would use a mobile video van that would intersperse our informative segments with film and music shows. There were times when we’d have a thousand people coming to watch, as late as 10 p.m.” Additionally, traditional forms of entertainment such as Koothu (dance drama) and Villu Pattu (musical storytelling) were used to build awareness for the initiative.
While it was hard work that took decades to perform, it was fortunately not a hard sell. Selvapandian observes that reverence of Nature is already culturally ingrained in the value system of Indians. He refers to the concept of Pancha Bhootam that accords divine status to the five natural elements, noting that careful management of soil and manure are also part of this belief, and that the wholehearted cooperation of villagers was key to the success of these groves. He reveals that while caretakers often watch over their plants like parents would, ruing even the tiniest sapling that looked like it was struggling, he says that even a small area with as few as 200 healthy trees must be considered a success. In the meantime, the availability of modern tools has given the restoration project a boost. While many groves in the program still require manual watering, drip irrigation is currently used in places such as Madurai and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
A happy forest
Selvapandian who comes from a family of weavers and is the first in his household to work in the environment sector looks back on his strategy during his early years on the program – going to each place and learning from its people, drawing inspiration from them and working hand-in-hand with them. In contrast to the more commonly used strategy of metaphorically air-dropping saplings into barren spaces and hoping for the best, his team’s method requires significantly more time, energy and patience. Retired now after thirty years on the field, however, he has no hesitation when he declares softly, yet firmly, “I would rather do this kind of work than anything else”.
Tumkur is a city in south India about an hour north of Bangaluru. There, on September 19, 2022, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) forest cell rescued a large Bengal monitor lizard from poachers. (The photo above is of a different Bengal monitor lizard.)
Dr Roopa Satish, of the WRRC (Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre) writes that when poachers tie these beautiful lizards tightly with nylon ropes, the blood circulation is often cut off. Then they may become handicapped and unable to move their limbs. Of course, they can only be released if they can get their limb movement back.
Weighing 4.3 kilos or nearly 10 pounds, the large monitor was thoroughly examined. He had a few wounds and one missing claw. All the wounds were cleaned and dressed and his limbs were gently messaged to restore circulation. He was rehydrated with sub cutaneous fluids, given a shot for pain and also given antibiotics.
He was housed in a large enclosure and given food and water. The big enclosure offered a lot of hiding spaces and space for basking so that he could be comfortable. Because of his size and weight, he was believed to be a male.
As it is for any wild creature, being in captivity was stressful. He was kept in a calm, quiet place away from any human disturbance, so that he would have a chance to rest, to promote his healing and recovery.
Soon, he was feeling much livelier — able to spring into action and to make aggressive sounds when approached. He loved his food and was definitely feeling better.
After a week or so of being under observation in order to rule out any infection, he was taken to a safe protected forest area and released in the presence of forest officials.
Now once again back where he belongs, he is enjoying his freedom in his forest domain.
Photo credit: A.Savin, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons. The photo is of a different Bengal monitor lizard, not the one in the story.
A couple of years back, the Jigni area on the outskirts of the large south Indian city, Bangaluru, was a field where a kind of millet was grown. Now, it has been developed and is filled with homes. On November 29, of this year, a spectacled cobra was spotted who had accidentally entered a family’s house.
The people who lived there were startled by the cobra, and they called a snake catcher to come and catch him.
Sadly, the snake catcher had no experience catching snakes, and he was way out of his depth. He had bought some snake tongs on the internet. Catching snakes is an activity that requires a great deal of knowledge and years of experience. Without meaning to, he injured the snake by clamping down too hard. Hurt and in pain, the snake became aggressive. Afraid and not knowing what to do, the inexperienced snake catcher let go of the snake, leaving the tongs still attached to the snake.
This time the family called an experienced snake catcher, who arrived within an hour, safely removed the tongs, and rescued the cobra. He also took the time to educate everyone present not to use the wrong tools, like the tongs, which are very painful to snakes. He then, in the middle of the night, brought the injured cobra to be cared for at the WRRC center in Bangaluru (the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre), where all kinds of wildlife in distress are treated with great kindness and expertise.
