For the photo enthusiasts interested in capturing the untamed wild, the place to be for the next two days is the Nehru Arts and Science College whose Visual Communications Department is hosting an expo and a workshop focussing exclusively on wildlife photography.
Being organised jointly with Nature Conservation Society Coimbatore (NCS) from Monday to Wednesday, the expo featured over 2,000 pictures of rare and endangered birds, animals and mammals, captured in the forests of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
Several wildlife photographers explained to the students the hours of hard work, patience and technical expertise that went into capturing these shots.
N.I. Jalaluddin, president of NCS, said that photographs of birds such as the Indian courser and bulbuls, along with venomous snakes such as Indian Spectacled Cobra, common krait, Russell's viper and saw-scaled viper besides pictures tigers, leopards and elephants were displayed.
Rajiv K. Srivastava, Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), who inaugurated the expo, told the students that tigers, being the apex predator, were the flagship species whose conservation was vital to preserve biodiversity. He appealed to the youngster generation to come forward to protect and preserve the nature.
B. Anirudhan, college Principal, K. Mohanraj, Secretary, Save Coimbatore Wetlands, Mohammed Saleem, president of Environment Conservation Group, J. Peter Prem Chakravarthi WWF India, Western Ghats landscape Programme, C. Rathna Varshini Correspondent G.D. Institutions and Nidhyan Maniarasu, Wildlife Photographer, spoke.
Non-governmental organisations from Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and The Nilgiris took part in the event along with environmentalists from across Tamil Nadu.
The programme is held at P.K. Das Auditorium of Nehru Arts and Science College (NASC) Thirumalayampalayam near here. It is open for the public between 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. There is no entry fee.
