Owing
to events that took place as far back as 25 million years, the region
has been endowed with a truly unique variety of life forms. These
creatures had to adjust to the very special environment created when
the break-away island that was to form the Indian peninsula met with t
he
Asian mainland in the cataclysmic birth of the Himalayas. The
mountains, foothills and plain house a zoogeographic diversity ranging
from Oriental to Palearctic flora and fauna.
The animals that are
to be protect are, of course, 'stars' in their own rights! Witness the
snow leopard (Panthera uncia) , the common leopard (Panthera pardus),
brown bear (Ursus arctos), the Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos
thibetanus) , the hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu), red fox (Vulpes
vulpes ), markhor (Capra falconeri) , musk deer (Moschus moschiferus),
yellow- throated marten (Martes flavigula ) and the shapu (Ovis
orientalis) to name just a random shortlist! Above the mighty peaks
soar grand raptors - golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos hodgsoni),
lammergeiers (Gypaetus barbatus), black eagles (Ictinaetus malayenis),
kestrels (Falco tinnunculus), hobbys (Falco subbuteo centralasiea),
griffon vultures (Gyps himalayensis), Asiatic Lions, Bengal Tigers,
Bysons, Rhino, several forms of monkeys, and many more. Great stands
of deodar (Cedrus deodara) and blue pine (Pinus wallichiana) clothe
high slopes, while oak (Quercus dilatates), walnut (Juglans regia),
mulberry (Morus alba) and horsechestnut deliver their bounty of fruit
and leaf fodder to the animals lower down. No one fully catalogued
this rich diversity, and the country continues to provide a fertile
field laboratory for scores of ornithologists, entomologists,
botanists and zoologists. On numerous occasions luck fossil- hunters
have been rewarded with discoveries of ammonites, starfish and even
sharks, etched for eternity in the stones of silence- all evidence of
the original submarine existence of the region.
In truth, our task is
not being performed out of a sense of 'duty' to our follow creatures.
We realise how vital the health of our woodlands is for the well
-being of our people. Soil conservation, fresh water supply,
sustainable
fruit and fuel yields- all are dependent on the health of our forest
land. The animals that are to be seen in forests are the beneficiaries
of several conservation ventures including high altitude sanctuaries
and ambitious afforestation drives. Perhaps the most heartening aspect
of our endeavours is the fact that we have as our major supporters the
youth of the state. Through nature clubs and countless lecture tours,
students have become so deeply involved with our plans to develop and
protect our natural wealth that we can justifiably claim success in
rearing a fresh crop of conservationists who in a few short years,
will take over from us to protect what in any event, their own
heritage.
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