Wild water buffalo Bubalus bubalis arnee in Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh

3 Pages·1998·1.7 MB·

by  Anwaruddin Choudhury

110 JOURNAL, BOMBAYNATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 95 (1998)
presence of pugmarks. Plaster casts were lifted heavy military occupation. Occasional reports of
from the prints whenever located and are now in tiger from Melli, south Sikkim usually turn out
the State Forest Department office at Gangtok. to be leopard (Panthera pardus) kills.
Usually the reports were of only one animal
which probably came in from adjacent West February 1 8, USHA GANGULI-LACHUNGPA
Bengal or Bhutan to occupy suitable territory. 1997 Project Officer (Wildlife)
Today we have probably lost the tiger in Sikkim Forest Department Deorali,
Sikkim. The lushjungle routes traversed by the Gangtok 737 102,
tiger are either no longer in existence or under Sikkim, India.
EARTHWORM IN THE DIET OF LEOPARD PANTHERA PARDUS
4.
The panther will kill and eat anything. It Earthworms are coldblooded annelids and
can overpower with safety, cattle, deer and nocturnal in habit, living in burrows during the
monkeys, the smaller beasts of prey and large day but coming out at night in search of food.
rodents like the porcupine. Its bill of fare is Numerous earthworms were seen in the morning
extended to include birds, reptiles and crabs hours along the roadside from the University
A
(Prater, 1965; the book of Indian animals). Library to the dairy farm in winter before
leopard has a great tendency to digest each type snowfall (mainlyNov.-Dee.). Still, we could not
of flesh including some cartilaginous parts but get a satisfactory reason for the consumption of
is unable to digest hair, hooves and bones which earthworms by leopard. It is known that a
are left as such in its droppings. leopard can devour and digest each type offlesh
A general study of scats was carried out but it is a mystery why earthworms were not
wherever they were found, in Chail Wildlife digested by the leopard.
Sanctuary and the University Campus (Nauni).
— —
Undigested bone, hair, hooves and even green *Photograph not ofprintable quality Ed.
parts (leaves) were found in droppings at Chail.
NAIM AKHTAR
But the most interesting finding in the scats of August, 5, 1997
NARANG
leopard is ofthe earthworm* whichwas collected M.L.
from the University Campus near the dairy farm Dept ofSAF, COF, UHF,
in December, 1996. Nauni, Solan: 173 230.
WILD WATER BUFFALO BUBALUSBUBALISARNEE IN DIBANG VALLEY
5.
DISTRICT OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH
(With one text-figure)
The Asiatic wild water buffalo Bubalus Forest (RF) of Arunachal Pradesh has been
bubalis Linn, arnee Kerr, is among the globally mentioned.
threatened species. The bulk of the known Here I report the past and present status of
population occurs in India. An account of the species in the entire Dibang Valley dist. of
its status in northeast India, the only strong- Arunachal Pradesh, as ascertained during field
hold of the species, is given in Choudhury visits between 1992 and 1994.
(1994). In the report, occurrence ofa small and Till the early 1970s, wild buffalo was
scattered population in Dibang Reserved widespread all over the lower areas of Dibang
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
111
28°15' N, the northernmost site inthe distribution
range of the species). There were no khutis in
the vicinity and the possibility of any feral
animals in the area was remote. The area is in
Sirkee proposed RF. Then I examined six horns,
of 4 males and 2 females, at Bomjir (190m
elevation), all these were shot by the local tribal
hunters during the last half-a-decade from the
chaporis of the Dibang river. They also shot 2
feral animals which deserted the khutis.
It is difficult to make an accurate
population estimate as the animals are extremely
shy due to regular persecution and are rather
thinly distributed. However, after we visited all
the known and potential areas and interviewed
local hunters, graziers of the khutis and other
tribal villagers, it canbe safely assessed thatthere
are less than 10 animals in Sirkee proposed RF
and adjacent areas of Deopani RF. They affect
the grasslands on the Dibang and Deopani rivers
and only occasionally wander into the nearby
woodlands including the southwestern edge of
Fig. 1 . Map of Dibang Valley district ofArunachal Mehao Sanctuary. In Dibang RF including the
Pradesh showing the past and present distribution of adjacent Kerim RF, a larger population of40 to
wild water buffalo
60 occurs, as the habitat is still fairly large and
Valley district beginning from near Nizamghat contiguous with some ofthebuffalo-bearing areas
to the inter-state border with Assam, mostly in of East Siang dist. and Tinsukia dist. (Assam).
