Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS)

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Agumbe is the location of the only permanent rainforest research station in India which was established by herpetologist, Romulus Whitaker. Whitaker chose Agumbe as the location for this station since this was the place where he spotted his first King Cobra in the early 1970s. The main goal of the research station is to study and conserve the rainforests of South India, using King Cobra as the flagship species. One of the main goals of this research is to establish the world’s first King Cobra Sanctuary. Experts from various fields were invited to aid in the research and understanding of the King Cobra, the world's longest venomous snake and now sadly an endangered species listed under Schedule II. In 2005, Whitaker was awarded the United Kingdom's top conservation prize — the Whitley Award. The research station is eco-friendly and is not connected to the state's electricity grid. It uses solar power and a micro hydel unit. The fencing around the station is of smooth wire so that it does not hurt the deer and leopards passing by. The station has two cottages for researchers and a refurbished farmhouse that serves as the hub. The station follows a three-pronged approach involving research, education and conservation. Regular visits to schools, presentations and lectures on snakes aid in conservation.

Under the guidance of Romulus Whitaker, resident Herpetologist and Researcher Gowri Shankar carries on his work at ARRS. Students can contact him for research purposes or for conservation or educational programmes.
Abridged from wikipedia by Showkath, showkath.eco@gmail.com, the information provided is correct to my knowledge, please let me know if there is any inaccuracy.
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Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agumbe
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Coordinates:  13°31'5"N 75°5'23"E

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  • Good summary Showkath .... during my last visit, realized that Gowri Shankar and his team are not only doing an awesome job in educating the people around regarding the handling of snakes but also, playing a good part in keeping the surroundings clean. -------------------------------- Agumbe: A piece of heaven on earth http://www.Agumbe.com
This article was last modified 11 years ago