DOCSLIB.ORG

An Assessment on the Welfare Status of Endangered Terrestrial Mammals at Nepal Central Zoo

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Assessment on the Welfare Status of Endangered Terrestrial Mammals at Nepal Central Zoo AN ASSESSMENT ON THE WELFARE STATUS OF ENDANGERED TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS AT NEPAL CENTRAL ZOO RAVEE TANDUKAR PROJECT WORK SUBMITTED TO KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR DEVELOPMENT STUDIES NATIONAL COLLEGE, BALUWATAR, KATHMANDU, NEPAL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR IN DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (BDevS) SEPTEMBER 2014 2 AN ASSESSMENT ON THE WELFARE STATUS OF ENDANGERED TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS AT NEPAL CENTRAL ZOO RAVEE TANDUKAR SEPTEMBER 2014 3 Certificate 4 Abstract The Central Zoo of Kathmandu is the only place in the country where various native as well as exotic wildlife species can be observed. The Central Zoo is managed by the Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and the only zoo recognized by the Government. Till date no legislation such as Zoo Act or Policy has been established. In the absence of such legislation the zoo has been deprived of clear guidelines and budget allocations to improve its standards. When it comes to captive endangered terrestrial mammals, the need of such legislation is even more pressing. Apart from incidental journalistic write ups in the local media, little research has been conducted into the welfare standards of the animals at the zoo. In 2007,Dr. Durga Datt Joshi, principle investigator and executive chair at National Zoonoses and Food Hygiene Research Centre (NZFHRC) conducted the ‘Welfare Assessment of Wild Animals and Birds in Central Zoo, Kathmandu, Nepal1’, supported by WSPA UK. According to this research, the housing conditions for wild animals were far from satisfactory and needed to be addressed by expanding the zoo outside the urban area of Kathmandu Valley. Today seven years have passed but the issue of space insufficiency is yet to be addressed. This despite the fact that since 2000 the Central Zoo has been the founder member of South Asian Zoo Association for Regional Cooperation (SAZARC) and committed to the “Animal Welfare Minimum Standard” based on minimum housing and husbandry practices set by SAZARC. This study aims to understand the welfare status of endangered terrestrial mammals housed at Central Zoo by using the Zoo Exhibit Quick Audit Process (ZEQAP) designed by Dr. Rob Laidlaw. ZEQAP was developed for animal welfare inspectors to use in WSPA’s international zoo campaigns. This method provides a relatively simple approach for auditing terrestrial mammal exhibits. As the criteria of ZEQAP are based almost entirely on specific, critical housing and husbandry points, it can be used by anyone who has reviewed the methodology and orientation materials. Dr. Laidlaw’s ZEQAP is the most appropriate method to analyze the ideal five freedom needs of wild animals in captivity. The exhibits of ten endangered species reviewed are: 1 See http://www.zoocheck.com/Reportpdfs/KathmanduZooNepal.pdf 5 S. Common Name Scientific Name Entitled- Origin No. Endangered EN/CR by: 1. Asian Elephant Elephasmaximus IUCN/National Native Red list 2. Black Buck Antilopecervicapra National Red list Native 3. Himalayan Black Ursusthibetanus National Red list Native Bear 4. One-Horned Rhinoceros unicornis IUCN/ National Native Rhinoceros Red list 5. Red Panda Ailurusfulgens National Red list Native 6. Royal Bengal Tiger Pantheratigris IUCN/ National Native Red list 7. Sloth Bear Melursusursinus National Red list Native 8. Striped Hyena Hyaenahyaena National Red list Native 9. Swamp Dear Cervusduvauceli National Red list Native 10. Wild Buffalo Bubalusbubalisarnee IUCN/ National Native Red list Generally conditions were found to have improved in the welfare standards of seven endangered species. Three enclosures failed, namely that of Asian Elephant, One-Horned Rhinoceros, and Striped Hyena. The researcher concludes that immediate improvements of the failed enclosures and translocation of the larger endangered terrestrial mammals to the planned new ‘Open Zoo’ location at Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, are urgent matters to be addressed. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 6 I would like to extend my gratitude to those who have helped me in completing this research. Without their valuable support, this report would have been incomplete and as such all the individuals deserve a lot of acknowledgements. I am highly obliged to my supervisor Ms. Lucia De Vries, Director of Animal Nepal, for her undaunted support, guidance and encouragement throughout the research. I am indebted to all the staffs of Central Zoo, who have provided me their precious time and interest in this study without their support this research could not have been possible. I am very thankful to Mr. Indresh Sharma of National College and Dr. Sudip Koirala from Animal Nepal for their constant guidance, support and co-operation. I would also express my thanks to my mother who has been an immense source of inspiration and my family members deserve a lot of appreciation. My friend Mr. Basu Dev Panday deserves immense credit for helping me in the conceptualization of my study. Similarly, all the previous studies that are relevant to my research and which have helped me shape up my understanding and execution of the research deserve a sincere appreciation. I extend my blessings and gratitude to all individuals who have directly/indirectly supported me during my research. 7 Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 11 1.1. The country ......................................................................................................................... 11 1.2. The Central Zoo .................................................................................................................. 12 1.3. Endangered Species ............................................................................................................ 13 1.3.1. IUCN Red List ............................................................................................................. 13 1.3.2. The National Red List Series, 2011. ............................................................................ 14 1.4. Animal welfare.................................................................................................................... 