Mr. Fayyaz Rasool

Deputy Manager (Marine Environment Unit), Marine Pollution Control Department, Karachi Port Trust, Karachi, Pakistan

Date: 27th Jan 2007

1. What interaction with an animal and /or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

It was the story of those days (mid 80’s) when I was student of high school. One-day on my return from the school I found that one of my relative visiting our family. He was serving in the Para- military troops of Pakistan and was posted at the border areas of Pakistan and India of District Bhawalnagar. This area is semi desert and flourish with Xeric type of floral communities. The deer, Hares, Foxes, jackals and peacock are the common wildlife of the area. The area is inhabited and only military post and installations are placed there. The Pakistan and India are two major rivalieries of the region but their army has one common thing that both of them killed wildlife on the borders brutally.
I was happy to see him because whenever he visited our home we had to listen many new stories of that area, especially the encounters among the forces, tact to avoid the encounters etc and wildlife thrives there. He also told us about the lives of peoples dwelling in the deserts.
This time when he visited our house he was not alone. He brought a baby deer with him. I was amazed to saw this little wild beautiful creature sitting at the corner of our courtyard behind a flowerpot.
Our guest told us that the army personnel’s of India and Pakistan keep close watch on the herd of the deer’s. They spotted the pregnant deer and shared the information with each other. When this female left the herd for delivery they rushed towards the site and pick the newborn leaving the mother helpless. This type of newborn was usually gifted to seniors in the agencies and it was meant as a high precious gift. Along with this the newborn chicks of the peacocks are also include in this categories.
This time he brought this gift for us. I was astonished to listen this terrible story behind this gift and automatically love has been emerged in me for this little creature who have been thatch from her mother without any crime. However my late Father told him that he did a brutal action and in future never bring this type of things for the city dwellers.
So in my family I was younger then my two brothers and the responsibility were given to me to take care of this little creature. As I was used to be the nature lover therefore my father selected me.
Recalling the entire event still I remember the loneliness in the eyes of this little baby deer. I knew I couldn’t brought the happiness in her eyes and can’t bring her mother back but I took optimum care and protection. She was so closed to me that she felt me as her mother. I know I can’t be her wild mother but I tried my best to keep her alive. But after a month she died and left me alone. I wiped that day when I buried her in the backyard and not listening to the words of my friends that “boys don’t cry”
This was my first shocking encounter to any wildlife. I don’t know until now how many wild babies have been thefts from there. I don’t know. I don’t know. However this incident leaded me to take a degree in natural sciences and my GOD ALLAH has provided me an opportunity to restore the mangrove forest. Now I have restored good amount of mangrove forest area in my country and feel proud that I have given something back to nature.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

I was born in Multan a famous city of Province Punjab of Pakistan. Punjab means the land of five rivers. Multan is located near to one of the river. So the river banks and their wilderness (variety of grasses, herbs, shrubs, small passerine birds, rodents, fishes in the small ponds, tadpoles in the small water holes etc) were my favorite places. I still remember the coldness of the soil after flooding of the river in these areas on below of my foot.

Now? I have been grown up and moved to the Karachi – a metropolitan of Pakistan. Now coastal areas are my favorite places and especially the mangrove forest ecosystem in which I did M.Phil.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is and why?

All animals are fine but the Snakes all of their kinds are very near to my heart. Their way of crawling on the stones around them behind then along them and climbing on the tree trunks is gorgeous. The shedding of their outer skeleton, nice colors all are amazing. The black color is usually not seems good but the color of the black cobra has its own beauty. The way the snakes erect their muscles to enter into the holes is really amazed. The animal made by the nature to control the rats and rodents etc aren’t it amazed otherwise we have to use rodenticides to pollute our habitat.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

There are lot of environmental challenges and it is very difficult to figure them out however overpopulation in the world is one of the key challenge as the increasing population is demanding more food more forest land are being converted into the fields, the population is demanding for the places to live so flat plains are being converted into big cities with paved roads. I don’t know how much % of earth the establishment of the paved roads has injured.
In near future the key challenge will be how to clear the aftermath of the industrial poison induced into the earth, how to revert the changes made on the earth face.

5. If you could give everyone piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources what would it be?

My advice is “Be simple, try to spend the life in simple way and stop abusing the rights of others (whether they are humans, natural resources, earth, water, rivers, water, trees coastal areas etc)