NGOs write to Governor saying fragile Lake is a natural habitat for birds, not dogs

Mysuru: A group of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) has appealed to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to intervene and direct the University of Mysore to reinstate the ban on feeding stray dogs at Kukkarahalli Lake premises. The University recently revoked the ban following pressure from animal rights activists and feeders.

Representatives from organisations such as Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP), Clean Mysuru Foundation, Suraksha Foundation, Kalisu Foundation, Let’s Do It Mysuru, Mysuru Travel Association, Federation of Organisations and Associations of Mysore, Gandhada Gudi Foundation, Aranya Outreach, Mysuru Memes and Vishwa Hindu Parishad have jointly expressed their disappointment in a letter to the Governor.

They criticised the University’s decision to reverse the ban, emphasising concerns about public safety and the Lake’s ecosystem.

Bhamy V. Shenoy, Founding Working President of MGP said, “The Governor has only heard one side of the issue, that we are cruelly starving dogs. This is far from the truth. Ten years ago, there wasn’t a single dog in the Lake premises, which is a recognised biodiversity hotspot for native and migratory birds. This has been documented in the MGP’s coffee-table book ‘Namma Kukkarahalli Kere,’ published in 2020.”

Explosion of stray dog population

Kukkarahalli Lake, an important bird area, is a natural habitat for birds, not dogs. Feeding has led to a growing stray dog population that threatens the Lake’s fragile ecosystem. Once free from dogs, ground-breeding birds like Eurasian Thick-knee and bush-nesting birds thrived.

Now, they face attacks, nest destruction and displacement, causing a decline in bird populations. Instances of dogs chasing migratory birds have also been documented, the letter to the Governor stated.

Wildlife Protection Act

The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 prohibits the introduction of invasive species that harm wildlife or habitats. While dogs are not alien to India, they are alien to Kukkarahalli Lake. Feeding has disrupted the Lake’s biodiversity and allowed dog populations to explode, endangering vulnerable bird species, it added.

Feral dogs are unnatural predators that are considered a threat to any wildlife in a given area and in Kukkarahalli Lake, there have been records of dogs chasing or attacking migratory birds, the NGOs have stated.

The issue of pigeon feeding in Mysuru has highlighted a similar ecological imbalance. Pigeons fed excessively spread pathogens that harm other birds and humans. Both cases demonstrate how human interference through feeding adversely affects biodiversity.

Shenoy added that feeding has also led to safety concerns, with dogs attacking walkers in recent months. “Mysore University did the right thing by banning feeding initially. Unfortunately, they reversed this decision under activist pressure,” he rued.

The NGOs urged the Governor to direct the University of Mysore to reinstate the ban on feeding dogs and pigeons, emphasising the need to protect the Lake’s biodiversity and ensure public safety.