COMPASSION FOR CONSERVATION - A WORTHY EXAMPLE FOR ALL TO FOLLOW

A hand raised Grizzled Giant Squirrel

Conservation or compassion? No strings attached!

Shenbagathoppu (Tamil Nadu), June 22, 2011: The Paliyan, also known as Palaiyar or Pazhaiyarare, is an indigenous forest tribe of the Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Traditionally nomadic, residing in rock caves and crevasses, they have only recently transformed their lifestyles to suit present-day requirements. Listed as one of the scheduled tribes of India, they are now traders of forest products, food cultivators and bee-keepers.  

In Shenbagathoppu in Tamil Nadu, the Paliyans are conservationists in their own right. They rescue young Grizzled Giant Squirrels that fall out of their nests or are orphaned. With some assistance and guidance from the Wildlife Association of Rajapalyam (WAR) and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, these orphaned squirrels are hand-raised by the Paliyans. Kept in cloth baskets and hammocks, like their own children, these baby squirrels are tenderly cared for until they are old enough to fend for themselves.

“Without any advanced equipment or facilities, the young ones are given milk using a ‘Paladai’ until they can feed by themselves,” says A Palaniraj, Forest Range Officer, Srivilliputhur. “The Paladai is a traditional oil lamp used in temples of southern India which doubles up as a feeding cup for human babies that don’t feed well.”

A traditional "Paladai"

This primeval feeding cup is now being used as one of the latest designs in bottle feeding systems in the United States.

Listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and Appendix II of CITES, there are currently less than 500 Grizzled Giant Squirrels in India.

“Although the species has been on a steep decline due to habitat loss, it has expanded its range in and around Srivilliputhur Grizzled Giant Squirrel Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu,” says Dr Justus Joshua who has done his PhD on the Ecology of the Endangered Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Tamil Nadu. “The primary reason for the spread is the shift in land use patterns from a previously tapioca dominated landscape to tree crops. Tree crops such as mango, coconut, gooseberry and tamarind are more profitable for the locals and at the same time provide an abundant supply of food which the squirrels benefit from.”

The Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura) is the smallest of the giant squirrels. It has white-tipped hair which gives it a grizzled appearance and hence the name. The species is endemic to the Western Ghats of India and the highlands of south-western Sri Lanka, which together form one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots of the world.