Over the past ten years, I have been a regular visitor to Delhi Zoo, but not
as a seeker of peace, nor as a viewer of its many caged exhibits. The zoo’s 85
hectares provide sanctuary to a large number of wild waterfowl, and it is these
that fascinate me. The zoo has three large ponds which are splendid wintering
quarters for a great number of migratory ducks. And several types of colonially
breeding waterfowl build their nests in the large mesquite trees that grow on
islands in the ponds.

Without doubt, the painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala) is the most
spectacular of all the feathered visitors to the zoo. They are large, handsome
birds with big, waxy-yellow bills, black and white plumage and a fluff of pink
on their tails. Since 1960, the Delhi Zoo has been an important breeding ground
for these storks. Throughout the summer, they inhabit the wetlands of the
countryside around Delhi. But come the August monsoon they start to flock to the
breeding habitat offered by the zoo. They rely on the zoo’s trees for secure
nesting, but to feed their chicks they must fly beyond the zoo to the nearby
wetlands of the river Yamuna to catch fish. Several other wild waterfowl, such
as egrets, herons and cormorants, also nest in the zoo ponds but at different
times of the year. Like the storks, they too must fly outside the zoo for
feeding.

After the famous Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur, some 200
kilometres away, the Delhi Zoo is perhaps the largest and most important
breeding ground for colonial waterfowl over the huge territory of northwestern
India. Many of the species, including heron, egret, stork, ibis and cormorant,
are now on the endangered list in India. Across the subcontinent their nesting
colonies are under threat from human disturbances such as tree-cutting and land
reclamation. Thus the heronries at Delhi and some other Indian zoos provide
ornithologists with ideal opportunities to study the birds at close hand, and in
the process to learn more about their ecology and conservation.

Around Delhi, painted storks live singly or in small flocks when they are not
breeding. At the start of the breeding season, in late August, the number of
storks at roosts in the zoo starts to rise. After September, though, their
numbers decline. They pick up again in January and peak at upwards of 550 birds
in February. Few storks remain at the zoo after May.

Sadly, the zoo authorities tend to ignore the wild herons, storks and egrets
that come to breed on their land. Whereas the captive animals and the associated
breeding efforts are seen as regular tasks for the zoo staff, taking care of the
wild birds is an entirely different matter. And in some zoos they even try to
discourage the nesting because of the muck that the birds create and the strong
fishy stench that pervades the nesting colonies.

Given the unique ornithological significance of many Indian zoos and the
important role they can play in researching and conserving wetland birds, it is
vital the zoo authorities change their view. There is much to be gained from
conserving wild waterfowl in zoos and building up population records. Such data
will not only be useful to ecologists. Birds are good indicator species, so the
success of their populations will reflect the status and wellbeing of wetlands
around the zoos and in the countryside.

I look forward, though, to the day when Indian conservationists and animal
rights activists begin to appreciate the visiting wildfowl aspect of zoo life.
And as amateur birdwatching grows in popularity, especially in India’s urban
areas, I hope that a growing number of volunteers will offer their services to
monitor the wild heronries in and around our zoos.

One indicator of the growing popularity of bird-watching is the increasing number of people volunteering to take part in bird counting events. For instance, more than 400 participated in the Asian Midwinter Waterfowl Census last year. This programme was launched by the International Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Bureau in 1987 as an exercise to assess and monitor the ornithological status of wetlands in the Indian subcontinent and other Asian countries.

Now in its eighth year, some worthwhile results are beginning to emerge. For the first time, ornithologists have a clear picture of the winter distribution patterns of the scores of migratory wader and water-fowl species across inland and coastal wetlands of the region. Besides highlighting the ornithological diversity of hitherto lesser known wetlands, a better perspective on the regional status of some threatened water birds, such as the black-necked stork, white-winged wood duck and pelicans, has also emerged.

