https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Caution: Birds at Play. Sling-Shots Not Allowed

In an exemplary move, forest officer Anand Reddy has made hundreds of children around Nasik gave up their sling-shots, thereby saving lives of thousands of birds which had been falling prey to them.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The sprawling forest in front of the IFS officer was beautiful to look at, full of lush greenery with trees swaying in the cool breeze. But something was amiss: the sound of birds. Not just sound, but he could not spot a single bird for miles around. This was puzzling, but soon he realized the reason.

There were no birds in the forest because most of these had fallen prey to the children’s slingshots. And the remaining had flown away in alarm.

The jungle in question was situated near the Nasik district of Maharashtra, part of the Western Ghats, and the IFS officer just posted there was Mr Anand Reddy. He was also a keen wildlife photographer. So it was obvious that when no bird came in front of his camera, he was first taken aback and then, after coming to know the reality, became sad at the state of affairs.

“Galor Samarpan Abhiyan” (Credit: Anand Reddy Twitter)

LETHAL SLING-SHOT

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr Reddy said that not many people could comprehend that a sling-shot, otherwise known as `gulel’ in most parts of India, could have such a lethal effect on the birds around Nasik. He zeroed in on the culprits too: some few hundred kids from neighbouring villages who were regularly aiming their slingshots at the birds, either for sport or for their meat.

Mr Reddy decided to do something. “But I was clear from the beginning,’’ he said, “that the children could not be punished for the crime, despite their being a provision for it in the law. I wanted to change their mindsets, so that they willingly stop their cruel acts.’’

But why did so many children here took up slingshots. Mr Reddy opines there could be social and historical reasons for it. “For a long time, people have been using slingshots and similar contraptions on wildlife, to bring meat to their pots. Apparently, the folks here passed on this practice to the children and nobody objected to it.’’

IFS Anand Reddy with his team ((Credit: Anand Reddy Twitter)

EDUCATING CHILDREN

It was important to find a practical solution to the problem at hand, said Mr Reddy. The World Environment Day (on June 5) was round the corner, and the IFS officer decided that instead of organizing routine ceremony, he would do something different- he would try to make the erring children realize their mistakes and tell them about value of birds, nature and wildlife.

Keeping this in mind, Mr Reddy set up a team of 25 forest officials. On the Environment Day, they organized a workshop in which hundreds of children participated. “In this workshop, we told the kids about the importance of birds. We told them that by eating worms and insects, birds were helping the farmers in getting better crops. They gave us all their attention. These were the things they did not know, simply because nobody had told them.’’

Change a child, you’ll change a generation ((Credit: Anand Reddy Twitter)

The movement against rampant use of sling-shots did not end here. During the next 38 days, Mr Reddy and his team covered 93 villages, and personally got in touch with over 7,000 children. In lieu of giving up their slingshots, the officer used the forest department funds disburse items like painting sets, chocolates, basket-balls and even bicycles in some cases to the kids.

The end result of Mr Reddy’s efforts was spectacular. The children voluntarily surrendered 684 sling-shots.

Mr Reddy’s next mission is to mitigate the man-leopard conflicts in the regions around Nasik.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Mohan Yadav CM MP
Madhya Pradesh Aims to Be Global Wellness Hub: CM Mohan Yadav at Spiritual and Wellness Summit in Ujjain
UP Tourism
UP to Showcase Its Spiritual, Cultural Grandeur at PATA 2025 in Bangkok; Global Push for Tourism & Investment
Engineers India Limited EIL
Engineers India Ltd Expects 15–20% Rise in Turnover in FY26 Amid Record Order Book - Details Inside
BEL Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics (BEL) & Tata Electronics Ink MoU to Boost Indigenous Semiconductor Solutions - Details Inside
Sanjay Malhotra IAS
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra Cuts FY26 Inflation Forecast to 3.7%, Slashes Repo Rate to 5.5% - All Details Inside
ChhattisgarhGovt_resized
59 Police Officers Promoted in Chhattisgarh Police Department, Including 46 Inspectors to DSP Rank - Check Here
Hardeep S Puri: 11 Years of PM Modi
PM Modi’s 11 Years in Office: A Transformative Journey with Bold Strides in the Energy Sector
Karnataka
Karnataka ADGP Hemant Nimbalkar Transferred Amid Fallout from Bengaluru Stadium Stampede - All Details Here
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Divyanshu Pal Nagar IFS
5 Years, 5 Mains, 4 Interviews: How Divyanshu Pal Nagar Stumbled in CSE, Triumphed in IFS - A Lesson for Every Aspirant
Divyanshu Pal Nagar’s inspiring five-year UPSC journey shows how perseverance, disciplined self-study,...
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
Social Media
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
shubham kumar ias marriage
IAS Topper Weds BPSC Topper: Shubham Kumar Marries IRS Officer Priyangi Mehta in Patna; Wedding Video Goes Viral
Topper Couple Alert: Shubham Kumar, Priyangi Mehta’s Wedding Grabs Spotlight in Bihar
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Mohan Yadav CM MP
Madhya Pradesh Aims to Be Global Wellness Hub: CM Mohan Yadav at Spiritual and Wellness Summit in Ujjain
UP Tourism
UP to Showcase Its Spiritual, Cultural Grandeur at PATA 2025 in Bangkok; Global Push for Tourism & Investment
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT