Inside the concrete jungle, a forest where deer frolic

Do you feel you are in the lap of nature every time you are on the IITMadras campus? You actually are. The IIT campus was carved out of a forest that formed part of the Guindy National Park and the surprise is that the southern thorn forests — a forest type in the sub-continent — has been preserved here to a great extent for the past
fifty years.
Not many students are fortunate to have blackbuck and spotted deer walking with them or listen to the music of beetles all day and night. Since most of the students could well be spending their time with books and in laboratories, they might not even be aware that their campus is truly the home for Chennai’s bio-diversity.
There are a few miniecosystems like open grasslands, wetlands, patches of thick forests and scrub jungle, co-existing in harmony and with humans in the campus. There are blackbuck, spotted deer (chital), jackals, mongoose, monkeys, squirrels, wild cats, various types of reptiles, a plethora of insects, about 50 kinds of butterflies and nearly 100 species of birds. A rapid assessment of the bio-diversity on the campus by a team of wildlife biologists for 12 days and 12 nights two years ago has revealed that the campus continues to support a rich diversity of plants and animals.
As many as 423 species of plants and animals were identified, says R J Ranjith Daniels of Care Earth, who led the team. Besides, 298 species of non-cultivated plants were identified on the campus. If you add the garden plants, the number could well climb to 400 species.
There are quite a few endangered species as well — at least three species of plants including sandalwood, three species of butterflies, monitor lizard, flapshell turtle and the blackbuck. The study also identified critical habitats and their means of survival. For instance, the grassland was critical for the survival of the blackbuck on the campus. Based on the recommendations of the report, the IIT administration has been cleaning up invasive plants that threatened to overrun the grassland habitat of the blackbuck.
Apart from the management, the student community also takes its own measures to protect the environment. When dogs bit a blackbuck a few years ago, a team of students patrolled the campus at nights to protect the endangered antelope, says Susy Varughese, an associate professor who was part of Prakriti, the wildlife club.
Students also call up the rescue centre when an animal is in danger. Dozens of animals have been rescued and treated by the veterinarian of the forest department.