STATUS OF WILD ELEPHANTS ELEPHAS-MAXIMUS LINN. IN CACHAR AND NORTH CACHAR HILLS ASSAM A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

7 Pages·1991·3.9 MB·

by  A Choudhury

STATUS OF WILD ELEPHANTS ELEPHAS MAXIMUS (LINN.) IN CACHAR AND
NORTH CACHAR HILLS, ASSAM— A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION1
Anwaruddin Ciioudhury2
(With two text-figures)
The Cachar and North Cachar hills districts of southern Assam once held large populations of wild
elephants. However, habitat destruction and poaching has made them locally extinct in many areas. Though a
very good elephant population still exists in Assam, in these two areas their status is vulnerable.
Introduction tween 24°59' to 25°49'N and 92°31' to 93°28' E.
In the southern and eastern part lies the lofty
The Asiatic or Indian elephantElephas max- Barail range, the highest hill range of Assam
m
irnus (Linnaeus 1758) has a wide distribution having some areas over 1800 above m.s.l. The
throughout South and South-east Asia, extending rest of the district is rugged low hilly country. The
up to Sumatra and Borneo (Freeman 1980). In Barail range, which also forms the watershed
Assam it is found on both banks of the Brah- between Brahmaputra and Barak basins, is an
maputra river. The estimated population in Assam extension of the Himalayan chain of mountains.
is around 4000-4500, of which about 1770 are Cachar district (including Karimganj, which
found in the duar and the sub-Himalayan forests became a separate district in 1983) is located
on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, including between 24° 09' to 25°08'N and 92°13' to 93°16'
about 1200 in the Manas Tiger Reserve area. In E. The northern side is Hanked by the Barails with
m
1982 a census was conducted which covered areas parts above 1600 while the southern hills are
eastwards up to the extreme corner of the north much lower and arc the northern extensions of
bank region and a total of 566 elephants were Mizo (Lushai) hills. Some of these extensions
found (Choudhury undated). The estimate for the penetrated into Cachar forming long narrow val-
south bank is about 2200-2700, which includes leys like the Dhalcswari valley which forms the
523 in Kaziranga (1984 count) and c. 150 in Sib- bulk of Hailakandi sub-division. The rest of
sagar-Jorhat area (own estimate based on field Cachar is a plain formed by the Barak river and
study). its tributaries.
The main stronghold of elephants in the The Dyung, Langting, Kopili, Lungdingand
south bank is Karbi Anglong with contiguous Jatinga arc the main rivers of North Cachar (N.
habitats in Nagaon, Golaghat (part of Sibsagar C.) hills while Barak, Dhalcswari, Sonai, Longai,
district till 1983, and that of Jorhat district till Jatinga and Jiri arc the main rivers of Cachar. In
1987) and Nagaland. Cachar there arc innumerable beds (ox-bow
Field trips were carried out in North Cachar lakes) all over the area which included Son heel,
hills (February 1986, September 1988) and in Rata bed, Bakri havvor and Chatla hawor. The
Cachar(March 1986, February 1987, April 1988). climate of both the areas is tropical except for
Although the main purpose of the trips was the small areas on the Barails where due to the altitude
study of non-human primates, information and it is temperate. The summers are hot and wet while
data on elephants were also collected. the winters are generally cool and dry. Winter
rains arc not uncommon. The annual rainfall in N.
Study Area mm
C. hills varies from less than 1000 in the
mm
North Cachar hills District is located bc- northern areas to more than 4000 in the
mm
extreme south-west and in Cachar from 2000
1Accepted April 1989. mm
2Near Gate No. 1 of Nehru Stadium, Islampur Road, to more than 6000 in the extreme north-west
(NATMO
Guwahati, Assam 781 007. 1977).
: .
216 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIEIY, Vol. SS
92 93
vVLumsakhonq
**
1' UW.U^MANOARutbA
GARAMPANI-PAN/MUR /Z A> . . rH
IS ' f-
o V''• ••Hati
' 4 . .
:2 '
- .
•Goromponi
/
NorthrCachar
Hills
>
MEGHALAYA
) /
SlMLENG Rr/ER HoflortgN^
hT^-
MiA/NC^4| B A" RK VF» -
- ;Jj *clo,m<vchora
.
