Several species have survived through the process of adaptation, however, the alterations in its habitat has sparked several debates about the same…
The bleak and deteriorating landscape has been scoffed by mere human errors. Irrespective of the intensity to which an intellectual ape can commit such errors; these scant yet ignorantly high-staked mistakes have wreaked havoc upon the earth. The upheaval in environmental conditions has been proliferating indecisively for a century now.
The constant hunger to devour most of the resources around the globe has been reducing the distant hope of survival. With the heart-wrenching incident that took place 6 decades ago, the horrors of nuclear disaster in Chernobyl still manage to instill fear among the most resilient men. As we try to find the genetic residue that might be an indicator of the long-striving landscape in Chernobyl, a new hope has emerged in the form of a red fox that survives through the radioactive debris in the small town of Kiev.
Photographer Adrian Bliss captured an inquisitive sight as a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) trotted through the strewn gas masks in the canteen of Middle School Number Three – one of the most iconic rooms in the Exclusion Zone.
The reports definitely piqued my interest and it instantly reminded me of the experience as I came in contact with a golden jackal (Canis aureus indicus) around the wetlands in Mumbai. Its sturdy eyeballs fixedly gazed upon me through the afternoon sun that partially blinded my eyes with plain white bokeh. The intimate encounter was definitely worth cherishing as the whole setting etched an exquisite image which could be hardly forgotten. It stood there covered in the swamp until the very limb which he maneuvered.
The constant degradation of mangroves has driven the Golden Jackal on the verge of extinction. The lack of diet is just the start and some might definitely not find it alarming, but they are also dealing with issues such as being pushed away from their own habitat.
In retrospect, the reports in The Hindu clearly state that Bandra Reserve Forest has aroused a conflict between the local communities and the monogamous creatures that are original residents of the area.
Amidst all the problems, how do jackals cope with these long lingering issues?
“We have recorded several golden jackals in the BRF through camera traps. The sighting out of its habitat is a sign of its destruction,” said A. Appa Rao, an expert engaged in the restoration of the mangrove cover.
A Hope Disappearing?
Over the years, constant degradation of environmental landscape has definitely proved fatal however, Suzanne MacDonald (a psychologist and biologist at York University in Toronto, Canada, who studies urban raccoons) still believes, “To live in harmony with animals whose habitat we’re destroying, we’re going to have to do a lot more work in what we’re doing to them.”
Similarly, due to the struggle for survival and scarcity of food many species have adopted scavenging techniques. Adaptation has constantly changed the Wildlife demographics around the world and it will continue to alter facts and the pre-existing knowledge in the field of environmental science. But currently, wetlands face the same dangers to that of a nuclear disaster. Alas, the only difference is that pollution is a virus that gradually the habitat affects!
A Desperate Call for Conservation?
Mangroves hold no aesthetic value but, they are one of the most important catalysts in balancing the ecological conditions. In recent years, countless mangroves are in dire need for conservation; is it time to our voice?
The Nemophilist 