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Remembering Salim Ali
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A Nature-lover remembers the bird man of India, Dr. Salim Ali, on his 111th birth anniversary
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Fascinated with birds Dr. Salim Ali
To all those who worked with him, Dr. Salim Ali, the celebrated ornithologist, represented a rare breed of excellence, purity and meticulousness in natural history observation and recording.
To his students and junior colleagues who affectionately referred to him as ‘the old man’, he was excellence personified.
Destiny selected him for this job of exploring the world of winged beauties. His keen observation skills and meticulous recording of the facts made him a path breaker in his field. His studies on weaver birds and sun birds revealed the fascinating world of birds and their intriguing ecology to the world with clinical precision.
Salim Ali’s love of Nature started early. He says: “As a boy I had found it more pleasant to chase birds in various places than do ridiculous sums in mensuration in the classroom. Since then I have watched birds through half a century and more, chiefly for pleasure.”
Despite his dislike for classroom studies, in the field, he was categorical, methodical and explicit. Even now, his Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan is the Bible of any ornithologist. Starting as a 10-year-old bird shikari, Salim Ali’s fascination for birds evolved into passionate conservation.
When natural resources were relieved from the clutches of the all-powerful-rulers in the era of liberation, wildlife, including the birdlife, faced unprecedented decline. Specific habitats of specialised birds and animals vanished at an alarming rate. Resources were plundered And, at that time, no one anticipated the consequent natural disasters.
Birds as indicators of these changes continued to give signals. But it was apparent only to those who watched them seriously. This was not an easy task. But, Salim Ali emerged as the leader in that art.
Four years after his death, one of his dreams came true – a centre to study Nature primarily through birds — The Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) at Anaikatti near Coimbatore. It is an autonomous centre of excellence, initiated by Bombay Natural History Society and Ministry of Environment. SACON carries forward his legacy through a variety of research programmes, Nature education programmes and environmental impact assessments.
SACON has field stations all over India. At present, it is conducting studies in Sikkim, Rajasthan, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Nagaland.
On the 111th birth anniversary (November 11) of Dr. Salim Ali, his concerns have assumed great importance. Conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural resources have became a necessity. The need for environmental education has become mandatory. SACON marches towards fulfilling the dream of Dr. Salim Ali – The Birdman of India.
DR. P. PRAMOD
(NATURE EDUCATION OFFICER, SACON)
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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