-25 ^ JvS»/RR^MRORE^to jS ^ i_._Harongojao
X BAL.AC.HARA
S*''*
t7
Vj^Jiac/arpur /y
v. ~xk,SiIchor
V
karimcjc:.; / //
V ]
/ ,y
03 H°'IOKOndi
tScnt.l/l i.
[
langting-mupa rf
1
2 KRUNGMING RF
X
8”l: 3 NORTH CACHAR RF
LONGAl- O-dHo.M 4 BARA1L RF
;
«- 1 5 UPPER JIRI RF
”
i2 J C 80R-KHAL 6 LOWER JIRI RF
1. •
/' i 7 BARAK RF
/.13j:•: —; .ii. •//•' ir 8 SONA[ RF
f . 9 S '/ .$o 9 INNERIINE RF
/ 10 KATAKHAL RF
j i
V 11 SHINGLA RF
.
12 BADSHAHIT1LLA RF
rH 13 LONGAl RF
km.
OA r 14 T1LBHUM RF
1
10 o 20 40 15 PATHARIA RF
_L_ L_ j
KNOWN ELEPHANT HERDS
<
. 0
UNCONFIRMED POPULATIONS
Mop by Author(AUC)
Fig. 1. Map of North Cachar Hills and Cachar (including Karimganj) showing location of main elephant populations.
Dotted areas show reserved forests (RFs)
\y
STATUS OFELEPHANTS IN CACHAR, ASSAM 217
In N.C. hills wet evergreen and semi- forests’ (Type IB/(C3 and Type 2B/(C2) respec-
)
evergreen forests occur in the Barails, western tively).
areas of Krungming RF and along nullahs and
Results
depressions in Langting-Mupa RF. The main tree
species of the top canopy include Artocarpus North Cachar hills: Wild elephants were not
chaplasha, Mesua ferrea, Amoora wallichi, uncommon almost throughout the northern areas
Michelia champaca, Mangifera sp., Schima wal- of N. C. hills except in the main Barail range. Due
lichi, Phoebe goalparensis, Duabanga sp., to the steep gradient elephants avoided the main
Tetrameles midiflora, Gmelina arborea etc. In Barail range, but they frequented the foothills and
,
the northern areas, especially in Langting-Mupa sometimes moved into parts of the main range
reserved forest, it is the moist mixed deciduous following rivercourses. For instance, till the early
A
type which covers the bulk of the area. good 1950s elephants were visitors to Harangajao, fol-
number of evergreen trees are also present. In the lowing the Jatinga river from Cachar. The last
top canopy there arc species YikcAdina cordifolia, time elephants were seen by the local Khasi tribes-
Lagerstroemia parvijlora, Albizzia sp., Ter- men in the area near Dimbruchara was in 1955-
minalia bellerica, Sterculia villosa, Salmalia 56. Thereafter they ceased to visit the area as in
malabarica, Schima wallichi, Amoora wallichii, the Jatinga valley (more than 1 km wide at places)
Gmelina arborea, etc. human activities like permanent paddy cultivation
The middle storey has species like Macaran- intensified.
ga denticulala Bauhinia sp., etc. Bamboo brakes Towards the north, the Langting-Mupa RF
,
occur throughout the area especially in old jhums. was well-known as elephant country. The moist
The main species arc Oxytenanthera mixed deciduous forests over low undulating hills
nigrociliala/parvijlora (hill jati), Bambusa Hilda with little gradient, all favoured elephants. When
(jati), Dendrocalamus hamiltonii and Melocanna the hill section (Paharh line as it is called) of the
bambusoides (muli). In the high altitude areas of railway line between Lumding and Badarpur was
the Barails, both in N. C. hills and Cachar occurs constructed in the last decade of the 19th century,
sub- tropical broadlcaved hill forest. This forest confrontations between trains and elephants were
type is generally dense and not very high. The tree a regular feature. Hatikhali (Hati = elephant), an
species of the canopy layer include Manglietia important railway station, derived its name from
insignis, Schima khasiana, Cinnamomum sp., etc. elephants.
