Bangalore: A group of young software professionals, entrepreneurs and corporate executives in this IT hub eagerly wait for the weekends to pack rucksacks and head for forests to conserve flora and fauna.
Fifty men, in their early thirties, have formed a Kenneth Anderson Nature Society (KANS), in memory of hunter-turned-naturalist and author Kenneth Anderson, who wrote extensively on forests of South India.
KANS was set up on Gandhi Jayanti Day in 2008 after the group members joined a Yahoo! group calledkennethanderson@yahoogroups.com, started by nature lovers across the world.
"Flora and fauna have been hugely damaged in the state due to large scale deforestation. Moreover, we all are great fans of Anderson and decided to do something for the cause of conservation," said Hari Somashekar, director, publicity and awareness, KANS, and a freelance sales consultant for IT and services companies.
As a first step, the society started conservation efforts in the jungles of Denkanikota taluk, which is 55 km from Bangalore in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.
The jungles are spread across 1,200 sq km. In fact, a number of stories by Anderson were set in the very same place, which was once teeming with tigers, elephants and leopards. Along with Pennagram reserve forests, located in neighbouring Dharmapuri district, it forms a forest land of approximately 2,400 sq km, with Cauvery river running on one side.
Rampant encroachment of the jungles has turned it into a war zone between man and elephant, as these forests are home to wild elephants.
"Since our society was formed, we have been conducting awareness drives among the local people about the importance of saving and protecting forest land and its inhabitants. On January 10, we also gifted 46 watchmen of the Denkanikota forest range uniform kits, which included sweaters, caps, shirts, pants, footwear and accessories," said Hari.
Since the formation of the society, the members regularly travel to the Bandipur and Nagarhole National Parks in Karnataka. Sharing the same ecological features, Nagarhole and Bandipur together cover about 1,500 sq km, of which 500 sq km has been demarcated a 'wilderness zone'.
The Nagarhole National park is situated at a point connecting Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Bandipur is one of the first few forests to be designated as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger.
Both are home to elephants, deer, leopards, tigers, wild pigs and sloth bears, to name a few.
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