15 2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM .............................................................................................. 16 3 RATIONAL JUSTIFICATION ............................................................................................. 18 4 OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................ 18 4.1 General: .......................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 Specific: ......................................................................................................................... 19 5 SCOPES AND LIMITATIONS ............................................................................................ 19 5.1 Scopes of the study ........................................................................................................ 19 5.2 Limitations of the study ................................................................................................. 20 6 LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................................... 21 6.1. Diversity in Nepal ............................................................................................................... 21 6.2. Role of Central Zoo ............................................................................................................ 22 6.3. Previous assessment on animal welfare at Central Zoo ...................................................... 23 6.4. Dr. Rob Laidlaw .................................................................................................................. 23 6.5. Zoo Exhibit Quick Audit Process (ZEQAP). ...................................................................... 24 7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 28 7.1. Study Area .......................................................................................................................... 28 7.3. How ‘ZEQAP’ works ......................................................................................................... 29 7.4. Data Collection ................................................................................................................... 30 8 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS ........................................................................................ 32 8.1. Findings .............................................................................................................................. 32 9 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................... 46 10 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................... 47 8 10.1. Zoo legislation .................................................................................................................. 47 10.2. Introduce immediate improvements .................................................................................. 47 10.3. Expansion .......................................................................................................................... 47 10.4. Increased transparency .....................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Endangered Species
    Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Article Talk Read Edit View history Endangered species From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Main page Contents For other uses, see Endangered species (disambiguation). Featured content "Endangered" redirects here. For other uses, see Endangered (disambiguation). Current events An endangered species is a species which has been categorized as likely to become Random article Conservation status extinct . Endangered (EN), as categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Donate to Wikipedia by IUCN Red List category Wikipedia store Nature (IUCN) Red List, is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations in the IUCN's schema after Critically Endangered (CR). Interaction In 2012, the IUCN Red List featured 3079 animal and 2655 plant species as endangered (EN) Help worldwide.[1] The figures for 1998 were, respectively, 1102 and 1197. About Wikipedia Community portal Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species: for example, forbidding Recent changes hunting , restricting land development or creating preserves. Population numbers, trends and Contact page species' conservation status can be found in the lists of organisms by population. Tools Extinct Contents [hide] What links here Extinct (EX) (list) 1 Conservation status Related changes Extinct in the Wild (EW) (list) 2 IUCN Red List Upload file [7] Threatened Special pages 2.1 Criteria for 'Endangered (EN)' Critically Endangered (CR) (list) Permanent link 3 Endangered species in the United
    [Show full text]
  • An Assessment on the Welfare Status of Endangered Terrestrial Mammals at Nepal Central Zoo
    AN ASSESSMENT ON THE WELFARE STATUS OF ENDANGERED TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS AT NEPAL CENTRAL ZOO BY RAVEE TANDUKAR In Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor in Development Studies (BDevS), September 2014 a project work on the title ‘An Assessment on the Welfare Status of Endangered Terrestrial Mammals at Nepal Central Zoo’ has been submitted to Kathmandu University. The research started from the month of June till September, 2014. Summary The conditions at the Central Zoo were found to have improved in the welfare standards for seven endangered terrestrial mammals. Three enclosures failed, namely that of Asian Elephant, One- Horned Rhinoceros, and Striped Hyena. The researcher concludes that immediate improvements of the failed enclosures and translocation of the larger endangered terrestrial mammals to the planned new ‘Open Zoo’ location at Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, are urgent matters to be addressed. The Central Zoo of Kathmandu is the only place in the country where various native as well as exotic wildlife species can be observed. The Central Zoo is managed by Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and the only zoo recognized by the Government. Till date no legislation such as Zoo Act or Policy has been established. In the absence of such legislation the zoo has been deprived of clear guidelines and budget allocations to improve its standards. When it comes to captive endangered terrestrial mammals, the need of such legislation is even more pressing. Apart from incidental journalistic write ups in the local media, little research has been conducted into the welfare standards of the animals at the zoo.
