Published: 24th Jan, 2022
Context
The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve released the Wetland Bird Estimation Report for 2021-2022. And the Eastern Swamp Deer census has revealed a slight decrease in their numbers due to two high floods in 2019 and 2020.
About
About Eastern swamp deer
- Eastern swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhii), locally known as ‘Dal horina’ is the rarest recognised subspecies of swamp deer in India and Nepal.
- The subspecies’ scientific name Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhii is named after MK Ranjitsinh, one of India’s leading voices on conservation in India contribution towards the identification of it as a separate subspecies of swamp deer.
- The stronghold of the Eastern Swamp Deer is in Kaziranga, with a population of less than 1,000.
- The species is one of the three subspecies of swamp deer, commonly known as the barasingha.
- The other two subspecies are:
- Wetland swamp deer (R.d. duvaucelii) found in Gangetic plains
- Hardground swamp deer (R.d. branderi) found in central India
- Conservation Status
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
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Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
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Key-highlights of the Report
- A total of 66,776 birds of 126 species were enumerated using the Point Count method.
- Out of this, 42,205 birds were counted in the Kaziranga National Park area while 24,571 birds were counted in Laokhowa and Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries.
- As per the report, the ten most populous species include:
- Bar-headed Goose (16,552)
- Northern Pintail (9,493)
- Common Teal (5,631)
- Little Cormorant (3,462)
- Greylag Goose (3,453)
- Lesser Whistling Duck (3,401)
- Gadwall (2,430)
- Ferruginous Duck (2,236)
- Eurasian Coot (2133)
- Eurasian Wigeon (1,731)
- This is also the first time that Eastern Swamp Deer was estimated in the whole of the region.
- Prior to this, it was only estimated in the Kaziranga National Park.
- Eastern Swamp Deer Estimation, 2022: In 2022, a total of 868 Eastern Swamp Deer have been recorded (including 173 male, 557 female, and 138 yearlings) compared to 907 in 2018.
- A decline has been estimated in their population due to the two high floods in 2019 and 2020.
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