COIMBATORE: The forest department along with NGO Arulagam is conducting street theatre campaigns to create awareness about protecting the vulture population in Sathymangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district and its adjoining areas in Sirumugai forest ranges in Coimbatore district on Wednesday.
The campaign commenced at Sirumugai higher secondary school and then went to Ooliyur tribal settlement, where the farmers and cattle owners have been sensitised about conserving vultures. A total of three types of vultures, including red-headed, white-rumped and long-billed vultures are found at Ooliyur and its neighbouring area ‘Kandhavayal’.
Secretary of Arulgam S Bharathidasan told TNIE that they have decided to cover over 20 villages in STR and its adjoining areas in Sirumugai as long-billed vulture’s nesting site was found in a cliff near Thengumarahada in Erode district recently for the first time in a decade.
“We have been requesting the farmers and cattle owners to use meloxicam and tolfenamic acid drugs, which are safer for cattle as recommended by the central and state governments and requested them to leave dead cows and goats as a feed for vultures.
We have told them that many vultures will die if the farmers apply poison over the dead cattle as revenge. Farmers take this extreme step to kill leopard or tiger if they kill the cattle,” he said. The group members are expected to complete the campaign on July 2, following which they are going to carry out the similar campaign in villages in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.