the chapori (riverine tracts) of the Dibang, In the chapories of Sesseri river, only an
Deopani and the Sesseri rivers. From the late occasional stray individual is encountered. The
1970s, new settlements began coming up in total habitat available for wild buffalo in the
km
many of the plains areas especially between district is about 120 sq. (Fig. 1).
Roing and Santipur and in Bomjir and Bijari. Presence of domestic buffaloes in the
Gradually the number ofkhutis (= cattle camps, khutis, especially in the lower reaches of the
mostlyrunbyNepalis and Biharis) also increased Dibang river, poses a permanent problem to the
onthe chaporis ofthe Dibangriver. These factors small wild population because of the potential
along with growth of population have resulted danger ofdiseases like anthrax, foot-and-mouth
in degradation and alteration of habitat. Avai- and rinderpest. However, contamination ofwild
lability of firearms has resulted in an increase stock due to interbreeding is a remote possibility,
in poaching for meat as the local tribes, both as domestic males are usually not kept in the
Adis andIdu Mishmis relish it. Thebuffalopopu- khutis. Domestic animals going feral are
lation declineddrasticallybefore being surveyed immediately brought back because they are too
properly. The Idu Mishmis call it Maji kara. valuable to their owners. In case of failure, the
In March 1993, I found a few solitary local tribals track and shoot them, as they find
bulls near Nizamghat (200m elevation), where feral animals easier to shoot than the pure wild.
the Dibang river devouches onto the plains (at While habitat destruction continues to be
112 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. 95 (1998)
a threat, poaching is taking its toll and unless course the wild buffalo and as an important
conservation measures are implemented the flyway of migratory waterfowl, including the
future ofthese animals is bleak. Parts ofDibang common crane Grus grus (Choudhury, 1996).
RF, Kerim RF and Sirkee proposed RF (totalling
ANWARUDDINCHOUDHURY
202 sq. km) I have been recommended for a April 1, 1997
national park for its importance as the habitat of The Rhino Foundation,
Bengal florican Eupodotis bengalensis white- c/o The Assam Co. Ltd.,
,
winged wood duck Cairina scutulata, tiger Bamunimaidam, G. Bordoloi Path,
Panthera tigris, elephant Elephas maximus of Guwahati 781 021. Assam.
,
References
Choudhury, A.U. (1994): The decline of the wild woodduckandtheBengal florican inTinsukiadistrict,
water buffalo in north-east India. Oryx 28(1): and adjacent areas ofAssam and Arunachal Pradesh.
70-73. The Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India,
Choudhury, A.U. (1996): Survey of the White-winged Guwahati.
FORAGING ASSOCIATION OF WHITE STORK CICONIA CICONIA WITH
6.
BLACKBUCK ANTILOPE CERVICAPRA
We visitedVelavadar Blackbuck Sanctuary To capture disturbedprey, the white storks
and National Park (Bhavnagar dist. Gujarat) on are known to follow fire (Hancock et al. 1992),
November 5, 1988. At 0830 hrs, there were 500 plough in the crop field (Pinowski et al. 1991)
blackbuckAntilope cervicapra scattered in small and other mammals (Hancock et al. 1992, Dean
groups around the guest house. Though at a close and MacDonald 1981). In Africa, white storks
range, the blackbucks were camouflaged against are known to associate with Cape buffalo, white
almost dried grass whereas more than 50 white rhinoceros, blue wildebeest, impala and domestic
storks Ciconia ciconia which were either cattle (Dean and MacDonald 1981). However,
,
foraging in the grass or flying across a short in India, white storks are notreportedto associate
distance, were quite conspicuous. We saw atleast with any wild or domestic mammals and hence
6 storks walking behind the blackbuck within 2 this is the first such report.
m
distance and capturing disturbed prey. Since
PARASHARYA
the storks were attending separate groups of August 20, 1996 B.M.
blackbucks, this foraging association was not AINP on Agricultural Ornithology
easily noticeable. The storks frequently changed Gujarat Agricultural University,
the feeding site, pursuing one group of blackbuck Anand Campus, Anand-388 110.
RAJUVYAS
after another. This foraging association was
exactly the same as that ofcattle egret Bubulcus Sayajibaug Zoo
ibis following cattle. Vadodara-390 018.
Refer NCES
Dean, W.R.J. &I.A.W. MacDonald(1918): A review of Pinowski, J., B. Pinowski, R.D. Graff, J. Visser & B.
African birds feeding in association with mammals. Dziurdzik(1991): Influenceoffeedinghabitatonprey
Ostrich 52: 135-155. capture rate and diet composition of White Stork
Hancock,J.A., J.A. Kushlan&M.P. Kahl(1992): Storks, Ciconia ciconia (L). Zakland Ochrony Przyrody I,
Ibises and Spoonbills ofthe World. Academic Press, ZasobowNaturalnychPolskejAkademiiNauk, Studia
London. Naturae - Seria A 59-83.
: