Satya Prakash Mehra

Senior Project Officer - WWF-India

Today’s Date: 8 April 2008

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

Decline in population of very common species -House Crows (Corvus splendens) in my residence area (Ganeshnagar, Udaipur, rajasthan, India). (There is rituals among Indians when they call crows to eat food as we feel that our ancestors come in this form and give blessings of well being.) But in 1980s when we use to call them I could not found them in nearby localities. This caused my concern towards adopting career in the field of wildlife when I will enter my graduation.

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

Natural places (especially which is not commonly visited) in the world's oldest hill ranges – Aravallis - which surround my childhood place Udaipur.

Now? Again the deep forest patches of aravallis especially Mt Abu (Sirohi, Rajasthan, India) and Sitamata Forests (southern parts of Rajasthan distributed in Udaipur, Chittorgarh & Pratapgarh districts)

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

Very hard to say, but still I will love to state the name of our endemic bird species Green Munia or Green Avadavat (Amandava formosa).

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?

In my views, it is loss of forests (habitat of wild animals) all over the world is the greatest challenge which we are facing now. Increase in Carbon dioxide level and resulting
Climatic change is the greatest challenge of future.

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

Individual effort could contribute lot to check the further environment deterioration at every step of our normal schedule works.