17 Sep

Biodiversity in India: Mammals – Endangered

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Content

• Pigmy Hog
• Asiatic Lion
• Elephant
• Camels in Rajasthan
• Kondana Soft Furred Rat (also known as Kondana Rat or Large Metad)
• Dhole / Asiatic Wild Dog or Indian Wild Dog (Cuon Alpinus)
• Brow-Antlered Deer / Sangai Deer (Panolia EldiI)
• Gee’s Golden Langur (Trachypithecus Geei)
• Himalayan White Bellied Musk Deer
• Alpine Musk Deer (Moschus Chryosogaster)
• Kashmir Musk Deer (Moschus Cupreus)
• Hispid Hare
• Hog Deer
• Lion Tailed Macaque / Wanderoob (Macaca Silenus)
• Nilgiri Tahr
• Indian Pangolin
• Red Panda (Ailurus Fulgens) (Lesser Panda, Red Bear-Cat, and Red Cat-Bear
• Asian Wild Buffaloe

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1) Pigmy Hog

• Geographical Range
  • It is only known from India.
  • Its presence is uncertain in Bhutan and is extinct from Nepal and Bangladesh.
• More Details about Pigmy Hog
  • World’s smallest wild pig, with adults weighing only 8 kg.
  • Habitat: Grassland – Found in relatively undistributed tall Tarai grasslands
  • Distribution: Formerly, the species was more widely distributed along the southern Himalayan foothills but now is restricted to only a single remnant population in Manas wildlife sanctuary and its buffer reserves.
  • Threats: The main threats are the loss and degradation of grasslands, dry season burning, livestock grazing and afforestation of grasslands. Hunting is also a threat to the remnant population.
  • It is one of the most useful indicators of the management status of the grass land habitats. The grassland where the pigmy hog resides are crucial for the survival of another endangered species such as Indian Rhinoceros, Swamp Deer, Wild Buffalo, Hispid Hare, Bengal Florican and Swamp Francolin. 
  • In 1996, a captive breeding program was initiated in Assam, and some hogs were reintroduced in Sonai Rupai area in 2009.

•  
• Conservation Status
  • IUCN – EN
  • WPA (as amended in 2022) – Schedule-1

• Pygmy Hog Sucking Louse, a parasite that feeds only on Pygmy Hogs will also fall in the same risk category of EN as its survival is linked to that of the host species.

2) Asiatic Lion

• Asiatic lions once ranged from Persia to Eastern India, but were almost drawn to extinction by indiscriminate hunting and habitat loss.
• By 1890s, a single population of about 50 Lions remained in the Gir Forests of Gujarat.
• With timely and stringent protection offered by the state government and the central government, they have increased to over 674 now.
  • Of this around 50% are found outside protected areas.
  • Note: The Gir Protected Area Network includes Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary adjoining forest reserves, protected forests and unclassed forests.
  • Lions has been recorded in a total area of about 30,000 sq kms of which, only about 1,650 sq km is in five Protected areas. The protected areas carrying capacity seems to be exceeded.

Male female ratio: 161:260

• Asiatic Lions and African Lions
  • They are both distinct subspecies of Lion. They are the second largest cats in the world after tigers. Male Lions are characterized by thick mane of hairs around their head which is absent in females.

Characteristics	Asiatic Lion	African Lion
Distribution	Only in Gujarat, India	Several countries across Africa, from the Savannah in east Africa to dry grasslands of South Africa
Physical Appearance	Slightly smaller than African Lion, with a shorter mane and fold of skin on their bellies	African Lions have larger manes.
Genetics	The two subspecies have distinct genetic profile. They diverged from the same ancestor around 1,00,000 years ago
Behaviour	Asiatic Lions are more solitary and live in pairs or small groups of related females and their cubs.	The African Lions are known for their social behaviour and live in large groups called Prides, consisting of several females, their cubs, and one or more males.
IUCN Status	EN	VU

B) World Lion Day: AUG 10

• Celebrated on Aug 10 of every year to raise awareness about lions and to mobilize support for their protection and conservation.
• World Lion Day is the brainchild of co-founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert, a husband-and-wife team with a passion for big cats. They began the initiative in 2013, bringing together both National Geographic and the Big Cat Initiative under a single banner to protect the remaining big cats living in the wild.

