Wayanad sanctuary, a haven for Asiatic wild dog
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Environment
- Published
12th Apr, 2021
-
Context
A recent study finds that Wayanad sanctuary is thought to host nearly 50 individuals of dhole or Asiatic wild dogs.
About the Findings
- Study:It was the first-ever study on the carnivore, which was organized by the Wildlife Conservation Society–India, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, University of Florida, and Stanford University.
- Large Density: The results suggest that Wayanad supports high densities of the dhole along with the large tiger population.
- The presence of two large carnivores in such high densities is indicative of an abundant prey base and high-quality habitat.
Dhole
- It is native to Central, South, East, and Southeast Asia.
- It is also named Asian wild dog, Asiatic wild dog, Indian wild dog,whistling dog, red dog,and mountain wolf.
- It is categorized as Endangeredon the IUCN Red List.
National Parks with dhole population
- Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka
- Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh
- Periyar National Park, Kerala
- Bandipur National Park, Karnataka
- Tadoba National Park, Maharashtra
|
- Methods involved: For the new study, scientists used a scientifically robust method to estimate dhole numbers using genetic information and advanced population models.
- Dhole scat (fecal droppings) were collected and DNA was extracted from it to identify unique dhole individuals
- Statistical methods called spatial capture-recapture models were used.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
- The sanctuary is located in Wayanad, Kerala.
- It was established in 1973.
- The sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
- It is surrounded by a protected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka in the northeast, and on the southeast side by Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu.
- Fauna: Elephants, tigers, panthers, jungle cats, civet cats, monkeys, wild dogs, bison, deer, bears, monitor lizards, and a variety of snakes are seen.
- Flora: Moist deciduous forest consists of Maruthi, karimaruthi, rosewood, venteak, vengal, chadachi, mazhukanjiram, bamboos, more, while the semi-evergreen patches comprise veteriaindica., lagerstroemia, lanceolata, termianaliapaniculata.
|
