BENGALURU: The Turahalli forest on the outskirts of the city, parts of which were burnt recently, still holds hope for animal life, thanks to the efforts of a few residents of Banashankari. A pond was created in the forest and is filled with water from tankers. Not surprisingly, animals are now being spotted near the water body.
Wildlife rescuer Somu HN and wildlife enthusiast Rashmi Mavinkurve took it upon themselves to create a pond, and hired excavators for the purpose. They identified the ideal location with the help of forest department staff. “Being animal lovers, we thought we should do something for them. This year, we have seen temperatures increasing. It is really difficult for animals and many die due to dehydration,” said Rashmi. They were aided by RFO Pranesh Deshpande, forest guard Ganesha T and team.
To ensure that water is available all the time, they get the pond filled with water from tankers and share the cost. The pond can hold up to 1.5 lakh litre. The duo, who call themselves the ‘Share Habitat Team’, said, “Recently we hired tankers for three consecutive days. The water evaporates easily in summer and due to this, we had to keep calling for tankers often. On some days, the tankers don’t turn up and those who come charge heavily. Normally, we call tankers twice a week to fill the pond,” said Somu.
Ever since the pond was created, forest guards have noticed animals like wild boars, hares, peacocks, spotted deer, jungle fowls, bears, various birds and reptiles coming there to quench their thirst. The duo regularly visits the forest with guards and checks the water level in the pond. If it has reduced, they immediately call for tankers. “We’ve seen many birds taking a dip in the water. It was so beautiful. We wish to make many more ponds like this in the forest,” said Rashmi.
Somu had taken up a similar initiative earlier. He would release rescued snakes in Turahalli forest. During summers, he would find many animals dead. It was then that he spoke to his friends and family, raised funds and created a pond with the help of the forest department. This year, Rashmi too joined him. Seeing their efforts, some other residents have also joined the initiative to arrange for water tankers.