VISAKHAPATNAM : Biodiversity offers numerous solutions to rising challenges such as food security, depleting natural resources and bio-terrorism, Udayabhaskar Reddy from the Department of Environmental Sciences Andhra University has said.

Prof Reddy made this observation in his inaugural address at a one-day seminar on `Understanding Indian wildlife' organised by Asian Wildlife Foundation (AWIFO) here on Sunday.

Indicators

The focus was to reach out to the youth and educate them on the importance of nature and wildlife, managing trustee of AWIFO Prabhu Podipireddy said. The seminar provided a platform for wildlife experts to share their views and experiences with nature enthusiasts in the city.

S. Tejkumar, retired professor for entomology of Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, Hyderabad, discussed the importance of insects with special emphasis on butterflies in the environment.

"Insects dominate 75 per cent of the world's organisms," he said, and underscored the need to conserve natural habitats and protect butterflies that are indicators of a degrading environment.

Slide show

B.A. Suresh Babu, managing director of Dyna Resorts, stressed wildlife and safari travel etiquettes. "Tourists need to be aware of how to dress and interact in a jungle, what necessities to carry and other prevention measures," he added.

Avid bird watcher J.V.D. Murthy from the department of German languages in Central University Hyderabad presented an interactive slide show on different Indian birds and their habitats. He pointed out the distinguishing colour patterns, adaptations and features of birds. To break common public misconceptions associated with snakes, herpetologist and secretary of the `Friends of Snakes Society' in Hyderabad, Rajkumar, brought harmless snakes to the event and encouraged the audience to touch them. "It is the fear of snakes that drive most people to kill them," he said. He spoke on the importance of snakes in the environment and discarded all the myths associated with them. The programme was presided by a member of AWIFO, Meher Prakash.

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