    [Show full text]
  • (Bubalus Bubalis) in NEPAL: RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT ACTION in the FACE of UNCERTAINTY for a CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES
    Contents TIGERPAPER A Translocation Proposal for Wild Buffalo in Nepal................... 1 Eucalyptus – Bane or Boon?................................................... 8 Status and Distribution of Wild Cattle in Cambodia.................... 9 Reptile Richness and Diversity In and Around Gir Forest........... 15 A Comparison of Identification Techniques for Predators on Artificial Nests................................................................... 20 Devastating Flood in Kaziranga National Park............................ 24 Bird Damage to Guava and Papaya........................................... 27 Death of an Elephant by Sunstroke in Orissa............................. 31 Msc in Forest and Nature Conservation for Tropical Areas......... 32 FOREST NEWS Report of an International Conference on Community Involvement in Fire Management............................................ 1 ASEAN Senior Officials Endorse Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting.................................................................. 4 Asian Model Forests Develop Criteria and Indicators Guidelines............................................................................. 4 East Asian Countries Pledge Action on Illegal Forest Activities.............................................................................. 6 South Pacific Ministers Consider Forestry Issues........................ 9 Tropical Ecosystems, Structure, Diversity and Human Welfare.. 10 Draft Webpage for International Weem Network......................... 10 New FAO Forestry Publications...............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Process Framework for Involuntary Restrictions 10 March 2020 CEPF
    Process Framework for Involuntary Restrictions 10 March 2020 CEPF-110337 BirdLife International Inundated forest conservation through wetland restoration and disease reduction Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary, Cambodia Grant Summary 1. Grantee organization: BirdLife International Cambodia Programme 2. Grant title. Inundated forest conservation through wetland restoration and disease reduction 3. Grant number. CEPF-110337 4. Grant amount (US dollars): US$ 179,996 5. Proposed dates of grant: 5/1/2020-4/30/2022 6. Countries or territories where project will be undertaken: Cambodia 7. Date of preparation of this document: 10 March 2020 The Process Framework will describe the project and how restrictions of access to natural resources and measures to assist affected communities. Affected communities should have the opportunity to participate in the drafting of the Process Framework. Typically, the Applicant will prepare a draft Framework that will then be shared and discussed with local communities and other relevant stakeholders. Based on the consultations, a final Framework will be prepared. CEPF may provide guidance on development of the Framework and will review and approve the final Framework prior to approving the final project proposal application. The Process Framework should include the following elements: A. Project background Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary (formerly commonly known as Western Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary) and hereafter SPWS, is located in the Northern Plains Seasonally Inundated Forests and the Sekong River, part of the Mekong River 3S Rivers Confluence flows through the site. This site, inundated for part of the year, includes over 200 ephemeral wetlands known as trapeangs. Trapeangs are a vital source of food and water for wildlife including important populations of two CEPF priority species the Critically Endangered White-shouldered ibis Pseudibis davisoni and Giant Ibis Thaumatibis gigantea (Gray et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Zoos in India 2014
    Zoos in India 2014 Legislation, Policy, Guidelines and Strategy Central Zoo Authority (Statutory Body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Govt. of India) Legislation, Policy, Guidelines and Strategy First published as "Zoos-instrument for Conservation" : 1998 First revision as "Zoos-instrument for Conservation" : 2001 Second revision as "Zoos-instrument for Conservation" : 2004 Third revision as "Zoos in India-legislation, policy, guidelines & strategy" : 2007 Fourth revision as "Zoos in India-legislation, policy, guidelines & strategy" : 2009 Fifth revision as "Zoos in India-legislation, policy, guidelines & strategy" : 2014 Edited & Revised by: B.S. Bonal, Inder Dhamija, B.R. Sharma, S.C. Sharma, Brij Kishor Gupta Cover Photos Credit: Brij Kishor Gupta Published by Central Zoo Authority (Statutory Body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change) e-mail: [email protected], website: www.cza.nic.in Zoos in India - 2014 CONTENTS Page 1. National Zoo Policy, 1998 1-6 2. Relevant sections applicable to zoos under the Wild Life 7-48 (Protection) Act, 1972 with the (Amendment) Act, 2006 3. Relevant Portions of National Wildlife 49-56 Action Plan (2002-2016) 4. Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009 with 57-82 (Amendment) Rules, 2013 5. Guidelines for facilitating effective and scientific 83-123 management of zoos in India in consonance with Rule 10 of Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009 (Amendment) Rules, 2013 6. Guidelines for establishment of new zoos under Section 125-132 38H (1A) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act,
    [Show full text]
  • Feeds and Feeding of Zoo Animals
    Feeds and Feeding of Zoo Animals Dept. of Animal Nutrition, Co. V. Sc. & AH Jabalpur (M.P.) Spotted Deer • Order : Artiodactyla • Family : Cervidae • Genus : Axis • Species : A. axis • Common name : Cheetal • Spotted deer (Axis axis) is the most common deer species of wooded forests, in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. • Breeding can occur throughout the year. • Sexual maturity attained at 12-14 months of age. • Gestation length is 210-225 days after which a single fawn is born. • Life span is 8-14 years. • Spotted deer are known to feed on more than 160 species of plants. • They are primarily grazers. • Their grazing behavior is also influenced by season and food availability. • In a day, peak feeding times are observed during dawn and dusk. • Chital usually drink water once a day, and more frequently in Summer. Feeding in Captivity • Only limited information regarding the nutrition of this species in captivity is available. • Nutrient requirement is calculated on the basis of requirements of goat. • Dry matter intake (DMI) in spotted deer fed sorghum based diet was 50+1.2 g/ kg BW0.75. • Combination of leguminous and cereal fodder was better source of roughages for spotted deer. • DMI ranged from 2.28-2.41% of BW in spotted deer fed mixed rations. • Irrespective of the diet, digestibility of DM in spotted deer was higher than other cervids and antelopes. Suggested guidelines for feeding • Basal diet of spotted deer should be comprised of good quality green fodder. • Best combination would be a leguminous fodder and a cereal fodder fed in equal proportion.
    [Show full text]
  • Indian National Studbook of Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris)
    Indian National Studbook of Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Studbook compiled and analysed by Anupam Srivastav Manjari Malviya P. C. Tyagi Parag Nigam December, 2011 Copyright © WII, Dehradun, and CZA, New Delhi, 2011 Cover Photo: Dr. Parag Nigam This report may be quoted freely but the source must be acknowledged and cited as: Srivastav, A., Malviya, M., Tyagi, P.C. and Nigam, P. (2011). Indian National Studbook of Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Central Zoo Authority, New. Delhi. TR-2011/006 Published as a Technical Report of the CZA assignment for the compilation and publication of the Indian National Studbooks for selected endangered species of wild animals in Indian Zoos. Acknowledgements This Studbook is a part of the assignment to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun assigned by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi, for the compilation and publication of studbooks of selected endangered species of wild animals in Indian zoos. The authors wish to thank the Central Zoo Authority for financial support and the opportunity to compile the National Studbook for Royal Bengal Tiger. We are thankful to Shri. P. R. Sinha, Director WII for his guidance and support. We would also like to express our appreciation for the advice and support extended by Dr. V.B. Mathur, Dean Faculty of Wildlife Sciences, WII. The authors also wish to thank Shri. B.S. Bonal, Member Secretary, CZA and all the staff members of the Central Zoo Authority, specially Dr. Brij Kishor Gupta, Evaluation and Monitoring Officer, Dr. Naim Akhtar, Scientific Officer and Shri Vivek Goyal, Data Processing Assistant, for their advice and support.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bushmeat Crisis : Fact Sheet
