Without any intention of
pushing too far a point that has already been made in this column
earlier (October 10th), I sincerely hope that it might still
be considered judicious by readers if I were to take recourse to a
follow-up on the fears that were expressed therein, about the safety of
migratory birds, as they traversed through their war-confounded habitat
in Afghanistan, and flew into safer climes in India.
Although fearing the
worst for the birds in the war-zone, as they went about their natural
migratory pattern of staging or wintering in the lakes of Afghanistan, I
had nevertheless voiced a strong sense of optimism that their natural
instincts would definitely teach them ways to circumvent the adversity
brought upon them by the current turmoil.
On that point, there
seems to be good news at hand. Ornithologists and amateur birdwatchers
who have been keeping a close watch on the arrival of the migrating
birds, have reported that despite the deafening sounds of aircraft and
explosion of bombs on the flight path over Afghanistan, a great number
of Demoiselle cranes have made their way into one their favourite
places, the tiny village of Keechan, near the township of Phalodi in
Rajasthan. This village lies at a peaceful location about 4 km inside
from the main highway, and is equidistant from Bikaner, Jodhpur and
Jaisalmer.
According to N.
Shivakumar, an ornithologist who extensively toured the area recently,
about 4000 cranes have arrived at Keechan by now, although their number
is likely to swell to about 10,000 as newer arrivals make their way to
rest and roost there for the winters. The reason why these demoiselles
have consistently shown a marked preference for Keechan as a wintering
area, lies in the fact that the villagers go to great lengths for
providing ample safety and food to these winged visitors flying in from
distant countries.
Nearly 500 kg of grain
per day, paid for by donations from local people and keen visitors, is
laid out for the birds. Two small organizations operated by the locals,
are reportedly performing an efficient conservation that is almost akin
to what the Vishnois are doing for the blackbuck. So protective are the
villagers about the birds that they resent any intrusion by unruly
tourists, although they happily allow birdwatchers and ornithologists
free and unhindered access to the place.
Like any other committed
wildlifer, Shivakumar surmises that there can be but two ways of looking
at the present disturbed situation in Afghanistan. Either the number of
demoiselle cranes coming to India could swell if they abandon their
usual stops in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or else many would perish while
attempting to fly to their respective wintering grounds.
As far as the actual
ground situation in Afghanistan is concerned, Sudhir Vyas, an Indian
official posted in Pakistan, and an avid birdwatcher, says that there is
no specific information on what effect the bombing in Afghanistan has
had, or may have on cranes migrating over that country.
But it would be worth
considering that common cranes seem to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan
along two major routes (i) the bulk from just under the Safed Koh range
south of the Khyber, and then in a concentrated movement along the
Kurram River valley till its junction with the Indus; and (ii) the rest
over Quetta and areas immediately south of it, over the Afghanistan-Baluchistan
border. The demoiselles also follow the same main routes but over a
broader front. Some also enter from the north, over the Pamirs, then
down into the Punjab through the Gilgit and Hunza valleys.
Vyas speculates that this
last northern route would appear to be largely unaffected by the
situation in Afghanistan. But birds coming in through the first route
would have to cross the Hindu Kush ranges somewhere southwest of Kabul,
and those taking the second route would presumably come around the Hindu
Kush over Herat and then over the Kandahar desert. Both routes cross the
main areas where the bombings are going on, and there would certainly be
heavy disturbance.
However, there is one
small ray of hope. If for some reason – either military or diplomatic -
the bombings were to be discontinued for even a month during ramadhan, it
could give just a few days of peace to the demoiselles cranes, the
common cranes as well as to the Siberian cranes, to come safely into our
country.