Patches of barren grassy areas also occur on the But the situation is different now. Except for
Barails. a small herd of about 10-15 in the extreme north
The forests in Cachar arc mostlyconfined to covering parts of Lamsakhang and Mandardisa
the hills and foothills and are of tropical wet Beats, there are no known elephant populations in
evergreen and semi-evergreen types. The main the 493 sq. km Langting-Mupa RF. No elephants
tree species of the top canopy and second storey remain in and around Langting and Hatikhali
are Palaquium polyanthum (kurta), Dipterocar- proper, places which were particulary known for
pus turbinatus (gurjan), Artocarpus chaplasa, wild elephants. The Mandardisa herd moves
Cinometra polyandra, Mesuaferrea (nageswar), regularly between Hojai area of Nagaon and
Eugenia sp., Albizzia sp., etc. Melocanna bam- Karbi Anglong districts.
busoides grows abundantly especially in jhums Ga rampa ni-Panimur area (including
with other bamboo species like Teinostachyum Krungming RF) is perhaps the last stronghold of
dullooa and Bambusa tulda. Due to its rich floris- elephants in N. C. Hills. Though exact figures arc
tic composition, Champion and Seth (1968) clas- not available, recent reports suggest that there
sified the forests of Cachar as ‘Cachar tropical may be about 50-60 elephants. The only otherarea
evergreen and Cachar tropical semi-evergreen from where confirmed reports were received is
218 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 88
TABLE 1 by the local forest officials, but where it came
GROWTH OF POPULATION OF NORTH CACHAR HILLS
AND CACHAR (INCLUDING KARIMGANJ) SINCE 1951 from and what happened to it later are not
known. Even around 1971-73 there were about
Year Population Density/ sq. km 100 elephants in Shingla RF (Aziruddin, pers.
1951 N.C. Hills * * comm.), but when a sugar factory came up at
Cachar 1116,000 160 Chargola and its activities like sugarcane cultiva-
1961 N.C. Hills 54,000 11 tion in the adjoining areas intensified, no more
Cachar 1378,000 198
reports of elephants were received.
1971 N.C. Hills 76,000 16
About 18 elephants still survive in the Lon-
Cachar 1713,000 246
gai-Tilbhum RFs with perhaps six more in Katak-
1981 N.C. Hills 106,000 22
Cachar 2377,000 341 hal RF. Earlier, elephants also existed in Patharia
1988 N.C. Hills 129,000 26 hills RF north of Tilbhum RF, bordering
Cachar 2914,000 419 Bangladesh. But no elephants were sighted by
Sources: 1951,1961, 1971, Census of India. 1981 &1988 local forest officials in the area recently. The
estimates on the basis of Expert Committee on Population Longai-Tilbhum herd also often visits the Bad-
&
Projection, Registrar General Census Commissioner, India.
shahitilla RF.
Figures not available.
The Katakhal herd is a small one with only
from the unexplored Simleng riverarea bordering about 6-8 elephants. Both Katakhal and Longai-
Jainlia hills of Meghalaya. Tilbhum herds arc now isolated, with no pos-
It may also be mentioned here that there were sibility, at least for the Katakhal herd, of joining
two outbursts of anthrax epidemic in the present the others. The herd now moves between
century, the last one being in the mid-forties, Lalachara and Kukichara (Fig. 2). Interestingly
which devastated the elephant populations of the they avoid the vicinity of the Mizoram border. In
N. C. hills (Lahiri Choudhury, pers. comm.). 1 966 there were about 60-62 elephants in the area,
Cachar: In Cachar elephants existed in the north i.e. the predecessors of the present Katakhal herd
along the foot of the Barails, and in the southern (Aziruddin, pers. comm.).