    Fact Sheet The Bushmeat Crisis The following statistics have been taken from the report Conservation & Use of Wildlife‐Based Resources: the Bushmeat Crisis (Nasi et al). Original sources can be found in this report. Wildlife & Ecological Function Although every organism contributes to ecosystem processes, the nature and magnitude of individual species contributions vary considerably. Therefore activities, such as hunting, have the potential to not only impact targeted species but the ecosystem more broadly. Keystone species: those species whose loss has a disproportionate impact on the community when compared to the loss of other species. For example, large cats’ extirpation triggers an uncontrolled growth of the prey population which in turn dramatically increases browsing or grazing intensity to the point where forest regeneration can be totally prevented; Elephants have a tremendous role in modifying vegetation structure and composition through their feeding habits (differential herbivory, seed dispersal) and movements in the forest (killing a large number of small trees). Wildlife – Economics, Nutrition & Culture Proteins obtained from hunting wild animals are crucial for the survival of many forest‐ dependent people of the Congo Basin. In Gabon, the annual bushmeat trade has been valued at US$25 million (€18.5 million). In West and Central Africa, estimates of the value of the bushmeat trade range from US$42 to US$205 million (€31‐151 million) per year. Researchers estimate that the current harvest of bushmeat in Central Africa amounts to more than 1 million tonnes annually—the equivalent of almost four million head of cattle The value of wild meat harvested in the Amazon basin exceeds US$ 175 million per year.
    [Show full text]
  • Using Community Knowledge to Identify Potential Hotspots of Mammal Diversity in Southeastern Nepal
    Using community knowledge to identify potential hotspots of mammal diversity in southeastern Nepal Teri D. Allendorf, Bhim Gurung, Shashank Poudel, Sagar Dahal & Sanjan Thapa Biodiversity and Conservation ISSN 0960-3115 Biodivers Conserv DOI 10.1007/s10531-019-01919-0 1 23 Your article is protected by copyright and all rights are held exclusively by Springer Nature B.V.. This e-offprint is for personal use only and shall not be self-archived in electronic repositories. If you wish to self-archive your article, please use the accepted manuscript version for posting on your own website. You may further deposit the accepted manuscript version in any repository, provided it is only made publicly available 12 months after official publication or later and provided acknowledgement is given to the original source of publication and a link is inserted to the published article on Springer's website. The link must be accompanied by the following text: "The final publication is available at link.springer.com”. 1 23 Author's personal copy Biodiversity and Conservation https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-019-01919-0 ORIGINAL PAPER Using community knowledge to identify potential hotspots of mammal diversity in southeastern Nepal Teri D. Allendorf1 · Bhim Gurung2 · Shashank Poudel3 · Sagar Dahal4 · Sanjan Thapa4,5 Received: 1 July 2019 / Revised: 10 November 2019 / Accepted: 5 December 2019 © Springer Nature B.V. 2019 Abstract Nepal has been relatively successful in conserving its wildlife by pioneering innovative approaches to conservation, such as beneft sharing in protected area bufer zones and landscape-level conservation approaches. However, compared to other areas of Nepal, the biodiversity of the southeast has received less attention, both in terms of research and con- servation.
    [Show full text]
  • Antelopes, Gazelles, Cattle, Goats, Sheep, and Relatives
    © Copyright, Princeton University Press. No part of this book may be distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical means without prior written permission of the publisher. INTRODUCTION RECOGNITION The family Bovidae, which includes Antelopes, Cattle, Duikers, Gazelles, Goats, and Sheep, is the largest family within Artiodactyla and the most diverse family of ungulates, with more than 270 recent species. Their common characteristic is their unbranched, non-deciduous horns. Bovids are primarily Old World in their distribution, although a few species are found in North America. The name antelope is often used to describe many members of this family, but it is not a definable, taxonomically based term. Shape, size, and color: Bovids encompass an extremely wide size range, from the minuscule Royal Antelope and the Dik-diks, weighing as little as 2 kg and standing 25 to 35 cm at the shoulder, to the Asian Wild Water Buffalo, which weighs as much as 1,200 kg, and the Gaur, which measures up to 220 cm at the shoulder. Body shape varies from relatively small, slender-limbed, and thin-necked species such as the Gazelles to the massive, stocky wild cattle (fig. 1). The forequarters may be larger than the hind, or the reverse, as in smaller species inhabiting dense tropical forests (e.g., Duikers). There is also a great variety in body coloration, although most species are some shade of brown. It can consist of a solid shade, or a patterned pelage. Antelopes that rely on concealment to avoid predators are cryptically colored. The stripes and blotches seen on the hides of Bushbuck, Bongo, and Kudu also function as camouflage by helping to disrupt the animals’ outline.