Dr. Roopa Satish, the Chief Wildlife Rehabilitator, examined the cobra that weighed 740 grams, about one and a half pounds.
Luckily, there were no spinal injuries. The cobra was given pain killers and fluids, and the wound was thoroughly cleaned and dressed.
He was moved into a clean vivarium with a bowl of fresh water and a heating pad and left in peace and quiet to recover.
Happily, within two days, the cobra had much improved and began looking for a way to escape from his vivarium.
All animals, whether wild or domestic, are, by nature, innocent. They defend themselves if attacked and, of course, they seek food to eat. But they do not act out of malice or viciousness.
Once the relevant Forest Department permissions are obtained, the cobra will be released in the second week of December in a good habitat away from both people and housing developments.
Thanks to human beings who cared, he’ll be free to enjoy the rest of his life in a suitable wild area, as nature intended.
Photo credit: Kamalnv, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons The photo is of a different cobra.
Once a sparkling village bustling with biodiversity and economic activity, Nenmeli in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, had watched its green cover fade over the years.
The village lands deteriorated over time
A grueling water scarcity issue followed. Young residents were forced to migrate to cities to look for work and the elderly stayed behind. Over time, the hill and the land near the village became barren. “What was a hundred acres came down to two or three acres,” says Dr Sudhakar, Director, CPR Environmental Education Centre.
Dr Sudhakar with folk art
Dr Sudhakar, who has been coordinating efforts to restore groves such as these since 1993, explains that many villages in South India have a tradition of demarcating specific forests as divine, particularly those attached to temple land, in order to safeguard the wildlife and trees, while also ensuring the ecological balance of the area. “In fear and favor of God,” he says, adding that the religious attachment is far more than mere symbolism, but a way to protect a precious ecosystem by tying it into practices that eventually become a way of life.
Over many years, Mr. R. Selvapandian of CPREEC (now retired) directly managed the work on the sacred groves, spending many months or years on each site, overseeing all aspects of the restoration from start to finish.
Mr. Selvapandian and Dr. Nanditha Krishna
Restoring the forests
In general, when CPREEC restores sacred forests, (they have so far restored 53 sacred groves), they rely on accounts from the village elders to be able to replant exactly the same trees that were there previously. However, in the case of Nenmeli, there was no living memory of the very ancient forest and the tradition of worship from the past. The degradation of the forest that had taken place over time had left a barren, lifeless hillside, surrounded by acres of land that had also deteriorated. The village leaders asked CPREEC to restore the ancient land, as closely they could, to what must have been there in the past, so that it could once again be a place of great beauty, peace, and spiritual connection.
A protective deity
It is common for villages to have a ‘kaaval deivam’ (Tamil for protective deity) that safeguards the village, and conduct annual festivals to worship and celebrate the deity. The village people feel enormous respect for their sacred groves. In reality, taking care of these groves is also an act of self-preservation, for there is a ripple effect in the way it sustains human well-being.
Seeking recovery
When villagers from Nenmeli approached CPREEC’s Sacred Grove Restoration Project in 1995, they were looking to inject new life into the land that had become barren and give it a fighting chance at recovery. Dr Sudhakar and his team took on the responsibility and followed a standard process that involves carefully planned planting projects and a three-year maintenance program after which the management of the restored land is handed back to the villagers.
Trees of Nenmeli
He differentiates CPREEC’s planting efforts from similarly well-intentioned, but misguided attempts where corporate organizations might plant saplings without adequate thought to their future caretaking or the suitability of those species to the area. The Sacred Grove Restoration Project, in contrast, takes care to aim for and achieve a 90% survival rate for the newly planted vegetation, bringing it to a point where it is self-sufficient.
The whole village is involved
Another important feature of the Project is the wholehearted and spirited contribution of the village’s residents to the restoration. The locals were instrumental, for instance, in cultivating a flourishing herbal garden while the entire village community took avid interest in CPREEC’s extensive training program. “We raised awareness on soil conservation and the water table and took these educational materials to schools and colleges as well,” says Dr Sudhakar. He upholds Nenmeli as a model eco-village and reveals that the concerted effort included walling the hillock in the center of the grove in the form of check dams and trenches to prevent soil erosion and desilting the two water-tanks attached to it.
