International athlete Ashwini Nachappa stressed the need for Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens extending its youth club activities to the schools outside Mysore city.

Addressing students after inaugurating a youth club at the Mysore Zoo Auditorium on Sunday, Ashwini asked the kids to grab the opportunities that come their way.

“People only talk about the death of people due to floods in Uttarakhand. No one is bothered about the loss of endangered species of animals, plants etc,” she regretted.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Ajai Misra asked parents to make their children aware of the need of conserving the environment, especially wildlife.

Pointing out the reasons for man-animal conflict, Misra said: “The population of elephants was one lakh when that of humans was 35 crore in undivided India before 1947. But now when the population of humans has touched 120 crore, the elephant population has reduced to about 25,000.”

But the decrease in the number of elephants has nothing to do with man-animal conflict. Wild animals are blamed for man-animal conflict despite human beings responsible for the same, he said.

He said that environment conservation was a complex issue.

Man is becoming selfish and indifferent by taking up development, he regretted.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service – Mysore / July 08th, 2013