Sanctuary | In The Field
the power of deception. With webbed
feet, an insulating coat and a tail for
a rudder, these masters of the waters
are agile hunters. Gently tapping on the
surface of the water, they mimic the
movement of small insects that riverine
fi sh feed on. As the fi sh unknowingly
surface to investigate, the fi shing cats
dive in to snag their prey.
I watch in awe as the fi shing cat
saunters along its riverbank. Surely, this
is one of the most phenomenal wild
cat sightings I have ever had. A master
of survival, with a purposeful deftness
that makes it seem almost invincible,
Prionailurus viverrinus is the ‘tiger’ of
its domain.
Yet, today, the cat is seriously
endangered. Its habitat comprising
the mangroves of the Krishna Wildlife
Sanctuary are under siege from the
unsustainable shrimp industry. Blinkered
decision-makers have allowed these
critically important habitats to be cleared
for monoculture shrimp farms – but
one man has been leading a movement
against this onslaught.A TRUE HERO
A fi rebrand conservationist and my
guide for the next two weeks, Appa
Rao Allarpathi has been regarded as theMangrove Man of India – a title he detests.
He met me as a volunteer for the Fishing
Cat Conservancy, the organisation that
invited me to observe their compelling
conservation and awareness work in the
Krishna river delta. Appa Rao’s connection
with this habitat began when his work
as a consultant for telecommunication
companies took him to the surrounding
areas to survey locations for what he
now says are ecologically-disastrous
mobile communication towers. This left
an indelible mark on him, as he began to
see the destruction of the pristine forest
cover of the Krishna district.
Inspired to do something about
this, he set out on his motorbike to
investigate and research the fascinating
mangrove ecology of the region...
self-funded. What he saw amazed
him – somehow, despite the challenges
thrown at them by us, parcels of
mangroves thrived. What is more, the
ecosystems were home to an abundance
of crustaceans, mammals and amphibians- an extraordinary array of biodiversity
that depend on these relict wildernesses
for their survival. He also began to see
how Andhra Pradesh’s fi sheries industry
relied on the continuing health of the
mangroves that serve as a nursery,
breeding and feeding ground for fi sh.
In the last decade, however, possibly
three-quarters of the mangroves have
been encroached upon by locals and
outside investors hungry to set up still
more ecologically-disastrous fi sh and
shrimp farms. Large tracts of mangroves
therefore continue to be razed brutally
to the ground to make way for what
can only be a very temporary shrimp
industry. A people that once depended
on the mangroves to pick out crabs,
and angle for fi sh are now actively
participating in the destruction of these
life-saving ecosystems. All lured by the
commercialized seafood industry and
its ever-present, lurking juggernaut
freezer ships.
After the 2004 tsunami in the Indian
Ocean, the Indian government and many
international NGOs realised just how
valuable mangroves were as a fi rst line of
defense against coastal calamities. After
decades of funding and being complicit in
their destruction, the World Bank and the
Andhra Pradesh Forest Department began
funding a mammoth initiative to reforest
mangrove land.
At the helm of this eff ort was Appa
Rao. Leading the project with his team
of 5,000 people from the surrounding
communities, he began replanting
mangrove saplings in encroached
mangrove mudfl ats. Through a rigorous
process of planting methods – digging
fi sh bone channels, decreasing soil salinity
and monitoring growth for fi ve years -
the results are now visible. The project
has assisted nature in the restoration of
around 10,000 hectares of degraded,
encroached mangrove habitat. Today, the
tracts of land that fed low-cost marine
organisms into freezing units for export,
have seen a resurgence of ecologically
crucial species like fi shing cats, smooth-
coated otters, jackals and a profusion of
avian life.
“I’ve only done 25 per cent of the
work here, the remaining 75 per cent
has been replicated by nature. Once you
begin the process of restoring mangroves,
nature lends its full support in time,” Appa
An elusive fi shing cat in its typical wetland habitat in the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary. Rao tells me.Today, the tracts of land that fed low-cost marine organisms into freezing units for export, have seen a resurgence of
ecologically crucial species like fi shing cats, smooth-coated otters, jackals and a profusion of avian life.ASHWIN KADIYALA