Current Affairs
Daily Bits

In a ‘first’, Himalayan serow spotted in Assam

  • Posted By
    10Pointer
  • Categories
    Environment
  • Published
    3rd Mar, 2021

Context

A Himalayan mammal has been confirmed as the newest creature to be spotted in Assam. The Himalayan serow, a goat-antelope, was cited in the 950-sq. km. Manas Tiger Reserve.

About the recent sightings of the goat- antelope

  • The Himalayan serow spotted close to the border with Bhutan in Manas’sBansbari-Mathanguri forest.
  • The serow has been spotted for the first time in the tiger reserve or anywhere else in Assam.
  • The animal was recently spotted near Hurling village in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, RupiBhaba Wildlife Sanctuary, and in the higher reaches of Chamba.

Himalayan serow

  • The Himalayan serow (Capricornissumatraensisthar) is restricted to the Himalayan region.
  • Several other species of serows are also found and all of them are found in Asia.
  • They are generally found at altitudes between 2,000 meters and 4,000 meters.
  • They are known to be found in the eastern, central, and western Himalayas.

Conservation Status

  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I

Manas Tiger Reserve

  • Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve, and a biosphere reserve in Assam.
  • It is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
  • The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, and pygmy hog.
  • Manas is famous for its population of wild water buffalo.

Rupi Bhaba sanctuary

  • RupiBhaba sanctuary is located near Rampur Bushahr in the district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh.
  • It is neighboring with Great Himalayan National Park and Pin Valley National Park.
  • The sanctuary lies across the river Sutlej on National Highway-22 in the Dhauladhar ranges.
  • Prominent among the mammals are Snow Leopard, Himalayan Brown Bear, Himalayan Black bear, Himalayan Musk Deer, Serow, Tahr, Himalayan Weasel, and Blue Sheep.

Verifying, please be patient.