    [Show full text]
  • Supplementary Material Table S1. Potential Species That Gyps Vultures
    Supplementary material Table S1. Potential species that Gyps vultures scavenge on across Indian subcontinent. English name Scientific name Bovidae Banteng Bos javanicus Indian cow Bos indicus European cow Bos taurus Gaur Bos gaurus Yak Bos grunniens Domestic water buffalo Bubalus bubalis Wild water buffalo Bubalus arnee Goat Capra hircus Markhor Capra falconeri Sheep Ovis aries Blue sheep Pseudois nayaur Himalayan tahr Hemitragus jemlahicus Nilgiri tahr Nilgiritragus hylocrius Ghoral Naemorhedus goral Takin Budorcas taxicolor Chinkara Gazella bennetii Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus Four-horned antelope Tetracerus quadricornis Cervidae Spotted deer Axis axis Hog deer Hyelaphus porcinus Red deer Cervus elaphus Barasingha Rucervus duvaucelii Sambar Rusa unicolor Muntjac Muntiacus muntjak Manipur brow-antlered deer Rucervus eldii Chevrotain Moschiola indica Camelids Dromedary Camelus dromedarius Bactrian camel Camelus bactrianus Suidae Wild boar Sus scrofa cristatus Domestic pig Sus scrofa domesticus Perissodactyla Horse Equus caballus Donkey Equus asinus Wild ass Equus hemonius Greater one-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis Indian Elephant Elephas maximus Carnivora Dhole Cuon alpinus Golden jackal Canis aureus Dog Canis familiaris Wolf Canis lupus Leopard Panthera pardus Tiger Panthera tigris Sloth bear Melursus ursinus Himalayan bear Ursus thibetanus Sun bear Helarctos malayanus Primates Macaque Macaca sp. Langur Semnopithecus sp. Rodents Marmot Marmota sp. Figure S1. Metabarcode region and primer positions (12S mitochondrial gene) for the potential diet species (from NCBI nucleotide database). Figure S2. Schematic representation of the benchtop workflow for DNA metabarcoding. .
    [Show full text]
  • BUBALUS BUBALIS, the WATER BUFFALO 8.1 the Living Animal
    CHAPTER EIGHT BUBALUS BUBALIS, THE WATER BUFFALO 8.1 The Living Animal 8.1.1 Zoology The wild water buffalo or Asian buffalo is a large and robust bovid with a shoulder height of 1.5–1.9 m; it is the only bovid which is closely associated with water (fi g. 115). The pair of horns, borne by both sexes, is impressive and resembles a crescent moon in frontal view. The spread of the horns exceeds that of any other living bovid: they may measure up to two metres along the outer edge. The horns are heavy at the base, triangular in cross-section—not oval as in Bos—and are conspicuously marked with ridges. Seen from above, the muzzle is laterally compressed in the middle, much more than is present in other cattle. The ears are large and pendulous. The hooves are large and widely splayed as an adaptation to walk on soft and muddy substrates. The buffalo’s body is covered with moderately long, coarse and sparse hair of a black or intense dark brown colour; the lower part of the legs may be whitish. The tail ends in a bushy tip. Domestic water buffaloes are considerably smaller and less robust: whereas the wild animals have a weight between 700 and 1,200 kg, the domestic buffaloes weigh less than half, ranging between 250 and 550 kg. The domestic buffalo differs little from the wild buffalo in other respects, except for its much smaller horns and less aggressive and more docile behaviour. The horn shape varies between the domestic breeds.
    [Show full text]