11th February
by Dr Ilayaraja Selvaraj
On Day 2, 11th February 2024 of the IWAH course, we travelled to Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India. I was curious about the course and to join through all the respective and veteran experts in wildlife. A thrilling introduction about the course was addressed by ZSL, UoE, and WII. Our instructors, Dr. Parag Nigam and Dr. Bilal Habib guided us on the reserve’s enriched faunal, floral diversity, and nature of habitat. The national park intermingled with dry deciduous forest, grassland, and mountains. Alongside the majestic royal Bengal tiger, the reserve harbors several wild animals such as spotted deer, sambar deer, tiger, striped hyena, nilgai, and also many bird species including Indian peafowl, bush quail, and crested serpent eagle. Besides this, the landscape is dominated by plants of Ficus, Terminalia, and Ziziphus species.
Finally, with a good learning environment, all participants introduced each other and gave all educators information including rich resources of knowledge, skills and experiences. In my introductory sessions, I also introduced myself as a veterinarian who works in the field with a holistic approach toward nature.
Overall this day not only provided a basic exposure to wildlife diversity but also to the conservation measures and challenges at hand. At the end of the day, I am glad to be a part of wildlife management as a veterinarian.