SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE CORRESPONDENCE First sighting of Neofelis nebulosa from the Blue Mountain National Park, , India

The clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa in captivity (Figure 1). It resembles the leopard was seen in the primary forest is reported to occur in the forests of marbled cat, Felis marmorata; however, consisting of Quercus spp. and Rhodo- Nepal, Bhutan, , , Myan- while a marbled cat’s total length is dendron spp. near the Phawngpui peak, mar, southern China and Malayan coun- about three feet1, the animal sighted on as well as in secondary forest comprising tries1. Recently, it has been reported each occasion at the BMNP was more bamboo brakes near the Farpak Forest from the northeastern states of Assam, than five feet in total length. I am not Rest House complex. , , , sure whether the same animal was sighted The clouded leopard has been cate- Mizoram and in Sikkim and northern on both the occasions or they were diffe- gorized as vulnerable by the IUCN14 and parts of West Bengal2–5. In Mizoram, rent individuals. During the second inci- also placed in the Appendix I of CITES, the clouded leopard is known as ‘kelral’ dent, the clouded leopard left behind a banning all international commercial deal- in the local dialect. However, there was faint print of its pugmark, 5.5 cm long ing with this animal or parts of it. It is no sight record of this animal from here and 5.9 cm wide, on the cinders dump by included in the Schedule I of the Wildlife till 1997, when it was sighted twice dur- the side of the hutment. On two other (Protection) Act of India, 1972. Degrada- ing the present study on Galliform birds occasions, pugmarks of similar size were tion of habitat due to deforestation and in the Blue Mountain National Park noticed on the soft earth within the park transformation of habitat for agricultural (BMNP). The BMNP is located in south- during the transect monitoring. practices is the main threat to these eastern Mizoram at 22°39¢ N and 93°02¢ E, During their survey at BMNP in 1993, felids5,8,9,15. The second most important close to the border and the Chin Rai and Johnsingh4 did not record the threat to the clouded leopard comes from Hills. The total area of the park is 50 km2. occurrence of the clouded leopard. This illegal hunting for its long canines, deco- Phawngpui is the main mountain ridge may be attributed to their relatively shor- rative pelt and bones used for traditional that extends in a north–south orientation. ter survey period of 10 days, whereas oriental medicine7. In the BMNP, there The altitude of different areas in BMNP the current survey comprised more than appears to be no hunting within the pro- varies from 1000 to 2157 m. The general eight months in the field, in two spells tected area; however, the various skull vegetation type is Khasi sub-tropical wet (February–May and September–December trophies on the walls of the locals’ houses hill forest6, which comprises patches of 1997). The locals reported that the clou- suggest that certain amount of hunting primary forest inside the park. This is ded leopard is mostly arboreal and feeds might be happening outside the protected replaced by secondary vegetation of bam- on monkeys and birds. The ankle joints area. The skull of the clouded leopard was boo brakes with occasional Quercus spp. of the clouded leopard are notably flexi- noticed on two occasions at villages near at different places. During the present ble, which helps them in climbing trees7. the BMNP, as has been earlier reported survey, the study area was stratified It also throws some light to the belief from other areas of Mizoram by Chou- according to broad vegetation categories that a large part of the clouded leopard’s dhury16 and Raman et al.17. Since hunt- and transects were laid in each of these. diet in the wild consists of primates5,8–10. ing of wild animals outside the BMNP Trails and transects were monitored regu- The clouded leopard has been reported was evident, it is suggested that inclusion larly for sightings and secondary eviden- from different habitat types; in primary of more adjoining forested stretches into ces of different animals in the study area. moist forest and scrub11, high-altitude the existing network can On the first occasion (3 March 1997), temperate forests12, coastal swamps, logged be of help, keeping in mind the possibly a clouded leopard was sighted near the forests and dry woodland and scrub9,13. large home ranges of a carnivorous ani- Phawngpui peak (2157 m) during dusk During the current survey, the clouded mal like the clouded leopard. This will (17:15 h). The animal was about to cross a trail and upon finding us, it stopped and backed inside the shrubby growth. It reappeared head first after 15 min, crossed the trail in a single leap and disappeared into the thick forest. On 5 May 1997 at the Farpak Forest Rest House complex (1875 m) which is ca. 12 km away from the Phawngpui Peak, at about 23:45 h, an animal was trying to enter one of the hutments where two chickens were kept. The animal was heard scratching at the wooden door. Using powerful spotlight, we identified the animal as a full-grown clouded leopard. The markings on its coat on both the occasions were quite clear and unmistakable, as the clouded leopard Figure 1. Clouded leopard in captivity. Photographed by the author had been seen earlier a number of times during January 1997 at the Itanagar Zoo, Arunachal Pradesh.