C) Conservation Status:

• IUCN: Endangered
• WPA (as amended in 2022): Scheduled 1
• CITES: Appendix 1

D) 8 Asiatic Lions Testing Positive for Covid-19 (May 2021)

• Where? Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad
• This was the first case of the human infecting the feline and making them sick in India.

E) Project Lion

• It was announced by PM on Aug 15, 2020. It will be on the lines of Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
• The project has been launched for the conservation of Asiatic Lion and will focus on habitat development by engaging modern technologies in management as well as in addressing the issue of disease in lion.
• The Wildlife Institute of India with the Gujarat Forest Department have created a Project Lion Proposal and set it to the Union MoEF&CC.
• Six new sites apart from the Kuno-Palpur WLS have been identified under Project Lion for possible lion relocation.
  • Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh
  • Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan
  • Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan
  • Gandhi Sagar WLS, Madhya Pradesh
  • Kumbhalgarh WLS, Rajasthan
  • Jessore-Belaram Ambaji WLS and adjoining landscape, Gujarat.
• In Dec 2022, Minister of State for EF&CC, Shri Ashwini Choubey, informed that the Project Lion document titled “Lion@ 47: Vision for Amrit Kal” has been prepared with the following objectives to secure and restore lions’ habitats for managing and growing population; scale up livelihood generation, and participation of local communities; become global hub of knowledge on big cat disease diagnostics and treatment and create inclusive biodiversity conservation through project lion initiative.

F) Issue of Relocation of Lions

IUCN has raised concerns here “The Asiatic Lion currently exists as a single subpopulation, and is thus vulnerable to extinction from unpredictable events, such as an endemic or large forest fire.”

Other Reasons to support translocation: A large number of lions are outside the PA. These places are human dominated and have very little prey population. Thus, they depend on livestock which they kill or livestock carcass which are dumped outside the villages.

The Project Lion document of 2020 have also mentioned that babesiosis and CDV in Gir and that it has resulted the death of at least more than 60 lions in 2018-19.

• • It cautions that “the CDV can also spread very fast within the entire lion population of Gir, especially when containment is not possible due to feral animal vectors in a landscape that remains connected for disease transmission.

Therefore, IUCN has recommended “establishment of at least one other wild population for population safety, for maximizing genetic diversity and in terms of ecology (re-establishing of the lion as a component of the fauna in its former range).

Wildlife activists have been demanding transfer of lion to a second home since 1990s.

Studies of three potential sites with the historical range of the Asiatic Lion identified Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in MP to be the most suitable for introducing the species.

• • In 2004, the Center had written to Gujarat for the first time for this relocation, but Gujarat  kept dragging the issue and the matter reached Supreme Court.

Supreme Court of India in April 2013, after several recommendations by various expert groups had ordered translocation of Gujarat Lions to Madhya Pradesh. This was done to ensure a second home for the endangered species and to save it from extinction, due to catastrophe like extinction.

• • The review and curative petitions by Gujarat were rejected by the court in 2014.

But the transfer hasn’t happened yet. In 2022, government officials have stated that there are no plans to translocate lions outside Gujarat and they will facilitate natural dispersal of lions within Gujarat.

• • These statements completely disregard 2013 SC verdicts and doesn’t make any ecological sense.

Reason for non-removal – it has more to do with politics than the effectiveness of translocation.

G) Issue of Death of Lions- Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)

More than two dozen lions died in 2018 due to outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) and babesiosis.

• • Canine Distemper Virus
    • Canine distemper is a contagious and serious disease caused by virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous system of puppies and dogs. The virus has also been reported in Lions, tigers and other wild animals.
  • Babesiosis:
    • It is caused by microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells and are spread by certain ticks.

Incidence of death due to disease in past

• • In 2007, there were evidence of the Peste Des Petits Ruminants virus (PPRV) which had caused some death. PPRV (also known as Goat Plague) is highly contagious and can be deadlier that even CDV that wiped out a third of Africa’s lion.

