Cheetal Walk (the place where the Sigur Nature Trust is) could have become a resort. Destroying paradise to make money is a worldwide trend we don’t agree with. We kept disturbance to a minimum and the environment remained and will remain the same as long as the Trust exists. This stewardship is our basic conservation contribution, a way to put our words into real action. It does not look like much, but this is our foundation, the way we relate with nature and come to know, among others, the elephants. Without this practical experience, we would not know of the many problems in protected areas and we would not think about solutions in the same way.
Don’t think that the stewardship of nature is good only for professionals. Everyone should participate and promote local biodiversity. You can reintroduce local species in your garden, property, estate, village, township…
If you live near a protected area, why don’t you participate? some advice then:
- Don’t fence. Fencing is a threat to animals because it prevents movement and fragments habitats. It can also injure wildlife. You just can’t say that you are eco-friendly if you fence a wild habitat.
- Observe from a respectable distance and never disturb wild animals in any way: they are already stressed enough. You can see with our videos that we don’t disturb elephants and we have the most peaceful relationship with them. We do experiments to show that when conditions are proper, elephants can tolerate humans in full view as close as 30 m without even budging. This is the art of observing without disturbing, but this must be learned patiently.
- Natural noise and discreet lights are fine.
- Wild animals are sensitive to conversation. If you want to see a tiger in your place, shut up!
- If you have money to invest and you find a plot adjacent to a protected area, pleeeaaase do not start a farm. Plant trees that can resist elephants after an initial protection stage (a lot of things eat tender seedlings).