The population of vulnerable eastern swamp deer in the famous Kaziranga Nationa Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam has decreased to 868, which was 907 in 2018 and the serious flood the park witnessed in 2019 and 2020 was cited as the reason for the same.
The Eastern Swamp Deer Estimation 2022, which was carried out on January 10 and 11 counted 173 males, 557 females and 138 yearlings. "There is a slight decrease in population in comparison to 907 counted in 2018. This is mainly due to two high floods in 2019 and 2020," an official statement said on Tuesday.
This is for the first time, the estimation of the eastern swamp deer was carried out in the entire Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. In 2018 and before the exercise was conducted only in Kaziranga National Park. At least 29 enumerators and 112 forest personnel were engaged in the exercise.
Wetland Bird Estimation, 2021-2022 conducted in the entire Kaziranga Tiger Reserve enumerated 66,776 birds of 126 species 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.
"Birds were counted in 211 different points in 157 waterbodies involving 35 enumeration teams including volunteers from local educational institutes, NGOs and along with officers and frontline staffs of the forest department," it said. The exercise was carried out between December 21 and 27, 2021.
The number of bar-headed geese topped the list with 16,552 birds followed by Northern Pintail (9,493), Common Teal (5,631). It also found 2,236 Ferruginous Duck.
Published 18 January 2022, 18:23 IST