Village kids have an exotic vocation this vacation

It’s an exotic vocation for schoolchildren residing in villages on the outskirts of the city. A growing number of these children are becoming guides for those involved in bird photography.

With the onset of summer when schools and colleges are closed, the local children try to make some money by guiding birdwatchers.

These children, who have the complete knowledge of their localities, charge anywhere between Rs 100 and Rs 1,000.

The demand for local guides is mostly from amateur photographers who like to post these photos on various social networking sites. The kids know the exact whereabouts of birds and their nests and are able to guide birdwatchers and photographers to such places with ease.

Some places where young guides can be seen are Kokkarebellur on Mysuru Road (Maddur taluk, Mandya district), Veerapura near Devanahalli, Hesaraghatta, Ramadevarabetta (near Ramanagaram), Tataguni Estate, Naguvanahalli, Savandurga, Manchanabele and Ragihalli.

Noted ornithologist M B Krishna said, “There are registered and trained naturalists and guides recognised by the forest and tourism departments. But these children have traditional knowledge. They have learnt over the years,” he said.

Vinay K, a photographer, said there were some vantage spots near lakes on Magadi Road, which he had created with the help of local children for birdwatching.

“It is with their help I get some of the best frames. They are like a local network for us and they take a nominal fee for it,” he explains.

There is a flip side to this trend, though. Birdwatcher Manjunath P said there were some kids who misuse this as a source to make a fast buck. “They start begging for money and even harm the bird nests. This has happened in Kokkarebellur,” he points out.

Somu, a college student from Ramanagaram, takes photographers to the hillocks of Ramadevarabetta to show them the endangered long-billed vultures. “I do this for additional income during early morning hours. In my free time, I also help trekkers. I earn pocket money by doing this, which is anything between Rs 1,000-2,000,” he said.