Feature Stories
Ganga river Dolphin
Once present in terms of thousands in numbers, the Ganga River Dolphin has dwindled to less than 2000.WWF-India also conducted the first-ever scientific status survey of the species in the country. It is aptly declared the National Aquatic Animal not only because it is endangered but because it is a reliable indicator of the health of the Ganga, in fact the whole Ganga river ecosystem. Today it appeals to us. Can we hear the cry for conservation? Do we have the courage and intelligence to save it?
Ladakh
Ladakh a land of extremes, lays in the crest of the Great Himalayas, across sections of Kailas-Ladakh, the Zanskar and Karakoram ranges. The extremity of the land lies in the fact that it has extremely blue sky, extremely high peaks and extreme stark beauty. Leopard the Flagship species epitomizes this unparallel beauty and vulnerability. Beauty is unfortunately not an armor, it’s a spear.
All is not well with Ladakh. The water drinkable everywhere is polluted today. The Eagles the kings of flight are not seen anymore. Partridges, Fox, ibex, Ruddy Shelduck, Bar- headed Goose and Wolf are fast declining. All seasons are warmer and floods have begun to occur. At an average elevation of over ten thousand feet, endless stretches of cold deserts, frozen rivers define Ladakh as an eco-system where art of living is nothing but art of survival.
The community has since long faced extremes and survived in harmony with the environment. Today the sword of mindless tourism and global warming is testing their survival spirit. Let conservation bring a smile to every face and ensure the Leopard and every creature lives on.