Vasundhara's Beloved Davalan: A Triveni Sangam to Celebrate Forestry in the World Today

Ronak Gajjar A day of September significance for the world's forestry with triple celebration. Days like these bring awareness to wildlife species in particular, and convey an important message to people about biodiversity on Earth. So today let's know about different species and their days, why this day has to be celebrated and what problems they have to face. With 522 primate species inhabiting the Earth, most of the four primates are one of the most species-rich groups among mammals, third only to bats and rodents. There are more than 500 species of primates, including lemurs, tersiarchs, monkeys, and various groups of monkeys. An estimated 522 primate species inhabit the earth with an astonishing diversity, with an additional estimated 182 subspecies established. Of which 70 percent primate species and subspecies are threatened with extinction. Primates occur naturally in 90 countries in the world, yet two-thirds of all primates can be found in just four countries. As such, Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are high-priority areas in the world for primate conservation. According to research published in the 'Journal of Threatened Taxa', India harbors a large biodiversity of primates with 24 species. These include loris, macaques, langurs and gibbons. Systematic research on primates in India began about 60 years ago. The largest primate species in India is the 'Bengal Hanuman' or 'Grey Langur' species. Look! Plastic bottles thrown on the beach do not reach the Pacific! When the weekend comes, there is no doubt that today's youth remember the beach to chill. Blue water, golden sunsets and partying with friends are sure to be fun on the beach. But 'World Beach Day' is celebrated around the world so that the beach is not polluted for fun and the ecosystem there remains healthy. Not just bare forests or grasslands, beaches are important ecosystems for wildlife and nature that are often overlooked. Various ecosystems are created here by sand, wind and water waves. Sustaining ecosystems by providing habitat for beach birds, shellfish and sea turtles helps in restoration. According to the latest figures of 2022 of the 'World Register of Marine Species', about 2.42 lakh so far established and described marine species live in the world's oceans. A current average of 2,332 new species are being discovered each year. Coasts are a major refuge for this flora. The ever-increasing tourism is leaving many visible and hidden negative impacts on this ecosystem. The Blue Flag Shivrajpur Beach near Dwarka is a perfect example of what a beach should look like to conserve ecosystem with tourism. It is also very important to protect and nurture it. It is a common thing that we take a water bottle to the beach, we do not stand up and throw it in the dustbin but we throw it there, if it does not reach directly to the Pacific Ocean from Surat, Mandvi or Porbandar, then the celebration in the world is worth it! Movement to 'abandon' dolphin lives in Taiji The annual dolphin drive in the small village of Taiji in Japan is one of the world's most controversial dolphin hunts. Every year on September 1, around 500 dolphins are brought to the infamous cove in Taiji, Japan, and the world celebrates 'Japan Dolphin Day' to protest this poaching. This cove of Taiji is a small bay or coastal inlet. They are usually narrow, restricted entrances, often circular or oval, and often located within a large bay. Where the dolphins are separated into groups by the locals. Some dolphins are captured from their habitat and stolen to be sold in marine parks and the rest are poached. To hide such gruesome activities and bloodstains from public view, fishermen even cover the cove to prevent cameras. 'Japan Dolphin Day' unites conservationists, local activists around the world and protests against such poaching of dolphins. The simple goal is to open people's eyes to the degradation and exploitation of dolphins in the food and entertainment industries. People are also asked to pledge not to buy tickets to see dolphins in closed places like zoos. The village, which is notorious in the world due to cruelty and for which the day has to be celebrated, has become a talk of the village and now it is a worldwide issue! So dolphins are currently facing many threats in the sea. It faces various threats from pollution including climate change, plastic debris, chemical pollutants and oil spills. Plastic has become a cause of internal injuries and malnutrition. Chemical pollutants such as heavy metals and pesticides in the tissues of dolphins affect their health and reproductive success. Dolphins are often caught in fishing nets, known as 'bycatch'. This causes a significant number of marine mammal lives to die each year.

Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).