World Journal of Zoology 11 (2): 81-85, 2016 ISSN 1817-3098 © IDOSI Publications, 2016 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wjz.2016.11.2.10355

Plight of Indian Flying Fox ( giganteus) in Lowlands of Eastern

1,2Kaustuv Raj Neupane, 1 Khadga Basnet and 2 Hem Bahadur Katuwal

1Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal 2Small Conservation and Research Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract: The population of Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus) is decreasing from Nepal. We estimated its population in three districts of eastern Nepal in 2012. We used exact count and branch estimation method for population study and identified its roosting trees and threats with discussion with the local people. We recorded only five different colonies of Indian flying fox (three colonies in Morang and single colony in each Sunsari and Jhapa district) in eastern lowlands of Nepal. Population was significantly different within these recorded sites. The mean tree height was correlated with the mean number of roosting Indian flying fox and 11 tree species were used for the roosts. Around 47% of the respondents speculated the decline of Indian flying fox from their areas due to habitat destruction, electrocution and human disturbances as the major threats. Reasons for hunting were more for medicinal and bush meat purposes. Thus we recommend for the awareness program and continuous monitoring of Indian flying fox outside the protected areas in eastern lowlands of Nepal.

Key words: Indian Flying Fox Population Human Disturbances Habitat Destruction Bush Meat Eastern Nepal

INTRODUCTION species are not assessed in Nepal. However, 10 % is considered as threatened, 6% is considered as near The population of Indian Flying Fox threatened and 40% is considered data deficient [1]. (Pteropus giganteus) was abundantly distributed in Thapa [14] had reported considerable population from most part of Nepal, but now it is gradually decreasing Prakashpur VDC, Tanmuna VDC, Sunsari, Pathari VDC, since few years. Its population dramatically declined from Rajdevi temple, Rajbiraj, Gadiyadhuri village of Saptari, Kathmandu valley, Pokhara valley, Tansen municipality Birtanagar and Kerkha, Jhapa. However, no studies have while extirpated from Argalli Village Development been carried out afterwards. In this paper, we identified Committee (VDC) of Palpa district [1]. Now it is supposed and monitored the population of Indian Flying Fox in to localized in Jhapa (Kerkha and Taaghundubba), Saptari, lowlands of eastern Nepal. We assessed roost size, Sunsari (Ithari and Prakashpur) in east, Kathmandu and major roosting trees and threats prevailing in the areas. Bhaktapur in central and Kaski, Dang, Kapilvastu (Taulihawa) and Palpa in west Nepal [1-3] usually from MATERIALS AND METHODS 65m to 1500m a.s.l. [4]. Indian flying fox is the largest of all 50 in Nepal [5]. Study Area: The study area includes three districts Indian flying fox is highly sociable forming colonies (Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa) of lowlands of eastern Nepal of hundreds to thousands of individuals [1,6-8]. The size (Figure 1). All of the areas lie outside the protected areas of roosting colony largely depends on the availability of and have dense human settlements with large farmlands. fruiting trees [9]. Deforestation, electrocution and hunting Sunsari lies in Koshi zone, has an area of 1,257 sq.km with have massively reduced its population [10]. In addition, Inaruwa as district headquarter. Similarly, Morang lies in the road expansion for larger highways, construction of Koshi zone, has an area of 1,855 sq.km and Biratnagar is new buildings [11,12] and renovation of old houses, its district headquarter. While, Jhapa lies in Mechi zone caves and temples also threatened it’s roosting habitats having an area of 1,606 sq.km and Bhadrapur as its district [13]. But, due to the lack of sufficient data, most of the headquarter. The climate is tropical. The average

Corresponding Author: Hem Bahadur Katuwal, Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal.

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the area. We performed chi-square test to observe the significant difference in population of the Indian flying fox in different areas and in different seasons. Pearson correlation was calculated between mean tree height of the area and mean total number of flying fox estimated during the period of study. For threats analysis, questionnaire forms were filled up among respondents in the vicinity of the roosting colonies. The overall threats were ranked by the respondents. We used MS Excel and R Console version 2.15.2 [15] for analysis.