4) Elephant

• Introduction
  • Elephant (Elephas maximum) is the largest terrestrial mammal of India.
  • In past centuries, forests of India literally teemed with elephants. Mughal emperors are known to have more than 1,00,000 elephants in their services giving us an idea about huge population of elephant in our country then.
  • Today’s population is obviously a fraction of the population of that time, but large numbers of sustainable herd exist – particularly in south and northeast.
  • India has also declared elephant as ‘National Heritage Animal’.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN: Endangered
  • WPA: Schedule 1
  • CITES: Appendix 1

 

A) Population of Elephants (Elephant Census, 2017 Report (“SYNCHRONIZED ELEPHANT POPULATION ESTIMATION INDIA, 2017″)

• The census pegs India’s total Asian Elephant population at 27312 across 23 states (a decrease over 2012 numbers of around 30,000 – but previous counts were not synchronized and may have had duplications. Therefore, experts say that comparisons should not be drawn). This was the first all India synchronized census which avoided many errors in estimation due to movement of elephants across different states.
• State wise: Karnataka has the highest number of elephants, followed by Assam and Kerala
  • Karnataka (6,049)
  • Assam (5,719)
  • Kerala (3,054)
• Region wise: Highest in Southern (11, 960), followed by northeast (10,139), east central (3,128) and northern region (2,085)
  • Further another survey in 2000 found that there are around 3,400 domesticated animal in the country.

 

B) INITIATIVES: Project Elephant

• Launched by GoI in 1992 as a centrally sponsored scheme.
• Objectives
  • To assist states having free ranging population of wild elephants.
  • To protect elephants, their habitat & corridors.
  • Addressing the human-elephant conflict issues
  • Improving the welfare of captive animals.
• 16 states/UT in focus
  • The projected is being mainly implemented in 16 states
  • Andhra, Arunachal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, TN, Tripura, Uttaranchal, UP and WB.
• Steps taken
  • Elephant Reserves:
  • Establishment of 33 elephant reserves throughout the elephant’s traditional range and covering a total area of more than 30,000 km².
  • Tamil Nadu and Assam have the highest number of elephant reserves (five each), followed by Kerala (4), Odisha (3), UP (2), Arunachal (2), Chhattisgarh (2), Karnataka (2), Nagaland (2), and West Bengal (2), Andhra (1), Jharkhand (1), Meghalaya (1), and Uttarakhand (1).
  • In 2022, on the 30th anniversary of Project Elephant, government announced formation of three Elephant Reserves (LEMRU ER (Chhattisgarh), Agasthyamalai ER (TN) and Terai ER (UP).

Terai Elephant Reserve: India’s 33rd Elephant Reserve in Uttar Pradesh (Oct 2022)

• The Centre has approved setting up of Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) at Dudhwa-Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh.
  • The TER will be developed in joint forest area of Pilibhit tiger reserves and Dudhwa TR, covering conservation of four wild species such as Tiger, Asian Elephant, Swamp Deer, and One-horned Rhinoceros in the entire landscape that also includes Kishanpur and Katarnighat WLS.
  • It is situated on India-Nepal border.
• The TER will also implement human-elephant conflict mitigation strategy and protect villagers living in the Indo-Nepal border areas of Uttar Pradesh.

LEMRU ELEPHANT RESERVE – CHHATTISGARH

AGASTHYAMALAI ELEPHANT RESERVE

• Central government has accepted the proposal of the TN government to establish one more elephant reserve in the state in Agasthyamalai.
• Its total area would by 1,197 sq km.
• It is TN’s 5th Elephant Reserve

 

C) INITIATIVE: MIKE

• MIKE (Monitoring of Illegal killing of Elephants) program of CITES.
• Discovered a significant increase in the poaching of bull tuskers, which has damaged population dynamics by disturbing the sex ratio.
  • In some areas the normal level of 1:12 ratio has been so distorted that 1:100 has been known.
  • This abnormality seriously affects the genetic viability of what on the surface can look like healthy sustainable population.