Another indication that birding has gained in popularity in India is the mushrooming of numerous nature clubs and similar organisations. According to a directory compiled by World Wide Fund for Nature-India, no fewer than 990 organisations concerned with the environment exist in the country. Of these, at least a hundred claim to be especially interested in wildlife and conservation, with “birds” as a core interest. Their activities include participation in bird counts, publishing lists of all the birds that occur in their area and fighting a crusade for the protection of bird habitats. Some organisations, notably the Bombay Natural History Society, also organise bird ringing camps in different parts of the country and conduct research in field ornithology.

Field ornithology in India developed in the twilight years of her colonial history. During the Raj days, several British officers and civilians laid the foundation of a systematic study of the birds of the subcontinent. In latter-day India, the most outstanding contribution has been that of Salim Ali, who studied and compiled information on 1200 species of Indian birds. His major work, A Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, written with the American ornithologist S. Dillon Ripley, is considered a landmark. Almost a decade after his death, Ali is revered as a legend and a father figure – at least two environmental research institutes in India bear his name and some of his students continue to work on themes pioneered by their mentor.

Although Ali was pivotal in the development of field ornithology and nature conservation in India, at both amateur and professional levels, the popularity which bird-watching enjoys today is also a reflection of the growing number of middle class people in the cities. After all, interest in nature as manifested in bird-watching or nature photography is generally a prerogative of well-educated urbanites and India is a country where the disparity between the lifestyles of rural and city folk is enormous. Certainly, most of the organisations listed in the WWF directory are located in the main cities.

This concern with conservation is timely given that India is a hot spot of biodiversity and her natural habitats are gravely threatened. However, there have also been instances where conservationists, in their enthusiasm, have disregarded the needs of rural people leading traditional lifestyles. In this context, the catastrophe which occurred at the Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur – India’s most famous wetland – is worth reconsidering (Forum, 26 May 1990).

The park is a haven for 350 species of local and migratory species of bird, some rare. But for as long as anyone can remember, farmers had grazed their cattle in this park. Some conservationists and bird lovers, however, felt the presence of cattle was unwarranted in a protected area and urged the government to order a ban. Although this led to protests, during which the police fired on a crowd and caused several deaths, the ban was made to stick. Before long, however, the conservationists and bird lovers discovered that in the absence of grazing, the grass grew without check, choking the wetlands and rendering them a far less suitable habitat for the birds.

Not surprisingly, instances like this give city-based conservationists a reputation for being more concerned with the habitat than with the needs of the people living there. But perhaps Indian bird-watchers are in the process of developing a more balanced attitude towards conservation and will eventually reconcile their interests with the demands of rural communities.

A recent development is the decision to prepare a Red Data Book to identify Asian birds that are in need of protection. In India alone, three birds are believed to have become extinct during this century and at least 40 species are considered endangered. As a first step, India’s top ornithologists met in Coimbatore to draw up a list of candidate species for inclusion in the book. The discussion did not stop here, however. India and other Asian countries have a fairly extensive network of protected areas. So what will be done if some of the threatened birds are found to exist outside the protected areas, especially in populated ones? Will more bird sanctuaries be created? Although difficult to answer, it is heartening that this question came up at Coimbatore.

In the meantime, the growing popularity of bird-watching in India will be a boon for professional ornithologists. More than any other branch of natural science, ornithology owes a lot to the contribution of amateurs. Without the efforts of thousands of volunteers ringing and releasing birds all over the world, working out the migration routes of birds would have been much more difficult. Records of nesting birds supplied by amateurs in many European countries proved to be a valuable database for ecologists attempting to understand the role of environmental factors in population regulation.

Serious ecological work aimed at elucidating the relationships of birds within their communities and with the natural environment is now under way in India. Inevitably, the success of many projects, especially those involving ringing and clone monitoring of bird populations, will owe a lot to the cooperation of the volunteers. In this, the Indian bird-watchers will be a great asset.

