No Wastelands- Know Grasslands... Rebuttal to revival

Have you ever seen a vast expanse of land with grass, tangled shrubs and bushes, and a tree amidst

this stretch? To the common eye, it is a wasteland. What an unfortunate misconception it is.

Misconception because one fails to understand that grasslands play a pivotal role in the

environment in their own way. In fact, grasslands are an ecosystem where plants, animals, and the

landscape form a circle of life. Yes, it is the abode of a lot of animals and birds. They belong here. It

may not appear as magnificent as a lush green forest wherein you hear the tuning of birds and come

across grazing deer but believe it or not, a lot of birds and animals, more than you realise, thrive on

grasslands.

You will come across a variety of different types of grasslands. They are known by various names,

such as the Savannas, the Prairies, and the Steppes. The African Savanna is home to about 50 species

of animals and about 500 species of birds. A prominent feature of these grasslands that fascinates

me is that many big predators, although hostile towards each other, co-exist here. Amongst all of

them, lions are at the top of the food chain. Grasslands prove to be a suitable habitat for such feline

creatures, as these expanses are perfect grazing spots for zebras, antelopes, elephants, and such

animals which are hunted by these predators. One will find a lot of raptors on these grasslands as

well. Raptors are the birds of prey which include eagles like the African Hawk-eagle and the Martial

eagle; vultures such as the Egyptian vulture and the White Backed Vulture.

These grasslands are in danger because of anthropogenic factors. They are being converted into

grazing fields for cattle, and agricultural land is being cultivated rapidly. Not only this, but rampant

poaching is also causing immeasurable harm to the ecosystem. Species such as lions are hunted for

their skins, elephants are hunted for their tusks, and rhinoceros are hunted for their horns, putting

rhinos on the brink of extinction.

Many of you might know about the African Savannas because of National Geographic or Discovery,

as they are well-studied and documented. But only a fraction of you will know that such rich

expanses also exist here in India. One such jewel unknown to many, close to Pune and my heart, is

the grasslands of Saswad. Saswad is a savannah grassland. It is one of the go-to places for bird

watchers and photographers in Pune. This place entices bird watchers as they can spot rarities like

the Bonelli's Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Indian Eagle Owl etc. Many migratory birds visit Saswad

as it is an ideal place for them. The list consists of the Steppe Eagle, the Eastern Imperial Eagle, the

Amur falcons and others.

Saswad is a thriving grassland with a rich ecosystem consisting of not only birds but also flora and

fauna. The apex predator in these grasslands is the Indian Grey wolf. The other animal life includes

the Chinkara (Indian Gazelle), striped hyenas, the Jungle Cat, Indian Porcupine and many more. But

these grasslands are getting destroyed because they have been labelled as wastelands, and so they

have been ignored indiscriminately. As of now, Saswad grasslands are a mix of small human

settlements, their agricultural land and grazing fields, and the wilderness. Only policy making will not

be sufficient to curb the harm. Development of the city also threatens the grasslands as they are in

danger of encroachment. Recently, leopards have been sighted here because of the city's extending

boundaries. The sugarcane fields here have been favourable for these leopards. But as they cannot

hunt on grasslands, they are forced to scavenge on cattle and poultry carcasses.

Protection through preservation is necessary. More responsible and dutiful behaviour on the part of

human beings will help resolve the problems. I have noticed that nowadays, birds like the Amur

falcon, the Steppe eagle, and the Short-ear Owl, who otherwise used to visit some of the hills in

Pune, are very rarely sighted there. An increase in urbanisation is also making some animals adapt to

unfamiliar environments. Also, some species are being completely pushed out due to the same.

So what can we do to revive these grasslands? Most importantly, to address the underlying issue, we

need to make people aware that

1. Grasslands are not wastelands but a major ecosystem.

2. Although some activities are believed to be beneficial, they may end up causing more harm than

good to the environment.

For example, planting trees on grasslands damages the grassland ecosystem. But how can an

innocent act of planting trees harm the ecosystem?

More on this in the next blog! Stay tuned...

~Pratik Puranik

Co-founder, Camouflage.