Guwahati, the first photographic evidence of the 'Mainland Serow', a vulnerable mammal species recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has been documented in Assam's Raimona National Park by forest officials and conservationists, said a official.
Photographic evidence of the 'Mainland Serow' was captured twice by forest department personnel and members of the biodiversity group 'Aaranyak' using digital camera traps near the Ganda Bajrum anti-poaching camp in the western range of Raimona National Park.
"The discovery of Mainland Serow in Raimona National Park is good news for biodiversity conservation, and we are delighted with the find," said Bhanu Sinha, Forest Officer, Kachugaon Forest Division.
The aim of the forest department is to conserve this species and other wild animals found widely in the national park, Sinha added.
The Mainland Serow population is widely distributed in neighboring Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan, which may contribute to population recovery in Ramona National Park.
The finding has been published as a scientific article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
"There is a wealth of wildlife in Raimona National Park, and the discovery of this species is good news for the conservation world," said M. Firoz Ahmed, senior scientist at Aaranyak.
The mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar) is found in various habitats stretching from the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent to southern China, mainland Southeast Asia and Sumatra, Ahmed said.
Populations of the species are fragmented, isolated and declining rapidly due to poaching, destruction and habitat loss, according to senior conservationist Dipankar Lahkar.
The lack of reliable data on the abundance and distribution of this species makes it difficult to implement effective conservation actions to ensure long-term survival, Lahkar added.
Occasional poaching for bushmeat and habitat alteration due to logging during ethnopolitical violence are major conservation concerns for Raimona National Park.
"Now that the government protects the park, future conservation efforts should focus on securing and recovering the species' population and restoring degraded habitats," Lahkar added.
The Assam government declared Raimona a national park on June 8, 2021.
Photographic evidence of the 'Mainland Serow' was captured twice by forest department personnel and members of the biodiversity group 'Aaranyak' using digital camera traps near the Ganda Bajrum anti-poaching camp in the western range of Raimona National Park.
"The discovery of Mainland Serow in Raimona National Park is good news for biodiversity conservation, and we are delighted with the find," said Bhanu Sinha, Forest Officer, Kachugaon Forest Division.
The aim of the forest department is to conserve this species and other wild animals found widely in the national park, Sinha added.
The Mainland Serow population is widely distributed in neighboring Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan, which may contribute to population recovery in Ramona National Park.
The finding has been published as a scientific article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
"There is a wealth of wildlife in Raimona National Park, and the discovery of this species is good news for the conservation world," said M. Firoz Ahmed, senior scientist at Aaranyak.
The mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar) is found in various habitats stretching from the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent to southern China, mainland Southeast Asia and Sumatra, Ahmed said.
Populations of the species are fragmented, isolated and declining rapidly due to poaching, destruction and habitat loss, according to senior conservationist Dipankar Lahkar.
The lack of reliable data on the abundance and distribution of this species makes it difficult to implement effective conservation actions to ensure long-term survival, Lahkar added.
Occasional poaching for bushmeat and habitat alteration due to logging during ethnopolitical violence are major conservation concerns for Raimona National Park.
"Now that the government protects the park, future conservation efforts should focus on securing and recovering the species' population and restoring degraded habitats," Lahkar added.
The Assam government declared Raimona a national park on June 8, 2021.