He’s delighted to describe how the well in the area soon saw more than eight feet of water during even the driest of summers and how an erstwhile four acres soon blossomed into 25 acres. His favorite observation, however, pertains to the wildlife that silently and eagerly crept back into the now-replenished grove. “Porcupines, snakes, hares, and rabbits… oh, and as many as 39 varieties of birds!” he says of the result.
Once considered eccentric
He recalls how he and his ilk were considered eccentric back in the late eighties when they started sounding the warning signs about environmental disasters and how it took several decades for the restoration movement to finally gain force. With the guidance of CPREEC co-founder Dr. Nanditha Krishna, his team soldiered on, determined to give back to Mother Earth in exchange for everything she had provided us. “It was a mission, so one does not give up. We’ve come full circle,” he says, referring to how students as young as 18 are taking an interest in environmental protection today and how there’s a significant demand for conservation efforts.
He also speaks of how the government allows the Project to develop the land and provides funding for its maintenance. “The amount spent is more than worthwhile, given its priceless benefits to society,” he says, elaborating that the carbon sequestering properties of these trees is of particular importance.
Despite having worked on these projects for over three decades, Dr Sudhakar is untiring in his efforts, drawing inspiration from Nature itself. He marvels at its ability to come back to life from apparent extinction and take care of itself – and all of us – simply by being given the space and time to exist undisturbed. Meanwhile, Nenmeli’s Sacred Grove Restoration Project is now a success story that inspires many others to dream of the same possibility for their own hometowns, and a living, breathing reminder, that when we put our minds to it, life as we once knew it, can begin all over again.
Photos:
Top photo: Dr. Sudhakar / The restored sacred grove of Nenmeli
Second photo: Sharon St Joan / Dr Sudhakar, holding a sculpted bird, the artwork of island young people
Third photo: Sharon St Joan / Mr. Selvapandian and Dr. Nanditha Krishna
Fourth photo: Dr. Sudhakar / The planted trees of Nenmeli, now around thirty years old
CPREEC’s (CPR Environmental Education Centre) work helps restore the natural beauty and health of India’s ancient forests, while guiding young people toward careers that benefit both their own future and the world of nature.
You can help! Click on the donate button, above and to the right.
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Forests, such as this one in Indonesia, do lmore than just store carbon. Photograph: Xinhua/Rex/Shutterstock It may sound obvious, but until now it was not quantified: The world’s forests do more than just store carbon, new research finds New data suggests forests help keep the Earth at least half of a degree cooler, protecting us […]
It is not actually possible, on this morning in March, when our television screens are filled with the suffering and death of people, including children, old people, ill and disabled people, as well as their dogs and cats – when we watch apartment buildings going up in flames, shattered by bombs and artillery fire – to ignore all this and write about the charming days of spring. War is not charming.
So, we will write instead about courage and kindness.
No one doubts the immense courage of the Ukrainian people – their self-sacrifice and their heroism. We can all see the women and children who endure days and nights of hardship – and we see the kindness of the people in neighboring countries who lend a hand, providing a bowl of hot soup and then opening their houses to strangers.
What is not always so visible is the courage of Ukrainian men – young and old – who return to devastated towns and cities to fight, to resist – not knowing if they will survive or if they will ever see their wives and their children again. They enter an abyss of danger.
We are all aware of the heartbreak of this situation. Some wars are worse and unkinder than others. However, human history, including recent history, is filled with wars – also with disasters – incomprehensible suffering for which no one can be blamed.
Heroes too
History is also filled with heroes – with those who sacrifice their own comfort, well-being, and their own lives – for others or for their country. We don’t know the names of most of those heroes – and all too often when wars happen in far-away places – or many centuries ago – or among people who may look different from us, or whose culture is not similar to ours – people with whom we feel no immediate connection – then we may not be open to feeling quite the same level of compassion.
We have trouble sometimes relating to other human beings who are different from ourselves – but how much more trouble do we have seeing, noticing, and being aware of those who are not human?
Animals can be heroes too. Not everyone accepts this concept, but a surprising number of people do.