RESULTS

Distribution and size of Indian Flying Fox roosting colony: Overall five roosting colonies of Indian flying fox were located in three districts: three colonies in Morang District and single colony each in Sunsari and Jhapa Fig. 1: Study area and identified roosting colony in Districts (Figure 1). In Morang District colonies were eastern lowlands of Nepal located at District Administration Office (DAO) premises, Golchha House, Jamindar Tole of Dangra Village temperature mostly lies below 30°C with average rainfall Development Committee. Similarly, a colony was located of less than 200mm and annual relative humidity of about at Headquarter of Nepal Army Eastern Division, 70%. Multiple ethnic communities with diverse cultures Itahari in Sunsari District and in Kerkha of Jhapa live in the area mostly dominated by Tharu community. District. However, Chhetri, Brahmin, Mushar, Rai, Limbu, Tamang, On an average, 4722 individuals of the Indian flying Dhimal etc. too have considerable population. fox were observed in the study area. The population was the highest from Nepal Army Eastern Division Methods: The study was carried out in summer, (1902 individuals) and the least from District spring and autumn season in 2012. Roosting colonies of Administration Office Morang, with 71 individuals. Indian flying fox were located based on the literatures and There was a significant difference in population of the information provided by the local people during group Indian flying fox in different localities (P<0.01) within the discussion. Both exact (for <300 individuals) and study areas (Figure 2). However, the seasonal variation in estimation methods (for >300 individuals) were used to population was not encountered in these localities. estimate the number of individuals in each colony using The roosting sites varied and largely depended on the Pterous count protocol (http://www.pterocount.org). tress associated within the area. The mean tree height was The total number of individuals of Indian flying fox correlated (r=0.59) with the mean number of Indian flying counted in one area was considered as one population of fox. Altogether, 11 species of trees were used for roosting,

Fig. 2: Roosting colony of the Indian Flying Fox in lowlands of eastern Nepal (NAED-Nepal Army Eastern Division, Sunsari, DAO-District Administrative Office, Morang, GH-Golchha House, Morang)

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Table 1: Roosting trees of Indian Flying Fox in lowlands of Eastern Nepal Nepal Army Eastern Division Dangra, Morang Golchha House, Morang Kerkha, Jhapa DAO. Morang Sisso (Dalbergia sisso), Sisso (Dalbergia sisso), Ashok (Saracca ashoka), Sisso (Dalbergia sisso), Peepal(Ficus religiosa) Simal (Bombax cebia), Simal (Bombax cebia), Coconut (Coccus musifera), Simal (Bombax cebia), and Teak (Tectona Teak (Tectona grandis), Teak (Tectona grandis), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Teak (Tectona grandis), grandis) Jamun (Eugenia formosa), Jamun (Eugenia formosa), Sarifa (Annona squamosa), Jamun (Eugenia formosa), Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Pepal (Ficus religiosa) and Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Simal (Bombax cebia) Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Katar (Artocarpus heterophyllus) Katar (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Katar (Artocarpus heterophyllus), and (Mangifiera indica) Mango (Mangifiera indica) and Mango (Mangifiera indica). Bar (Ficus benghalensis) Masala (Eucalptus citriodra) and Rudrakshya (Elaeocarpus sphaericus) ten in Kerkha, eight in Nepal Army Eastern Division, has religious importance. Majority of the nine in Dangra, six in Golchha house and two in DAO respondents ranked habitat loss due to urbanization, (Table 1). Ficus religiosa was extensively used for disturbance and electrocution as major threats to the roosting in all of the areas. species (Figure 3). The respondents had seen killing of Indian flying fox for medicinal purpose (50%), Threat Assessments: Although almost all the bush meat (food) (20%) and entertainment (2%) respondents had observed the colonies of the Indian while others do not have any idea (Figure 4). flying fox, only 38% of respondents (N=45) were aware More than 47% of the respondent perceived population that Indian Flying Fox are ecologically important 16% of was decreasing and more than 73% respondents respondents associated the species with medical suggested the need of conservation of the Indian Flying importance, 4% of the respondents perceived that Fox.