Reverse the coin and you will see a totally different picture. The park
also happens to be the only grazing ground for 4000 cattle belonging to
farmers from the 14 nearby villages. In the arid, hostile wilderness of
Rajasthan, competition for scarce resources thus makes Keoladeo a battleground
for conservationists and the villagers. A few years ago, when a massive
fire swept over the park, speculation was rife as to who had started it.
Conservationists said that the villagers had done it in an act of vengeance
after being denied permission to graze their cattle in the park. The villagers,
for their part, said that it was the handiwork of some corrupt park wardens
in a ploy to destroy evidence of illegal fellings.

Providing a clear illustration of the dimensions of the human factor
in conservation, Keoladeo is symbolic of conservation efforts in developing
countries. And, indeed, it is the human factor which seems to intrude on
all of India’s conservation plans – from the humblest, such as protecting
a rare orchid in Arunanchal Pradesh, to more ambitious ones such as ‘Project
�վ������’.

In terms of conservation, many characteristics of India’s massive human
population of more than 700 million speak for themselves. According to the
Citizens Report, published by the Centre for Science and Environment in
New Delhi, for example, firewood is a major source of fuel for cooking,
accounting for 50 per cent of the energy used in cities and more than 70
per cent in rural areas. Also, as a result of traditional lifestyles, a
significant proportion of the Indian population subsists on locally available
natural resources and game. These figures point towards the existing pressure
on the environment and, from a conservationist’s point of view, mean habitat
destruction, poaching and cattle grazing in sensitive areas.

Cattle grazing is highly significant, because India’s livestock population
is the world’s largest, with 250 million head of cattle and buffalo, though
many of these are not useful in any economic sense. The real and imagined
impact of cattle grazing has sparked off a debate which, at its best, has
sought to work out a compromise between optimal conservation and human needs.
As an article in New �Ӱ�ԭ�� emphasised two years ago, carefully regulated
grazing is essential for managing wetland and grassland ecosystems (‘Pastures
new for conservation’, by Iain Gordon and Patrick Duncun, 17 March 1988).
At Keoladeo, for example, the effect of trampling and grazing checks the
spread of wild grasses which can otherwise choke the wetland, deplete fish
stocks and deter migratory birds from landing. �Ӱ�ԭ��s with the Bombay
Natural History Society believe that regulated grazing reaps similar benefits
in grasslands too. Grassland provides the habitat of the great Indian bustard,
another of India’s endangered birds. If the grass is allowed to grow too
tall, the area becomes wooded and, for the bustard at least, this can prove
harmful. According to Asad Rahmani of the BNHS, the bustards inhabit only
those grasslands where the height of the grasses approaches the birds’ eye-level
– tall enough to conceal their eggs and nest yet short enough to allow them
to spot an approaching enemy. But whereas grazing helps to manage the bustard’s
habitat, as well as solving the local fodder problem, there is always the
risk of stray cattle trampling over the birds’ eggs. The great Indian bustard
lays only one egg per breeding season – a biological reality which jeopardises
conservation efforts.

As India’s human population continues to grow, the human factor assumes
alarming proportions. India’s Wildlife Protection Act lists 69 species of
mammals and 22 species of amphibians and reptiles as endangered. Birds have
not fared any better, despite the influence of Salim Ali, an ornithologist
who, until his death in 1987, did much to put conservation research on a
firmer footing in India and made amateur ornithology quite popular here.
Three Indian birds – the pink-headed duck, mountain quail and Blewitt’s
spotted owlet – are believed to have become extinct in this century and
at least 40 are now considered endangered. This list includes, besides the
Siberian crane and bustard, the blacknecked crane (restricted only to wetlands
of Ladakh in Kashmir), several species of Himalayan pheasants and many others.
Although one bird, Jerdon’s courser, believed to be extinct for 85 years,
was rediscovered two years ago by scientists from the BNHS, the biggest
challenge for Indian conservation will continue to be combating the human
factor.

Abdul Jamil Urfi is a zoologist and journalist at the University of
Delhi.