NILGIRIS: In a bid to spread awareness about vulture conservation, murals and boards depicting the role of vultures in the ecosystem have been placed at selected villages in the buffer zone of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
Arulagam, an NGO working closely with the community for vulture conservation in Tamil Nadu, along with renowned Thiruvannamalai artist R Sivakumar has launched this new initiative.
S Bharathidasan, Secretary of Arulagam told TNIE, "Art is a powerful tool. It can be used to educate people about environmental issues and to inspire them to take action. We are planning to initiate the artwork in 12 villages in MTR and eight villages in Sathymangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district in the first phase. We have also asked the people to report to us or the forest department if they found any vulture chicks abandoned or injured in the villages."
R Sivakumar, who has over two decades of experience in the art field, said, "I have drawn more than 250 birds in a book titled 'Thiruvannamalai Mavatta Paravaikal' along with the details of each the birds. Now, I have started working with Arulagam for spreading awareness about conserving vultures, which are in dwindling trend."
As per sources, artworks were completed at the Moyar village, 2.5 km away from where the white-backed vulture's nesting site was found and similar works will be taken up at Siriyur and Ebbanad villages, where Long Billed Vulture nesting sites were found, soon.
Arulagam has also been spreading awareness through rallies, puppet shows, street plays, presentations, and organising exhibitions in the vulture home areas for stakeholders, especially pharmacists and veterinary doctors.