15,000-km Reptile Conservation Yatra To Reach IGZP On October 24
The initiative seeks to engage students and young people in understanding the ecological importance of reptiles and encouraging their participation in conservation.
VISAKHAPATNAM: A 15,000-km nationwide reptile conservation yatra will reach Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam on October 24, with a public awareness programme scheduled at the Zoo Bioscope at 10 am.
Organised under the Save the Reptiles campaign, the programme will be led by Ganesh Muthiah of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust (MCBT), in collaboration with IGZP, the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, Tree Foundation and the Eastern Ghats Wildlife Society.
According to Ravindra Dhama, IFS, DFO and curator-in-charge of IGZP, the expedition is currently travelling through Andhra Pradesh. It aims to reach schools, universities, zoos, forest departments, conservation organisations and local communities across more than 20 states and Union Territories.
The initiative seeks to engage students and young people in understanding the ecological importance of reptiles and encouraging their participation in conservation. The programme will address myths and misconceptions about reptiles, promote scientific understanding and highlight the need to protect their habitats.
Participants will learn about the role of reptiles in maintaining ecological balance and the importance of coexistence between people and wildlife.
The campaign is part of MCBT’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, which began in August this year. Founded in 1976 by conservationists Romulus Whitaker and Zai Whitaker, the Trust works in reptile conservation, research, conservation breeding, wildlife management and environmental education. Its initiatives over the past five decades have covered crocodiles, king cobras, turtles, tortoises and other reptiles.
Wildlife enthusiasts, students, educational institutions and members of the public have been invited to attend the programme.