Couple creates their own nature sanctuary from land
deemed 'unusable,' demonstrating wildlife's amazing ability to bounce back
Monday, May 09, 2016 by: Isabelle Z.
(NaturalNews) When they bought 55 acres of abandoned
land from debt-ridden farmers who were struggling to grow crops in 1991, Pamela
and Anil Malhotra had one vision in mind: to show the world Mother Nature's
incredible ability to regenerate itself when given the opportunity. That land
has now become India's only private wildlife sanctuary, and has extended across
300 acres.
The Malhotras' land is known as the Save Animals Initiative (SAI) Sanctuary,
and it is now thriving thanks to three simple but important rules that they set
out: No poaching, no human interference and no chopping down of trees. The
beautiful forest is home to a host of exotic animals such as Wild Boars,
Hyenas, Asian Elephants, Leopards and Bengal Tigers. It boasts more than 300
species of birds and a number of species of aquatic fish and snakes, along with
hundreds of native tree varieties and thick green cover.
This project shows the tremendous possibilities that can arise from restoring
the balance necessary for nature to thrive.
Anil Malhotra said, "People think that animals need the forest. But the
truth is, the forest needs the animals equally. While the forest helps animals
in providing shelter and food, animals help forests in regeneration – they are
both inter-dependent and we should make efforts to preserve both."
To illustrate this point, Pamela Malhotra explained that elephants can swallow
seeds entirely without breaking them, despite the large size of the seeds. In
fact, she said that 30 species of trees are completely dependent on elephants
for their regeneration.
The couple also uses the land for organic farming,
including approximately 15 acres of cardamom and 12 acres of coffee. Their
sanctuary runs entirely on alternative energy sourcessuch
as solar energy, and in 2014, it was awarded the "Wildlife and Tourism
Initiative of the Year" by Sanctuary Asia. The couple initially invested
their own money in the sanctuary, but they are now a registered not-for-profit
trust run on tax-exempt donations.
Deforestation putting entire planet at risk
The deforestation that is taking place in the
equatorial region is the driving force behind theworld's water crisis,
and is leading to a devastating loss of animal, plant and insect species,
putting the overall balance of our planet at great risk. This same lack of
water that prompted farmers to sell their barren land to the Malhotras to pay
off debts, is also what spurs other farmers to use herbicides and
fertilizers, which cause even more harm to the environment.
Deforestation remains a large problem throughout the world. Nearly half of the
planet's ten million plant, animal and microorganism species are projected to
be either destroyed or seriously threatened in the next 25 years as a result of
the deforestation of rain forests,
and it is believed that 137 animal and plant species are lost each day.
If you think that doesn't affect you, think again: More than 3,000 plants are
thought to be active against cancer cells,
and a staggering 70 percent of these are only found in rain forests. Those are
just the ones we know about; it's possible that these plants could also hold
the answer to countless other health problems, and they could even cure cancer
or AIDS.
Wildlife can bounce back remarkably
The Malhotras, for their part, have accomplished their
goal. Their land has proven that when humans stop interfering with nature, the
earth and the life it contains is able to thrive.
"Our aim is to preserve the flora and fauna, especially the rainforests,
for the future generation. We believe that when we die we should give back the
same (if not better) Earth which we got from our ancestors to the next
generation," Anil said.
Sources include:
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