Fig. 3: Ranking of anthropogenic threats by the respondents (NAED-Nepal Army Eastern Division, Sunsari, DAO- District Administrative Office, Morang, GH-Golchha House, Morang)

Fig. 4: Ranking of reasons for killing Indian Flying Fox by respondents (NAED-Nepal Army Eastern Division, Sunsari, DAO-District Administrative Office, Morang, GH-Golchha House, Morang)

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DISCUSSION The Indian flying fox are large colonial species with few hundred to thousand individuals [8] so disturbance Population of Indian flying fox is getting localized in is threatening their habitat. Road expansion and lowlands of eastern Nepal which is affected by different industrialization are major threats to the Indian flying fox anthropogenic factors. The Nepal Army Eastern Division [13]. Habitat sharing with egrets and strokes are also has large forest (8 tree species were used for roost) and forcing the migration of the Indian flying fox from the area. was undisturbed. As a result, large number of bats was Similarly, the pesticides used in ripening the like observed in the locality. But in the case of DAO, , mango etc. and in agriculture are imposing maximum five trees of two species were chosen for serious threats to the whole colony of bats [18, 19] roosting which had ultimately reduced its population. however people have less knowledge in our study. Indeed, strong and stable population of flying fox Ethnic communities usually hunt the Indian flying fox as was also observed in Kerkha, Jhapa. Thapa [14] had they believe to have high medicinal value [14, 20]. also recorded two colonies of Indian flying fox They use it for the treatment of asthma, knee pain and from Golchha house and three colonies from DAO, even in the paralysis. Ali [10] reported deforestations, Biratnagar. Similarly, considerable population of flying fox electrocution and hunting as major threats to Indian flying was also recorded from Dangra and Golchha house, fox. 80 % of roosting trees were lost in three decades in Biratangar. A colony of Indian flying fox was not due to deforestation [9]. Lack of awareness observed in Prakashpur, Sunsari, in the current study was also the major threat because people kill or remove it though it was observed in 2007 [14]. The size of the due to its loud noise in every dawn and dusk and colony varies with seasons and places. Gaikward et al. excretion near the human settlements [21]. [13] observed 16 colonies with 100-500 individuals in Maharastra, . But in the current study, we observed ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS five colonies where the number of individuals varied sharply from 65-2200 whilst Kryštufek [16] reported We would like to thank Dibya Dahal and Sagar Dahal 10-1200 Indian flying fox with 50 per tree in 20 ha at for his kind help in the field study. In addition, we would Peradeniya Botanical Gardens near Kandy, . like to acknowledge Sanjan Thapa for helping and Ali [10] reported 47.53% reduction in the size of Indian reviewing the article. Also, we would like to acknowledge Flying Fox within a decade from 2001-2010 in Assam, all respondents and the locals who helped during the India. study. The population of Indian flying fox largely depends upon the fruiting trees and uses it year after year [9]. REFERENCES However, we observed no significant variation in individuals of Indian flying fox in different seasons. 1. Jnawali, S.R., H.S. Baral, S. Lee, N. Subedi, The population was almost similar throughout spring, K.P. Acharya, G.P. Upadhyay, M. Pandey, summer and autumn. No any individuals of Flying Fox R. Shrestha, D. Joshi, B.R. Lamichhane, J. Griffiths, were recorded in spring in DAO, Biratnagar, but small A. Khatiwada and R. Amin, 2011. The Status of population was seen in two trees in summer and autumn Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series. season. The mean height of the roosting trees was Department of National Parks and Wildlife moderately correlated with the mean number of roosting Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal. bats. The higher trees were safe to roost against different 2. Adikari, H., 2011. Species richness, distribution and predators. Only 11 species of trees were used for roost threats of bats in (Palpa and Kaski District) of which was almost half as reported by Vendan and Western Nepal, Bat Net-CCISNA Newsletter, Kaleeswaran [17]. The majority of the trees in his study 2(2): 14-22. include Borassus flabellifer, Anacardium occidentale, 3. Timalsina, N. and R. Ghimire, 2011. Monitoring of Nerium indicum, Phoenix dactylifera, Prosopis juliflora Ptero-camp at Lainchaur-Kathmandu. Small and Madhuca indica. Unlike the present study, Mail-Bi-Annual Newsletter of CCINSA and Thapa [14] reported Bombax cebia, Dalbergia sisso and RISCINSA, 2(2): 24. Mangifiera indica as the major roosting trees. Similarly, 4. Baral, H.S. and K.B. Shah, 2008. Wild Mammals of Ali [10] reported Caesalpinia inermis, Ficus bengalensis, Nepal. Himalayan Nature, Kathmandu, Nepal. Ficus religiosa and Eugenia jambolana as major roosting 5. Thapa, S., 2014. A checklist of mammals of Nepal. trees. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 6(8): 6061-6072.

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