Hyderabad: Hyderabadis are participating in the global City Nature Challenge (CNC) to document the city’s flora and fauna, contributing to a worldwide effort to track biodiversity. This friendly competition, which takes place every year in the last week of April, encourages cities across the globe to record their local species using the iNaturalist app.
The CNC, which ends on Monday, encourages people to use the iNaturalist app to document plants, animals, and insects by uploading photos with location, date, and time. This data helps researchers and conservationists study species’ distribution and conservation needs.
People are also observe nighttime animals to identify as many species as possible in a short time.
“Last three days, activities were held at the Botanical Garden, Forested Park, and ICRISAT, with experts helping spot nighttime animals. On Sunday, the event was at Osmania University and Isara Park. On Monday, it will be at Nehru Zoological Park from 4 pm to 10 pm, with activities to watch nighttime animals and identify different species,” said S.M. Akbar Sharief, senior education officer, the WWF India Hyderabad.
“Hyderabad has been a strong participant in the City Nature Challenge since its inception. Last year, the city documented over 34,000 observations, including 4,000 different species. One of the most notable discoveries was the rare dragon snake, a species that had not been seen in Hyderabad for over 80 years. The event also uncovered the presence of the blue-bearded bee-eater and various invasive species,” he said.
Hyderabad has made a strong start this year. While volunteers have not yet reported any extraordinary discoveries, the city is currently leading the Indian leaderboard and is ranked in the top 10 globally. As of now, around 280 volunteers are actively participating, with the number expected to rise as the event continues.
The organisers are expecting over 50,000 observations from Hyderabad. The final results of the challenge will be announced on May 7 or 8.
