They protect and serve, wildlife. And in turn, they learn a lot more about the world around them, which helps them educate others. This is the world of Chameleon, an organisation of young wildlife enthusiasts
A little over three weeks ago, a group of boys rescued acrocodile in Ponda and released it back into familiar surroundings. For ClintonFernandes, Arnold Noronha, Aaron Fernandes and the rest who achieved therescue, this wasn’t happenstance. This is what they live for. The five boys anda few other friends are members of Chameleon, a newly launched organisationthat aims to protect and preserve wildlife in and around Goa.
They were all working in the field, with differentorganisations and affiliations for a few years and knew each other because ofit. But, soon they felt the need to unite under one name. The Chameleon crewofficially came together recently to make it official, since they wanted tohave a banner that they could carry forward and spread the message, of wildlifeprotection, conservation and awareness. “None of us have a science backgroundbut, we have a keen interest in what we do” says Mapusa resident, ClintonFernandes.
They work in conjunction with the forest department because,“it’s always good to keep them in the loop. Officials like Paresh Parab andAnil Shetgaonkar have helped and guided us for a while now. They let us go intothe forest to observe and conduct research, since they know that we are seriousabout our work” says Arnold. Going forward, the group aims to start awarenessprogrammes, in schools, colleges and even among communities, to impart theirknowledge about wildlife and their role in the ecosystem.
There are many reasons why awareness and knowledge of wildspecies is key. One important part is how animals and reptiles, when captured,are released into the wild. Relocation is a strict no.
“Not all species adapt that easily to a new location. That’swhy it’s important to release them not more than a few hundred metres fromwhere they’re found,” Arnold states. Another factor is preservation. Themembers of Chameleon stress on the fact that wildlife that exists needs to beprotected and documented. “It’s up to us, the people, who are the caretakers.We’re not here to pose with animals, but to protect them,” someone quips. Nowthat’s good karma.
