Indore: Coronavirus pandemic has taught us many lessons and one of the most important ones is to respect every life form and maintain balance with nature. However, pollution is back and so is the harm to biodiversity with clearing of natural habitats, less regard for animal lives, and other negligent steps.
In discussion with forest officials, animal activists and green warriors, we attempt to highlight the importance of animals of all kinds for our sustainable future on World Animal Day 2020.
World Animal Day is an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on October 4. The mission of World Animal Day is to raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.
Sreenivasa Murthy Rangaiah, APCCF |
Destroying other life forms costing our survival
The basic of understanding coronavirus begins with understanding whether it is alive or dead. It is half-alive, half-dead, as shared by Sreenivasa Murthy Rangaiah, assistant principal chief conservator of forest (APPCF), who has been working with life-forms all his life. He explains that coronavirus like other viruses exists like freeloading zombies, which not quite dead, yet certainly not alive.
Scientists estimate there are 10 million times more viruses than the number of stars in the universe. About 65 per cent of such infections are zoonotic as shared by Rangaiah.
“The virus becomes alive in our bodies converting us into a virus, and like every other life form, it will retaliate if we try to kill it and also continues to try to multiply, and coronavirus in its essential sense is a warning sign for humans who are willing to destroy all other life forms,” Rangaiah said.
Quoting how saving biodiversity including all the animals can help us, he cited the food chain and interdependence of life forms.
“We (Homo sapiens) are not the king of the world, in order to survive, we need all the animals and life forms. For example, we struggle with impurities in water bodies, which are essentially to be taken care by Detritivores, whose population we have destroyed to a large extent,” Rangaiah said.
Padma Shri Janak McGilligan Palta |
Don’t break the cycle, let nature blossom
From the tinniest worms to the gigantic animals like blue whale, every organism on earth has a role to play. Setting an example how to let nature takes its course while managing a comfortable life, Padma Shri Janak McGilligan Palta’s headed Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development is an apt example.
“Everything here has its role to play, from worms who help in making the soil rich and fertile to every living organism,” Janak said. She explained that destroying any animal from the chain hampers the process and results in imbalance.
“We have a zero waste system here, because we utilise everything from recycling water to leftovers, which is the nature’s way of life,” Janak said. She cited the importance of animals for our well-being by citing various ways in which her cows help the centre.
The growing problem: Disposal discarding rate
5 kilograms of per second
300 kilogram every min
19000 kilograms every hour
What is required?
Development needs to incorporate nature's concerns. Unless we have strong ecological foundation and base, we cannot grow economically. The action to save biodiversity and live in sync with nature is required as a united effort from everyone.
How can it happen?
We can understand how it is possible to win over this growing problem from the success story of Panna Tiger Reserve.
Panna did not have tigers in 2009. Now, we have over 55 tigers spread from Jhansi to Chitrakoot. It has been possible with efforts of people from Bundelkhand and Bandelgandh, who adopted tigers as their own and worked on reviving its population.
We have the highest population of tigers in the country. Same united efforts is needed for every animal and life form on earth.
We need to accept every life form as ours and we can save it all.