 

D) Odisha turns to seed bombs to fight elephant problem
E) World Elephant Day: 12th Aug

• It was launched on 12th of August 2012 globally to mobilize attention and support for conservation of Asian and African Elephants.
• As per the available population estimates there are 4,00,000 African Elephants and 40,000 Asian elephants on earth.
• India adopted the World Elephant Day in Aug 2016 to conserve and protect elephant in India and improve their welfare.
• Nationwide Campaign “Gaj Yatra”
  • Was first launched on Aug 12, 2017, by WTI (Wildlife Trust of India).
  • Aims to protect elephant population.
  • Runs campaign in 12 elephant range states

 

F) Some Gyan About African Elephant

• African elephants are the largest elephant walking the earth. Their herd wander through 37 countries.
  • There are two species of African Elephants.
    • The Savanna (or bush) elephant
    • The Forest Elephant
  • Savanna elephant are larger than the forest elephants and their tusk curve outwards. They are the largest species of elephants and the biggest terrestrial animal on earth.
    • IUCN: EN
• Forest elephants are smaller and darker; their tusks are straighter and point downwards. There are also difference in the size and the shape of the skull and skeleton between the two species.
  • IUCN: CR
• Distribution of Living Elephant Specie

 

5) Camels in Rajasthan

• Different Types of Camels in India:
  • The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) lists nine dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) breeds of camel in India.
    • Five (Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri, Jalori, Marwari, and Mewari) originated in Rajasthan
    • One – Mewati can be seen in both Rajasthan and Haryana.
    • Two (Kutchi and Khrai) are Gujarati
    • One (Malvi) belongs to Madhya Pradesh.
• India also has a small population of the double-humped Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus), found mostly in the Nubra valley in Ladakh.
• India’s total camel population – all of them descendants of wild dromedary, or Arabian, Camels– decreased by 37% between 2012 and 2019.
  • Current estimates suggest that there are fewer than 200,000 camels left among the nine breeds, and 80% of these animals live in Rajasthan, where they are bred to provide transport, wool, and milk, as well as plough field.
  • Why decrease in Camel population?
    • Development in Western India -> new roads, vehicles etc. -> reduces the need of camel transportation.
    • Irrigation projects; Solar and Wind Farms etc. have reduced the land available for grazing of camels.
    • Collapsing tourism (COVID-19 pandemic)
    • Ban on export and sale of male camels including blanket ban on the sale of camel meat.
• Can Camel milk bring a solution?
  • Camel milk is touted as the next superfood. It has low amounts of sugar, is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin C and potassium, and is alternative for lactose intolerance.
  • Some studies have also shown that Camel milk may reduce a person’s need for Insulin (in case of Type-1 diabetes).
  • Hurdles in promotion of use of Camel Milk?
    • Supply and potential demand centres are very far away.
    • To transport raw camel milk to cities, it must be pasteurized and refrigerated, a costly process.
    • Learn from Gujarat model where camel milk dairies have proven profitable. Camel herders from Kutch region have partnered with Amul, which launched camel milk in 2019.

A) Kharai Camel

• Details
  • Kharai Camel are a unique breed of camels found only in Kutch. They are known for their ability to swim in water. They have webbed feet like that of a frog.
  • The name is derived from the local world Kharai which means Saline. They are also known as dariyataru (meaning sea-swimmer).
  • During the rainy season, they swim along the Gulf Of Kutch, an inlet of the Arabian sea, to small forest islands and graze on mangroves and other saline-loving plants.
  • IUCN: EN
  • WPA: Schedule-1
  • Key threats:
    • Habitat destruction (mangrove forests they feed on are being destroyed)
    • Salt pans have increased in the area, and they have destroyed habitat and blocked to path of travel for the camels.
• Recognition as separate Breed:
  • The Kharai camels were recognized as a separate breed only in 2015.
• Declining numbers
  • In 2010, there were about 10,000 camels in the region, which has now (2020) declined to around 5,000.
• Key recent efforts
  • Amul have started making camel milk products to support camel herders.
• Altercations between Kharai Camel Owners (Of Jamnagar and Devbhumi Dwarka) and Forest Department (Sep 2021) -> Grazing in Marine National Park

6) Kondana Soft Furred Rat (Also known as Kondana Rat or Large Metad)

• Nocturnal burrowing rodent that is found only in India. It is sometimes known to build nests.
• Habitat: Its natural habitat are subtropical and tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, and urban areas.
• Distribution: Known only from the small Sinhagarh Plateau (about 1 km2), near Pune in Maharashtra.
• Threats: Major threats are habitat loss, overgrazing of vegetation, and disturbance from tourism.