Animals, plants, and the entire world of nature display both courage and kindness. These are not just human traits. What about the dog who, instead of running out of the burning house, runs further into the house to wake up his person and save the whole family?
What about the mother duck who, at risk to her own life, makes sure that each of her baby ducklings has gotten safely across the road?
What about the tall bristlecone pine tree who stands on the mountain side, in a swirling snowstorm, in bitter cold – until the spring. Is he or she not brave? Yet, one can hear the reactions of some who are thinking….. “that thought about a tree is just a step too far – and maybe a little silly.”
Countless nations and cultures
On the other hand, whole nations and cultures of people – many countless generations over eons past have seen the entire world of nature as living and alive. Most, if not all, of the earlier cultures of the earth have attributed personhood to mountains and rivers, to the oceans, to the animals — in countless stories, songs, and dances. Even modern legislative bodies – in India and New Zealand, for example, have recognized the sacred, living essence of rivers and mountains? Are they all wrong?
Perhaps not. Perhaps the earth herself and all her children are alive and conscious, as well as beautiful, graceful, and majestic. Perhaps we ourselves, as children of the modern world, need to regain at least some of this ancient perspective, this ancient wisdom, and perhaps when we do, we will be aware of a closer bond and kinship with all that lives – the animals, the plants, the rivers – all creatures and all human beings. Perhaps then we may be more aware of the kinship of all life – and more in touch with the great peace within – within our own souls, within the living worlds and beings of nature — within our fellow human beings. And perhaps then we can move on – in greater strength and kindness, and with greater awareness of the life and beauty of the universe – the universe who teaches us so much.
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At the core of Forest Voices of India is the vision of the earth and all her beings as an ancient web of life – including people, animals, and plants – who are all part of nature. May we get back in touch with these ancient concepts – to re-discover, to protect, and strengthen the earth, which is our world. May there be peace on earth.
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May 2022 bring blessings for the earth! Happiness, peace, protection, and well-being for all the trees and plants, for the mountains, the oceans, the rivers, the forests, the deserts, and all wild lands. May all wild creatures be blessed and free in the wild – and all animals everywhere be safe, protected, and happy. May all the peoples of the earth be blessed and touched with a spirit of kindness. May ancient traditions be once again revered and respected, honoring the Earth and all Her children!
Recently, in Bangalore, in south India, the police rescued an Indian chameleon who was being kept as a pet. Like other wild animals, Indian chameleons are protected by the Wildlife Protection Act of India, and it’s illegal to keep them as pets. They are meant to lead their natural lives free in the wild.
The chameleon was brought to the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC), where Dr. Roopa Satish, the licensed wildlife rehabilitator there, examined her. She weighed 60 grams. She was rehydrated, placed under observation, and given insects to eat, which are her natural diet. Often, in captivity, chameleons are fed inappropriate food which can cause digestive upsets.
Very shy creatures, chameleons belong in the wild where they can live among wild plants and rocks and find plenty of places to hide so that they feel comfortable and secure.
Being around people and having little cover causes them great stress and, sadly, they often don’t survive being in captivity. People who don’t really intend to harm them, often don’t understand their natural shyness and their need for a quiet life in the wild.
Fascinating reptiles, chameleons have many distinct features like a flattened body shape, and a prehensile tail, which means that they can grasp and hold objects with their tail. Like other lizards, they have a long tongue that can dart out to catch insects from a distance. They walk with a swaying movement. Some of their toes point forwards and some backwards so they can hold on to tree branches. Each of their eyes can move independently, giving them depth of vision, which comes in handy when catching insects. And, of course, the color of their skin changes, sometimes to match their background, sometimes to reflect other circumstances or to send a signal.
Thanks to the expert care and dedication of Dr. Roopa and the caregivers at WRRC, the chameleon did very well.
Dr. Roopa writes, “After 48 hours of observation, the chameleon was active and ate the insects so she was released inside a protected forest on a tree branch where she slowly but surely held the branch and moved into the foliage and disappeared from our vision due to excellent camouflage.”
Our best wishes to the chameleon for a long and happy life, roaming freely in the forest.
The more we can all respect nature and appreciate and value the lives of wild animals, the happier and healthier life on our planet will be.