20 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 83, NO. 1, 10 JULY 2002 SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE not only safeguard the animals residing 7. The Clouded Leopard, Cat Survival Trust, singh, A. J. T., Primate Conserv., 1995, outside the National Park, but also pro- 2000, USA. 16, 59–62. tect those which straggle outside the park 8. Rabinowitz, A., Andau, P. and Chai, P. K., boundary. Oryx, 1987, 22, 107–111. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. The officers at 9. Santiapillai, C., Tiger Pap., 1989, 16, the Department of Forests, Government of 1–7. Mizoram, the World Pheasant Association and 1. Prater, S. H., The Book of Indian Ani- 10. Griffiths, M., in Final Report, WWF Pro- Peter Scott Trust, Dr Rahul Kaul, WPA- mals, Bombay Natural History Society, ject ID 0084, 1993, pp. 34–44. SARO, Gurgaon; Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury, Mumbai, 1980. 11. Dinerstein, E. and Mehta, J. N., Oryx, RFNEI, Guwahati, Assam and Dr Goutam Kr. 2. Katti, M. V., Manjrekar, N., Mukherjee, 1989, 23, 198–199. Saha, Department of Zoology, Calcutta Uni- S. and Sharma, D., Unpublished Report 12. Walker, E. P., Warnick, F., Hamlet, versity are gratefully thanked for their help. submitted to the Wildlife Institute of S. E., Lange, K. I., Davis, M. A. Uible, India, Dehradun, 1990. H. E. and Wright, P. F., Mammals of the Received 4 September 2001; revised accepted 3. Choudhury, A., Oryx, 1993, 27, 51–53. World, John Hopkins University Press, 20 May 2002 4. Rai, N. D. and Johnsingh, A. J. T., Un- London, 1975, vol. II. published Report submitted to the Wild- 13. Gibson-Hill, C. A., J. Bombay Nat. Hist. life Institute of India, Dehradun, 1993. Soc., 1950, 49, 543–546. DIPANKAR GHOSE 5. Athreya, V. R. and Johnsingh, A. J. T., 14. Hilton-Taylor, C., 2000 IUCN Red List of Unpublished Report submitted to the Wild- Threatened Species, IUCN, Cambridge, Department of Zoology, life Institute of India, Dehradun, 1995. UK, 2000. 6. Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K., A 15. Rabinowitz, A., Oryx, 1988, 22, 46– University of Calcutta, Revised Survey of the Forest Types of 47. 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, India, Manager of Publications, Delhi, 16. Choudhury, A., ibid, 1988, 22, 89–94. Kolkata 700 019, India 1968. 17. Raman, T. R. S., Mishra, C. and John- e-mail: [email protected]

Arsenic poisoning in the Gangetic delta: An anthropogenic model

Large-scale arsenic poisoning in parts of coating on quartz or detrital grain surface It is quite likely that a large amount of and in Bangladesh has been in the aquifer zone. This means that the arsenic ought to be received by the Ganga reported. Creditable work to mitigate the coating is a secondary process, pre- basin by way of application of fertilizers, disaster has been taken up by delineation cipitated from water trickling down pesticides/herbicides and activities arising of the arsenic-prone aquifers and by pro- through the aquifer. Arsenic in solution out of coal combustion. While rock phos- vision of simple indigenous purification has been brought into the aquifer from phates carry as high as 10 to 20 ppm of set-up for de-arsenification of drinking outside. (e) Some geologists believe that arsenic and manufacture of urea needs water in target areas. The ‘end of the the volcanics on Plateau (Dalma arsenic catalyst, some of the pesticides pipe’ mitigation has brought immediate Trap, even Dhanjori Volcanics) may con- are pure arsenic compounds. Arseno- relief, but for a long-term solution and tribute the element, since volcanic rocks pyrite (FeAsS) is a common accessory prevention of reoccurrence elsewhere, are rich in arsenic. According to them, mineral in coal and coal is reported to the issue must be examined at the ‘begin- arsenic has reached the intermediate carry between 56 and 156 mg/kg of arse- ning of the pipeline’ of contamination. aquifer by reworked sand dunes, so nic. The Czech coal has 1500 mg/kg of The situation is as follows: (a) Arsenic common in the Gangetic delta. However, arsenic and its burning has caused exten- toxicity has surfaced only in recent times neither has any primary arsenic mineral sive arsenic dispersion. The leachable and no historical record exists concern- been reported in the ancient dunes, inter- arsenic even in pond ash of Indraprastha ing any previous observations. (b) The mediate aquifers or the in situ volcanics, power plant in Delhi is of the order of shallow wells and surface waters are not nor have any experiments been conducted 25 mg/kg, when most of the element vulnerable, so are the deep aquifers. The to show the possibility of the element ought to have been lost to atmosphere intermediate aquifers of 50 to 80 ft depth leaching out from the volcanics. If the during coal combustions and major frac- are considered to be the principal zone of leaching of volcanics and contribution tion from ash is lost to supernatant pond contamination. (c) Demographic survey from the ancient dunes are to be believed, water. The two power plants at Indra- indicates widespread contamination around such disasters around the vast Deccan prastha and Rajghat combined are esti- the course of the Ganga and its tribu- Trap rocks, as well as arsenic infestation mated to contribute annually about 5 to 6 taries. The situation is similar around in ancient times in the present area ought tons of arsenic to the Yamuna from ash- Padma river in Bangladesh. That is, the to have been reported. The context of the leaching alone. Besides, paints, deter- river course is one cause of contamina- argument is that arsenic in the aquifers is gents, metal works, smelting and refining tion. Down south, in the sea water mixing a recent introduction into the area and is and sewage add to the arsenic content in zone, chlorinity dissolves away and dilutes dominantly anthropogenic. The responsi- the Ganga basin. The element being non- the element. (d) Investigations show that bility of the present crisis cannot be degradable, it migrates from a remote arsenic is associated with ferruginous brushed aside as mere lithogenic. corner of the watershed to the discharge

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