7) Dhole/ Asiatic Wild Dog or Indian Wild Dog (CUON ALPINUS)

• Other Names: Indian wild dog, whistling dog, Chennai dog, Asiatic Wild Dog, red wolf etc.
• Distribution: Native to central Asia, South-East Asia.
  • In India there are few remaining adults in the wild. They can be seen in protected areas of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Kerala.
• Population: With less than 2,500 individuals surviving in the wild globally, the dhole is already extinct in about 10 Asian countries.
• Very efficient predators: They are so efficient as predators that there have been reports of them even attacking tigers.
• Threat
  • Habitat loss
  • Loss of prey
  • Competition with other species
  • Persecution
  • Possibly diseases transfer from other dogs (domestic and feral dogs).

8) Brow Antlered Deer/ Sangai Deer (PANOLIA ELDII)

• Specific Habitat requirements: They inhabit the floating biomass in Loktak Lake Manipur.
• Key threats: Hunted for their bow-shaped antlers.
• Note: Sangai Deer (EN) is an endemic and endangered subspecies of browantlered deer found only in Manipur, India.
  • It’s original habitat is the floating marshy grasslands of the Keibul Lamjao National Park, located in the southern part of the Loktak lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in eastern India.
  • State animal of Manipur.
  • They are also known as dancing dear. This is because while walking on the floating island it often balances itself and appear to be dancing.

 

A) Sangai Festival

• It is a 10-day annual cultural festival organized by Manipur Tourism department every year from Nov 21 to 30.
• It was first celebrated in 2010. It was earlier called tourism festival which has been renamed to Sangai festival to promote the uniqueness of brow-antler deer.
• The festival also promotes Manipur’s unique art, handicraft, sports, cuisine.
• Some folk dances of Manipur like Kabui Naga Dance, Bamboo Dance, Maibi Dance, Lai Haraoba Dance, Khamba Thoibi Dance etc could be seen here.
• Manipur’s martial art form Thang Ta can also be seen here.
• Some games include:
  • Yubi-Lakpi, which is a game played like a rugby with greased coconut;
  • Mukna Kangjei, a game combining hockey and wrestling.
  • Sangol Kangjei, or Polo – It is believed that modern polo came from Manipur Polo, Sagol Kangjei.
• Manipur cuisines such as Nga-thongba (fish curry), and the popular Eromba (a mixture of boiled veggies with fermented fish) are also available at the festival.

 

B) Loktak Lake

About the Lake

• It is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India. It is pulsating lake with surface area varying from 250 sq km to 500 sq km during the rainy season with a typical area of 287 sq km.
• It is lake in Manipur, which is located 40 kms south of Imphal.
• The town of Moirang, on its bank, was the headquarter of the Indian National Army
  where they established a provisional independent government after defeating the British.
• The lake covers 61% of the total identified wetlands of the state. It plays a significant role
  in socio-economic and cultural life of Manipuris.
• It is famous for Phumdis (soil and organic matter at various stages of decomposition) floating over it. The largest of all the phumdis covers an area of 40 km2 and is situated on the southeastern shore of the lake. Located, on this Phumdi, Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating national park in the world. The park is the last natural refuge of the endangered Sangai (state animal).
• Once considered extinct, the population of brow-antlered deer found only on Keibul Lamjao National Park.
• Loktak lake is also one of the Ramsar sites in India.
  • It is also in Montreux Record and government is taking a lot of steps to get it delisted

Key threats:

• Human Pressure – Floating houses and fishing structures.
• Ithai Barrage – brought about drastic changes in the characteristics of the wetlands.
• Pollution: Moreover, River Nambul that flows from Imphal into the lake, dumps in the
  untreated sewage of the entire city.

About Ithai Barrage

• In 1983, NHPC constructed a barrage at the confluence of the Manipur and Khuga river – two of the five major rivers that drain into Loktak lake. This barrage has provided electricity and irrigation water to the region, but has created a number of
  problems for Loktak lake.
• Now even during dry season water level is high in Loktak lake and the Phumdis are not able to reach ground and absorb nutrition from there.
• Further, the dead biomass remains in the Lake only as the outflow has been blocked due to the barrage.
• The barrage has also blocked the route of migratory fish coming into the lake from
  Myanmar and so Loktak can no longer meet the demand of the entire state.