low hills, the northern extensions of which came Some of the localities from where elephants
almost upto the Barak river. But things have of the Katakhal herd were captured in the past
changed now. There are no elephants at present in (which also reflect their movement route at that
the Inncrlinc RF (1035 sq. km, the largest RF in lime) are Shapur-Bandookmara (1967-68),
Assam) except in the area where the Sonai river Saraspore (1972-73) and Mohanpur (1972-73);
enters. Cachar, where a few may exist. In Sonai, the last ofthe herd, reportedly 11 on the west bank
Barak and Shingla RFs too, there are no elephants. of Dhalcswari riverwere captured at Maniknagar,
In Shingla RF one tusker was sighted in 1985 (!) north-east of Shingla RF in 1977-78 (Aziruddin,
Tabu:. 2
ESTIMATED ELEPHANT POPULATIONS AND DENSIIT IN SOME EVERGREEN/SEM -EVERGREEN
I
FORESTAREAS OFASSAM
Forest Division Reserved Forest Estimated elephant Density/ sq. km
area in sq. km population
1. Cachar (Cachar dist.) 1,746 50 0.03
2. Karimganj (parts ofCachar and Karimganj dist.) 607 25 0.04
3. Darrang East (parts ofSonitpur) 669 175 0.26
4. Lakhimpur (Lakhimpur) 611 104 0.17
5. Sibsagar (Sibsagar and Jorhat) 510 150 0.29
6. N.C.Hills (N.C. hills)* 618 100 0.16
Sources:l,2,5 and 6: own estimates based on field work. 3 and 4: elephant census by Forest Deptt (Choudhury undated)
Also moist mixed deciduous. Area: North Cachar Hills 4,890 sq. km. Cachar (inch Karimganj) 6,962 sq km.
.
STATUS OFELEPHANTS IN CACUAR, ASSAM 219
-o#-*
Laa.
Fig. 2. Present and recent-past ranges of the surviving wild elephant herd of Katakhal RF with earlier movement routes.
220 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL IIIST. SOCIL1T, Vol. 88
Table 3 (Jemis, etc.) and Khasi-Jaintia tribes practise
MONTHLYAVERAGE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM
TEMPERATURES FOR 1978*, AND MONTHLY jhum or slash-and-bum shifting cultivation. Due
TOTALRAINFALL(MEAN) FOR THE PERIOD 1983-87. to rapid growth of population (Table 1) the pres-
sure on existing forest resources has also in-
Month Temperature in°C Rainfall (mm)
Maximum Minimum creased greatly. In southern Cachar also tribals
average average like the Rcangs, Chakmas, Mizos, Tipras
(Tripuris) practise jhum.
January 23.9 10.4 9.5
February 27.6 13.2 34.3 Encroachment and tree-felling is fragment-
March 30.9 16.4 219.6 ing the habitat, thus making it unfavourable for
April 32.0 20.4 466.0 wildlife. Moreover, there are also many forest
May 30.6 22.3 366.9 villages inside RFs. Parts of Langting Mupa RF,
June 31.0 23.7 664.1
south-east of Langting, are cleared in such a way
July 31.7 24.1 549.2
August 33.8 24.6 434.0' for settlement that there is virtually no scope for
September 32.0 24.0 513.2 any elephants to revisit the area. The construction
October 31.8 22.2 224.0 of the Kopili hydel project with two dams has
November 28.3 17.8 38.2 already destroyed good forest areas including
December 27.4 12.4 33.7 parts of Krungming RF. A township has also
Mean annual 3552.7 grown up in Umrangsu (near Garampani), which
Measured at Kumbhirgram (Silchar) Airport. was a well-known hunting resort.
Source: Meteorological Station, Guwahati. In southern Cachar and Karimganj elephants
*Due to non-availability of data for a few months between arc killed for meat. The main killers are the Mizo
1979 and 1985, the average could not be calculated. tribe, who relish elephant meat. Tuskers are high-
pers. comm.). ly sought after, being shot forboth ivory and meat,
During my field survey it was reported to me and rarely attain full maturity . It may be men-
by an employee of Bikramporc tea garden that a tioned here that Mizos are almost single-handedly
herd of about 15-25 elephants regularly raid the responsible for pushing the elephants in this part
tea estate. Bikramporc is located nearthe southern to the verge of extinction. Some Khasis settled in
foot of the Barail range. Other localities of north- the area also kill elephants whenever opportunity
ern Cachar from where confirmed reports have occurs. In N. C hills and northern areas of Cachar
been received are Kalainchara area of North also, many unreported cases of poaching occur.
Cachar RF and Balachara area just south ofBarail The main tribes involved are Dimasa Kacharis,
RF. But whether the herds at Balachara and Bik- Nagas and also Mizos (Dimasa Kacharis also cat
ramporc or Kalainchara are the same or different elephant-meat).In a recent case (late 1987) a wild
is not known. In July 1 988 about 25-30 elephants elephant was killed by the Dimasa Kacharis by the
were seen in Balachara area. pit method (locality not known) and later its meat
was distributed in Maibong town.
