To mark the World Wildlife Day, officials from Forest Department organised an exposure visit for students from a government school in Avinashi in Tiruppur district on Tuesday.
A team of forest officials comprising Tiruppur Forest Range Officer S. Mahes, Forester P. Gopalakrishnan and Forest Guard D. Thirumalaikumar took the students from Panchayat Union Middle School in Pudupalayam village panchayat to the Pudupalayam Tank at around 3.30 p.m..
“More than 400 spotted deer are present in that area,” Ms. Mahes said. Along with the deer, the students were shown hedgehogs and various kinds of birds in the banyan tree near the tank, she said.
With summer approaching, the officials demonstrated how to place wooden boxes and water bowls for birds. A combination of rice and millets were used in the boxes, which could be tied to the trees so that birds could feed on it, Ms. Mahes said. The nearly three-hour-long exposure visit also included a session by Ms. Mahes on the importance of wildlife conservation.
G. Chitra, a teacher from the Panchayat Union Middle School who accompanied the students, said that 35 students from Classes I to V went on the exposure visit. The students were enthused by the visit and said that they would try out the wooden boxes and water bowls at their homes, she said. “We have asked [Forest Department officials] to arrange a similar trip for students of higher classes from the school,” Ms. Chitra said.