4th World Cong on Mountain Ungulates inaugurated

Munnar (Kerala), Sep 13: Inaugurating the 4th World Congress on Mountain Ungulates in this picturesque hill station today, Kerala Governor R L Bhatia lauded the efforts of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in protecting the endangered Nilgiri Tahr in India.

Mr Bhatia noted that at a recent meeting, the United Nations had applauded the efforts of the IUCN in preserving biodiversity.

Due to the efforts of the IUCN, there was increased awareness about the need to protect nature and the ecosystem, he said.

The forest conservation initiatives had made the Eravikulam National Park here a great success, the Governor said adding that of the 2,000 Nilgiri Tahrs in the world now, nearly half were in the Eravikulam National Park which is also home to 120 rare species of birds and butterflies.

Prof Marco Festar-Bianchet, head of the Caprinae Specialist Group under the IUCN, said the conservation of the rare species of ungulates in different parts of the world was possible mainly due to the efforts of the common people. ''This is a great encouragement to all scientists,'' he said.

Prof Marco said the main threats faced by the mountain ungulates are habitat destruction, over grazing, illegal hunting, poaching and climate change.

In order to preserve the eco-system for the survival of ungulates, preservation of mountains are essential, he added.

Chief Conservator of Forests and Wildlife V Gopinath said though Kerala is rich in biodiversity, the state had lost forest cover drastically and the present forest cover is badly fragmented. He called upon the scientists attending the conference to look into this area also. At the inaugural session of the the four-day conference, Governor Bhatia honoured three biologists -- George B Schaller, K K Nair and Cliff Rice -- on behalf of the IUCN, in recognition of their work in conserving the Nilgiri Tahr.

Also present on the occasion were Devikulam MLA S Rajendran and conference organising committee chairman T Damu.

More than 100 scientists, including 50 foreigners, are attending the conference, which is for the first time being held in Asia.

While the first two world meets on mountain ungulates were held in Italy in 1989 and 1997, the third was held in Spain in 2002.

The fourth Congress is being hosted by the High Range Wildlife and Environment Preservation Association, a century-old non-govermental organisation.

The main themes of discussion at the fourth Congress will be on 'taxonomy and genetics,' 'ecology, including restoration and behaviour,' 'conservation and management' and 'wildlife diseases,' the organisers said.

UNI