Discussion
A
feature observed during various field
I
Though the elephant is in trouble in several trips in different parts of Assam is that the popula-
other areas of Assam (except within sanctuaries), tion of elephants in southern Cachar was always
the situation in these two districts of southern proportionally much less than in other evergreen
Assam is extremely serious. While in N. C. hills and semi-evergreen forest areas (Table 2). There
habitat alteration is playing the major role, in are still large areas in Innerlinc and Katakhal RFs
Cachar and Karimganj it is the poaching by Mizo good enough to hold many more elephants. The
tribals that has caused the decline in populations. small population may be due to the traditional
The hill tribes of N. C. hills like the Dimasa hunting by tribals like the Mizos, which has been
Karcharis, Kuki groups oftribes (Hmars, Thadous, going on for centuries.
Rangkhauls, Bietcs, Paites, etc.), Naga groups
STATUS OFELEPIIAN'IS /A CACilAR, ASSAM 221
A
recent addition to the list of disturbing the areas are exceptionally rich in primate resour-
agents is the massive bamboo harvesting opera- ces (Choudhury 1988) and should be declared a
tion for two of Asia’s largest paper mills, at wildlife sanctuary without further delay. Recom-
Jagiroad (Nagaon) and Panchgram (Cachar), each mendations have been made on several occasions
having a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year. To besides submitting a representation to the govern-
ensure sustained supply of bamboo, the Hindus- ment (to declare the area as Dhaleswari Wildlife
tan Paper Corporation (HPC) has entered into a Sanctuary/National Park) but the state govern-
30 year lease agreement with the Government of ment has not taken any action.
Assam and the Autonomous District Councils of
Acknowledgements
Karbi Anglong and North Cachar hills. The forest
areas leased out include the existing reserved and 'I offer my thanks for their help during my
unclassed state forests in N. C. hills, Cachar and various field trips to Monisingh, Sanga Hmar, T.
Karimganj. K. Hmar, S. Tana Hmar, Neingaite, V. Suchiang,
Unless conservation measures are taken up Laltuothang, Anwaruddin (of Jatinga), Border
early, within a decade the elephant may vanish Roads Task Force (Jatinga Camp), Dr M. Ali
completely from both the areas. Existing RFs Barbhuiyan, and Dr. Dubey of N. C. Hills; in
should be given full protection and encroachment Cachar to Fulmon Kurmi, Johar, Amir, Roma,
prevented. Villages in the heart of the forest Kutub, Niru and Farid Khan Choudhury. Special
should be relocated if eviction is not possible. thanks arc dife to Sirai Laskar of Gharmura
Certain jhum control measures like rehabilitation (Cachar) forproviding food, accommodation, etc.
ofjhumiyas through alternative means of cultiva- ang to Aziruddin Laskar (also of Ghannura),
tion should be undertaken, as has been attempted whose vast experience with elephants in the wild
by the Mizoram Government recently. Some provided source material on the recent past. I
pockets which harbour the surviving wildlife would also like to thank A. K. Mazumdar, ACS,
should be excluded from the lease agreement with Saleh A. Choudhury, H. P. Phukan and Taher
HPC. As regards southern Cacharand Karimganj, Khan Choudhury (of Hollongapar).
Refer EN CES
& A
Champion, II.G. Seth, S.K. (1968): revised survey ofthe Freeman, D. (1980): Elephants, the vanishing giants. Ilam-
Forest Types of India. Manager ofPublications, Delhi. lyn/Bison.
Choudhury, A. II. (Undated) : A report on Elephant Census Govt, of Assam (1964) : Statistical Handbook of Assam.
(Eastern partofthe North-BankareasofAssam)carried Dept, of Econ. and Statistics, Shillong.
out in winter of 1982. Forest Department, Govt., of Govt, ofAssam (1980): Statistical Handbook of Assam. Dir.
Assam, Guwahati. of Econ. and Statistics, Gauhati.
Choudhury, A. (1988): Priority ratings for conservation of National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation
Indian Primates. Oryx 22: 89-94. (NATMO) (1977): Water Resources, Eastern India.
ForestDepartment(Undated): Enthralling Kaziranga. Govt. Plate No. 91, Calcutta..
OfAssam, Guwahati.
6