Continued deforestation, rapid urbanisation and pollution has posed a great threat to wildlife and its conservation, said writer and conservationist Bikram Grewal, here, on Saturday.

He was speaking during the second day of ‘Karnataka Bird Festival’, being held at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. The risks associated with deforestation and pollution has pushed several species towards extinction and has affected the food chain of animals.

Common birds and animals, found in grasslands are among the worst affected, with their numbers declining at an alarming rate. Species living in shrub forests too are threatened, he said.

Despite elaborate conservation measures, poaching incidents too has affected wildlife, especially in the North Eastern states of the country. Efforts should be made to put an end to it, he said.

Wildlife photographer Ramki Sreenivasan, explaining the skills required to photograph birds, spoke on mining activities inside reserves.

Such activities, along with celebration of various festivals inside reserve forests are dangerous to wildlife and should be stopped, he said.

Chief Secretary of the State government Kaushik Mukherjee also spoke. Experts and participants from around the country are participating in the festival.