Blind students will count tigers

March 25th, 2008 | posted by Anjali

NAGPUR: In a unique experiment, Maruti Chitampali, a

conservationist from the city, plans to take the help of visually handicapped students when the tiger census is conducted in

May.

Whenever the forest department goes through the annual exercise of counting big cats and other animals in

the Navegaon Bandh or Nagzira Wild Life Park, it takes the help of volunteers. This time Chitampali's team would be helping

them to 'sense' the animals.

"The visually challenged have a sharp sense of hearing and even smell," says

Chitampali.

"There are chances that this may help in counting the animals. Let's see if the experiment works. I

am sure that they will prove the elephant and the blind men's story false as they really have a sharp sense of feeling

through other sensing faculties."

Permission has been taken from the divisional forest officer in Gondia, where

the two parks are situated, for sending four to five students for the census. They would be trained to recognise animals and

birds from their sounds, and smell.

Each animal makes a distinct sound while moving: A herd of bison makes a

rubbling sound while the deer create a different type of noise. "We can even 'smell' the presence of a tiger," said

Chitampali.

"The volunteers would be made to sit on a macchan from where they can 'sense' the animals passing

by." The students will be trained through audio cassettes and trips to the zoo. "We hope to give them more training in the

forest," said Chitampali. "If the experiment proves successful, they may be involved in future projects

too."

Chitampali, a former forest officer, is the life time achievement award winner of the Wild Life Trust of

India. An eminent wild life writer, he has been conferred 16 different awards for literary work. He continues to offer

voluntary assistance on conservation.

Source:

Vidarbha