Editor's Den

Raghul Patteri

Editor

This edition of PT Aware is a dedication to the unsung heroes of the animal kingdom.

There are many smaller, uncharismatic, or non-keystone species which get overlooked, being overshadowed by the glamour and fame of their more illustrious cousins.

The general public is not aware of them, Wildlife photographers overlook them in favor of the more famous beings, and even conservationists sometimes see them as an after thought.

Every ecosystem has its share of these lesser-known species, who how ever play key roles in the biological process. In the pristine ecology of Masai Mara the black-backed Jackal is a key species falling in this group.

Dr. Peter Hudson has been a key observer of the biological processes that create and sustain ecosystems. His deep insights into these processes and the roles played by each species in nature is well portrayed in this article.

This article is a compelling narrative on the role that every single species has to play to sustain a healthy ecosystem. It is unfortunate that often the importance of non-charismatic species are only noted when their decline leads to degradation of the ecosystem.

As always, we will eagerly await your fabulous stories and images. We take pride in matching your images with the latest insights from the scientific community and using that to portray the story of an amazing species.

Our next edition will focus on the “Lilac-breasted Roller”. Please be ready to upload the images of these fantastic birds.

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