More wild water buffaloes in central India to fix population decline and ecological degradation

More wild water buffaloes in central India to fix population decline and ecological degradation

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

Context:

• A recent study focuses on the revival possibilities of the wild water buffalo, proposing a strategic reintroduction plan in the Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.
• While the northeastern population of the species is relatively stable, the central Indian cluster has alarmingly reduced to 30-35 individuals, with the Udanti-Sitanadi National Park in Chhattisgarh witnessing a drastic decline to only six bulls and no cows. Despite the Supreme Court of India’s 2012 directive to Chhattisgarh for population revival measures, successful breeding efforts have been scarce.
• Kanha Tiger Reserve, with its 390 sq. km of suitable low-lying grasslands and minimal human interference, has been identified as an ideal site for reintroduction.

Reintroduction of buffaloes as a nature-based solution to grassland degradation:

• Reintroducing wildwater buffaloes to Central India’s grasslands is seen as a beneficial nature-based solution for combating grassland degradation. These megaherbivores play a significant role in maintaining ecological balance within open grass ecosystems.
• Unlike small ungulates that are selective feeders, wild water buffaloes graze on a wider variety of plants, promoting a natural succession mechanism that ensures a balanced consumption and regeneration of different species.
• The grassland ecosystems play a crucial role against fire and megaherbivores are key regulators. The absence of these regulators can lead to the dominance of grasses with stronger defence mechanisms, requiring intensive human management to sustain ecological balance.

Ensuring genetic purity and managing predator pressure:

• The decline of the wild buffalo population is attributed to factors such as domestication, habitat loss, disease transmission from livestock, competition, and historical hunting.
• These challenges, coupled with the species’ slow reproductive rates, have led to a situation described as “extinction debt,” indicating a heightened risk of future extinction due to past adversities.
• This reintroduction effort aims to serve as a nature-based solution to ecological challenges and prevent the extinction of a key species in grassland ecosystems, despite the uncertainties and potential hurdles involved.

Wild Water Buffaloes:

• The wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), Chhattisgarh’s state animal and classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, is on the brink of global extinction, with less than 4,000 individuals remaining in the wild.
• India hosts about 90% of these animals, primarily in two isolated clusters in the northeast and central parts of the country, highlighting India’s critical role in the species’ conservation efforts.
• Also known as Asiatic water buffaloes, they are large bovine animals that are native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are one of the two species of buffalo that exist, the other being the domesticated water buffalo.
• They prefer swampy and marshy habitats, such as grasslands, reed beds, and forests, near rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
• They are typically found in areas with warm and humid climates, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia. In India, wild water buffaloes are found in the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya.
• They are excellent swimmers and can move easily through water.
• They are mostly active at dawn and dusk and spend most of their day resting and feeding. They are herbivores and primarily feed on grasses, aquatic plants, and other vegetation. Wild water buffaloes are also known to wallow in mud and water, which helps them regulate their body temperature and avoid parasites.
• Threats: They are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation due to human activities, such as agriculture, infrastructure development, and logging. They are also at risk of poaching for their meat, horns, and other body parts. In addition, they are vulnerable to diseases, such as bovine tuberculosis and foot-and-mouth disease, which can be transmitted by domestic cattle.

Kanha Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It stretches over an area of 940 square km in the two districts – Mandla and Balaghat – of Madhya Pradesh.
• History: The present-day Kanha area was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar. Kanha National Park was created in 1955 and in 1973 was made the Kanha Tiger Reserve.
• Kanha National Park is the largest National Park in Central India.
• Features:
  • Fauna:
    • The State animal of Madhya Pradesh – Hard Ground Barasingha (Swamp deer or Rucervus duvaucelii) is found exclusively in Kanha Tiger Reserve.
    • Other Species found include Tiger, Leopard, Dhole, Bear, Gaur and Indian Python etc.
  • Flora:
    • It is best known for its evergreen Sal forests (Shorea Robusta).
    • It is the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, “Bhoorsingh the Barasingha”.