9) Gee’s Golden Langur (TRACHYPITHECUS GEEI)

• Distribution: Golden langur is an old-world monkey, found in small regions of western Assam, India and neighboring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan.
  • Manas National Park provides good sighting of this animal.
• Status: Endangered. One of the most endangered primate species of India.
• They have been named for their luscious coats and are considered sacred by Himalayan people.

10) Himalayan White Bellied Musk Deer

• Habitat/Distribution: Kashmir, Kumaon, Sikkim in India. Himalayas of Nepal and China.
• Threats
  • Poaching and illegal trade for its musk
  • Musk: is a substance with a persistent odor obtained from a gland of the male musk deer (only male produces the musk). The substance has been used as perfume fixative, incense material and medicine.

11) Alpine Musk Deer (MOSCHUS CHRYOSOGASTER)

• Alpine musk deer is a musk deer species native to the eastern Himalayas in Nepal, Bhutan and India to the highlands of Tibet.
  • It is now considered a separate species, to Himalayan Musk Deer. It is the state Animal of Uttarakhand.
  • IUCN Status: EN

12) Kashmir Musk Deer (MOSCHUS CUPREUS)

• It is an endangered species of musk deer native to Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nepal.
• In the past, the species was described as a subspecies to the alpine musk deer, but is now classified as a separate species.
• IUCN: EN

13) Hispid Hare

• Details: The Hispid hare, also called Assam rabbit, is a leporid, native to South Asia.
• Habitat/Distribution:
  • Historically it had wider range in southern Himalayan foothills, now distributed only patchily in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Possibly Bhutan.
  • A significant population is found in Shuklaphanta National Park in Nepal, elsewhere it only occurs sporadically.
  • Habitat is highly fragmented due to increasing agriculture, flood control, and human development.

14) Hog Deer

• Habitat/Distribution: Habitat ranges from Pakistan, through northern India, to mainland
  southeast Asia.
  • But it has lost ground in most of its range.
  • Two sub species of hog deer have been reported from its range
    • The western race is distributed from Pakistan and Terai Grassland (along the Himalayan foothills), from Punjab to Arunachal Pradesh.
    • The Eastern Race of hog deer is found in Thailand, Indo-China, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
• Name: The hog deer runs through the forests with its head hung low (hog-like manner) so that it ducks under obstacles instead of leaping over them like most other deer do.
• Eastern Hog Deer (Axis Porcinus annamiticus) – A rare subspecies of hog deer found in Keibul Lamjao National Park (2018)
  • The sub-species was earlier believed to be confined to the eastern part of Thailand.
  • Genetic Study by researchers at WII, Dehradun have reported presence of small population of Hog Deer at Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur.

15) Lion Tailed Macaque/ Wanderoo (MACACA SILENUS)

• Details: It’s an old-world monkey, endemic to the Western Ghats of South India. They avoid human presence and they do not live, feed or travel through plantations.
  ­Habitat:
  • They live in Southwest India in pockets of evergreen forests, called Sholas, in the Western Ghats range. Today, they only live-in mountain forests scattered across three Indian states: Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Threat
  • Habit Fragmentation: Due to spread of agriculture and tea, coffee, teak, and Cinchona, construction of water reservoirs and human settlements to support such activities.
• Conservation Efforts
  • Captive Breeding: Aringnar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai and in Mysore Zoo.

16) Nilgiri Tahr

It is the only mountain ungulate in southern India amongst the 12 species present in India. It is also the state animal of Tamil Nadu. It is a sure-footed ungulate that inhabits the open montane grasslands habitats at elevations from 1200 m to 2600 m of the Southwestern ghats.

Distribution:

• • Earlier, it was found throughout western ghats.
  • But, today, it is distributed along a narrow stretch of 400 km between Nilgiris in the north and Kanyakumari in South. It has become locally extinct in around 14% of its traditional shola forests -grassland habitats.
  • There are smaller populations found in the Palani Hills, Srivilliputtur, and the Meghamalai and Agasthiyar ranges, only two well protected large population is documented – one from the Nilgiris and the other from the Anamalais, including the high range of Kerala.
    • The Eravikulam National Park in Anamalai hills, Kerala, is home to the largest population of Nilgiri Tahr, with more than 700 individuals.
    • Mukurthi National Park (TN), was created to protect this endangered species

Conservation Status

• • IUCN/WPA/CITES: EN/Schedule-1/Appendix 1

Threats

• • Habitat loss, overgrazing, illegal hunting.

