HYDERABAD: Dr Asad Rahmani, renowned ornithologist, and conservationist, said that 192 out of the 1,370 bird species found in India were threatened and on the verge of extinction. The mountain quail and pink-headed duck were already extinct in India, he pointed out.
“We have to think beyond tigers and focus on the conservation of other aspects of the natural habitat, including birds. The world has 11,000 bird species out of which 1,100 are globally threatened. In the last 400 years, more than 140 species have been exterminated,” Dr Rahmani said, at the Hyderabad Golf Club on Friday.
He was delivering the inaugural talk, ‘An Amazing World of Birds,’ of the World Wide Fund-India’s ‘Earth Series: Conservation Matters,’ The series is meant to discuss environmental issues and wildlife conservation.
A book titled ‘Birds and Beliefs’ authored by G.V. Prasad, co-chairman and managing director, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, was launched as part of the event. It has a compilation of more than 200 birds of varied species from across the planet.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle about the book, Prasad said, “I kept making notes of inspirational quotes that inspired me over the length of my career. I have transcribed those notes with the pictures that I have taken in this book. The book has pictures from across the world – starting from my own home and farm to as far as Alaska and Antarctica. Everything is special and the most fascinating experience was shooting bald eagles in Alaska.”
Anil Kumar V. Epur, trustee, WWF-India and Chairman, WWF-India Hyderabad Office Advisory Board; former chief secretary S.K. Joshi; Jayant Tagore, president, Hyderabad Golf Club Association; environmentalists, conservationists, birdwatchers and students from various schools attended the event.
