Date: November 17-18, 2012
Venue: Anaikatty Village, Nilgiris District
Organisers: Arulagam and Ayyan Thiruvalluvar Youth Welfare Society, Anaikatty
Target group: Tribal Youth of Nilgiri District
Purpose: To spread awareness about endangered vultures and threat to vulture populations because of Diclofenac drug.
Medium: Volleyball Tournament
Funding / Collaboration: CEPF, Mrs. Ramadevi, Mr.K.John, Mr.Basavan, Mr.Bommarayan, Mr. Ravi, Mr. B.A. Eswaran, IDA, Kowmaram Suchila International School.

A District Level Volleyball Tournament was organised by Ayyan Thiruvalluvar Youth Welfare Society, Anaikatty on November 17 & 18, 2012 at Anaikatty Village, a remote tribal hamlet in Nilgiris.

Legendary poet ‘Subramania Bharathi’s and Vulture

On the eve of the Centenary death anniversary of legendary poet and freedom fighter Subramania Bharathi, ‘Arulagam’ organisation commemorate his memory by linking with vulture conservation.

Poet Bharathiar was not only raised the voice for the nation but also for the nature, universe,  the birds, mountains…..etc..,

When poet Subramania Bharathi wrote a poem (“Muppadhu Kodi Mugamudaiyal…,) in 1920’s,  India had 300 million people and the number of vultures at that time in Indian landscape totalled more than 4 million. Just less than a hundred years later, our human population raced up to 1.3 billion. And the vultures?

Cattle owners are playing major role in conserving native breeds, prohibiting carcass poisoning, removing harmful drugs from the vulture food chain and leaving the safe carcasses to vultures. Arulagam is working to eliminate the harmful drugs totally from the vulture food chain and taking various steps to improve the status of vultures in Tamil Nadu. The organisation is also educating local communities about the importance of vultures and their role in ecosystem functioning.

Arulagam continuously engages local communities in various ways to identify and protect vulture nesting areas and its habitats with the guidance and support of the Tamil Nadu State Forest Department. As part of it, vulture conservation awareness programs through puppet show were organised by Arulagam at Kakkayanur and Burgur in Erode district on 27 and 28th April 2019 in association with Tamil Nadu Tribal Association and Sathyamangalam Environment and Wildlife Association (SEWA).

For the first time in Asia – Carnival with focus on conservation art (scientific art) to promote vulture conservation was conducted at Vel’s Vidyashram, Pallavaram, Chennai on 3rd and 4th January, 2015.

International Vulture Awareness Day celebrated in the Nilgiris on 06/09/2014

The signature campaign was inaugurated at Smyrna Home, Ooty on 6.9.2014 at 10.30 P.M. Sixty students and staffs from Smyrna Home attended the campaign. The programme was inaugurated by Sr. Dr. Nirmala, Principal, Jayaraj Annbakiyam Women's College, Periyakulam of Tamilnadu.

During her inaugural speech, she pointed out that animals and birds are facing great threat due to anthropogenic activities. She stressed the immediate steps needed to save Vultures and other species. 

Karthiga Rajkumar, President, Arulgam presided over the function while S.Bharadhidasan, Secretary, Arulagam addressed Vultures and their importance among the gathering.  The students were interestingly participated and penned their signature on the 300 meter cotton cloth banner. Message ‘I am a friend of Vulture and I am proud of that” and Shun diclofenac and Save Vulture was written in the banner for getting signature.

Then the banner was shifted to Botanical Garden, Ooty for the participation of tourists. The signature banner was displayed in the main gate of the Botanical Garden. Audiences were curiously to know about the vulture and about the banned drug diclofenac.  Nearly 4000 tourists from various states of India have placed their signature in the banner and showed their solidarity to save Vultures.

The mass signature campaign conducted from dawn to dusk. The tourist asked questions on vultures. It was well replied by Arulagam team. . Interestingly an auto rickshaw driver voluntarily stopped his vehicle and penned their signature on the banner and showed his interest on Birds.

This Campaign was inaugurated by Mr.C.Bathirasamy, IFS, District Forest Officer, Nilgiri South Forest Division. The Nilgiris.

The programme was organized with the support of CEPF, SAVE and OBC. This event was coordinated by Arulagam team namely Karthiga Rajkumar, President, Mr.S.Bharathidasan,Secretary, Mr. R.Venkitachalam, Biologist, Mr.P.Arunagiri,Sociologist, Mr.C.Paraman, Field organizer and John Kennedy, Volunteer of Arulagam.