Historical references:

• • Referred in Tamil Sangam literature 2,000 years back.
  • Late Mesolithic paintings (10000-4000 BCE) also highlight significance of Tahr in the folklore, culture and life.

A) Nilgiri Tahr Conservation Project (Dec 2022)

• It is an initiative launched by TN government, at a cost of Rs 24.14 crores.
• Under this, the government wants to:
  • Develop a better understanding of the Nilgiri Tahr Population through surveys and radio telemetry studies.
  • Reintroduce the Tahrs to their historical habitats
  • Address Proximate threats
  • Increase public awareness of species.
• The funds, for the project is provided by the TN Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
• Further, Oct 7, will be celebrated as ‘Nilgiri Tahr Day’ in honour of E.R.C. Davidar, who was responsible for pioneering one of the first studies of the species in 1975.

17) Indian Pangolin

• About Indian Pangolin
  • The Indian Pangolin, thick tailed pangolin, or scaly pangolin is a pangolin found in the plains and hills of India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan.
  • It is an insectivore that feeds on ants and termites, digging them out of mounds and logs using its long claws, which are as long as its fore limbs. It is a solitary, shy, slow moving, nocturnal mammal.
• Main Threats
  • Hunting for its meat and scale
  • Various body parts used in traditional medicines
• Conservation Status
   i.  IUCN: Endangered
   ii.  WPA: Scheduled 1
   iii.  CITES: Appendix 1 (reclassified in 2016 from Appendix 2 to Appendix 1)
• Pangolins and India

 i.  Among 8 species of Pangolin found globally, four each are found in Asia and Africa. India is home to two species – the Chinese Pangolin and the Indian Pangolin.

• Recently, CITES COP19 has urged member countries to remove references to Pangolins from Pharmacopoeia – an official collection of approved pharmaceutical standards.

18) Red Panda (AILURUS FULGENS) (Lesser Panda, Red Bear-Cat, and Red Cat-Bear)

It is a small arboreal mammal native to eastern Himalayas and south-western China. Habitat/ Distribution: Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Northern Arunachal Pradesh and Darjeeling. Almost 50% of the Red Pandas inhabit eastern Himalayas.

Physical features: It has reddish brown fur and a long shaggy tail.

Diet: Omnivorous (mainly on bamboo)

Conservation Status

• • IUCN/WPA/CITES: EN/Schedule 1/ Appendix 1

Threats: Habitat loss and fragmentation; Poaching for Furs; Inbreeding Individuals;

 A) The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) (Darjeeling Zoo) has started an initiative to release 20 Red Pandas in forests in the next five years.

• About the Zoo:
  • It is a zoological park located in Darjeeling. It is named after Padmaja Naidu, the former Governor of West Bengal, India. She is also the daughter of Indian Independence leader Sarojini Naidu.
  • It is a park situated 2,000 meters above the sea level. It was established in 1958 and is the largest high-altitude zoo in India.
  • It has been quite successful in captive breeding of the Red Panda. As of July 2022, there are 27 Red Pandas in the zoo.
• Release of Red Pandas in Wild:
  • In the first re-wilding program of red Pandas in India, the PNHZP has started an ambitious program to release 20 of these mammals in about five years to the forests. They will be released in Singalila National Park.
  • In the past, two pairs of Red Pandas were released in 2021. Two animals managed to survive.

 B) A recent publication by scientists of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have resolved the mystery around demography and speciation of Red Panda

• India is home to both the (sub) species- Himalayan Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) and the Chinese red Panda (Ailurus Styani) and the Sang River in Arunachal Pradesh splits the two phylogenetic species.

19) Asian Wild Buffalo

• It is the large bovine native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
• It has been listed as endangered since 1986 and remaining population totals less than 4,000. More than 90% of its population is found in India, mostly in Assam.