Then there was a man named Salim Ali

Yesterday was birth anniversary of one of the most well known Ornothologist “bird man” Salim Ali, he is surely the father of Ornithology in India. It is saddening that in the overdose mediocrities of events and non events- that are made into events someone so very significant is forgotten. Even this blogger was able to remember this date quite accidentally ( i had visited Ranganathita Bird Sanctuary few days back and so thought about reading about Salim Ali as the place had a significant influence of Salim Ali, even having Salim Ali Bird documentation centre- always locked though!!). I strongly feel that Salim Ali’s birthday needs to be celebrated as Birds Day.

Salim Ali was an amazing man, this blogger has read most of his writings (I am also a big fan of Ranjit Lal, he has an amazing ability to connect with the readers particularly the younger ones. Futehally is another well known Ornithologist, there are many more probably I will deal some other time). Very rarely we come across such passionate people. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Salim Ali single handedly put the foundation of Ornithology in India. The nation is indebted to him for his contribution to Ornithology as also issues related to environment as he wrote once “my chief interest in bird study has always been its ecology, its life history under natural conditions and not in a laboratory under a microscope. By travelling to these remote, uninhabited places, I could study the birds as they lived and behaved in their habitats” (taken from the Net). He was instrumental in saving Bharatpur Bird sanctuary as also silent valley in Kerala.

This blogger can identify more than 50 species of birds, till recently I used to enjoy watching and reading about them but now I intend to take photographs. Very soon I would be creating a new blog on birds, and posting about the birds I “capture” and writing about them. I dedicate this to Salim Ali, man who has influenced me lot.

PS: to commemorate the occasion this blogger decided to be with the nature for a day so went to Bannarghatta sanctuary today. I have traveled to most wild life sanctuaries in India as also zoos. The zoos are really a tragedy, one wonders when will this country have zoos of the standards found in Singapore or Sydney. The way a society treats its animals and nature defines how developed it is.