Social worker Akshay Bhandari debunks lesser florican bird’s foreign origin myth

Madhya Pradesh : In a significant disclosure, social worker Akshay Bhandari has taken a stand against the prevailing myth circulating on social media about the Lesser Florican bird’s foreign origin.

Commonly known as “likh” or “kharmore,” the Lesser Florican is a small bird belonging to the bustard family and is the only member of the genus Sypheotides. Found in the tall grasslands of the Indian subcontinent, it is best known for its mesmerizing leaping breeding displays performed by the males during the monsoon season.

The confusion regarding the bird’s origin arose after the Kharmore Sanctuary was developed in Sardarpur, leading to false information being disseminated on social media platforms. Akshay Bhandari, a social worker known for his dedication to dispelling misinformation, stepped forward to clarify the situation.

“The manner in which unnecessary things were being broadcast created confusion in the public mind,” stated Bhandari. The misleading information claimed that the Lesser Florican bird was of foreign origin, specifically from Australia. However, upon investigation, Bhandari discovered that this was far from the truth.

To further validate his findings, Bhandari reached out to experts in Australia and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) regarding the myth spreading in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan about the Lesser Florican bird’s foreign origin.

Dr. Mark Carey, Assistant Director of Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Water, confirmed that the Lesser Florican (Scyphorides indicus) is not native to Australia. In fact, there is no record of the species ever being found in Australia. Similar was the response from the BNHS.

Armed with this authentic information, Akshay Bhandari met with senior forest officer Santosh Kumar Ransore in Sardarpur sub-division to advocate for the accurate portrayal of the Lesser Florican bird’s identity. He demanded that signboards be put up in prominent locations to correct the misinformation and raise awareness about the Kharmor Sanctuary and the Lesser Florican bird’s Indian origin.

Through the efforts of social workers like Akshay Bhandari and the cooperation of government authorities, it is hoped that the myth surrounding the Lesser Florican bird’s origin will be effectively dispelled, allowing people to appreciate and protect this beautiful bird as an integral part of India’s rich biodiversity.