Forest department to carry out animal, bird counting in Ahmedabad

Guess how many peacocks, monkeys and flying fox (fruit bats) call Ahmedabad their home? Do you know what is the relation between a particular species of tree and the birds and animals mentioned above? Well, the forest department is all set to find out with an informal counting of the three species in Ahmedabad city. The counting will be done with the help of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), some NGOs and the citizens.

Anyone who spots any of the three mentioned animals or birds can click a picture, note down the tree species and area where they were found, and send the data to a given phone number.

At the end of the 10 days, the forest department hopes to have some data on the three species.

"This is not a census. It is an informal counting and we are doing it to ensure that first and foremost we have a data about the number of such species in an urban jungle like Ahmedabad," said SJ Pandit, Deputy Conservator of Forest.

He said by recording the tree species where these animals and birds are found we can also get an idea about the number of such trees. "It will also help us know the tree diversity that is needed," said Pandit.

RK Sahoo, Zoo Superintendent of Kankaria Zoo, said that such a data is very important if any conservation efforts are to be taken place.

"Peacock is a schedule-I bird. If you want to have a conservation programme, you will need to know how many birds are there in Ahmedabad," said Sahoo.

He said such a data is also necessary to help mitigate man-animal conflict. "Sometimes, as cities expand, animals also learn to adapt and live with humans. The langurs are a case in point. Over the years, you will see them accommodating variety of food habits, including ice cream when it is not its natural food," said Sahoo.

He said the zoo often receives complaints of langur bites and to address the man-animal conflict, it is important to know how many animals are there in the city.

He said such counting can also reveal places of diversity in both plants and animals, even in an urban space like Ahmedabad.

HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• First spot a peacock, langur or fruit bat
   
• Click a pick
   
• Record the number of animals/birds found
   
• Record the area were it was found
   
• Record the tree species around which it was found
   
• Send pics/ details to 7600009845 through whatsapp
   
• You can also call and inform on 079-26856293
   
• Or mail pics/details to rfodaskroi@gmail.com