HIMALAYAN WILDLIFE.Pdf

HIMALAYAN m WILDLIFE pit; Himalayan Wildlife Habitat and Conservation

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S.S. NEGI

CI N D U E INDUS PUBLISHING COMPANY NEW DELHI Preface

The Himalaya are the most prominent feature on the face of the earth. They extend in an arcuate shape from the Indus gap in the north west to the Brahmaputra gap in the east. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh. Garhwal, Kumaun, Nepal, Darjeeling hills, Sikkim, Bhutan and most of Arunachal Pradesh lie in the Himalaya. Natural vegetation of this mountain chain is varied, both in compo sition and distribution. The principal forest types found in this mountain chain range from the wet evergreen forests in the eastern Himalayan foothills to the tropical dry forests ofJammu, the alpine meadows near the snowline and the open, stunted forests of the cold deserts. These forests and their adjoining tracts are the home of a large number of animals including tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, ele phant, rhinoceros, gaur, yak, Tibetan wild ass, sambhar, cheetal, musk deer, hog deer, barking deer, wild boar, brown and black bears, pheas ants, vultures, eagles, tits, warblers, snakes, crocodiles and jackals. This book discusses in briefthe mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes and amphibians found in different parts of the Hinrialaya. Importantnational parks,sanctuariesandbiosphere reservesset-uptoconserveandmanage the unique flora and fauna of this mountain chain havealso beendealt with in this book. It is hoped that this book will serve as a handy reference work on these topics for the foresters, wildlifers, naturalists, environmentalists and even the layman interested in knowing about the Himalayan wildlife and its management I am grateful to ShriA.K. Mukherjee Pr. C.C.F., ShriVP. Mohan, C.C.F (P&D)oflheH.P. forest department, myfriends andwell-wishers in the Indian Forest Serviceand elsewhere for their continued encourage ment in my endeavours. Thanksare also due to my wife Manju for her self-denial andtothepublishers forbringing outyetanother book byme in a short time.

S.S. Negi Contents

Preface 5 1. The Himalaya: An Introduction 9 2. Wildlife in the Himalaya 31 3. HimalayanMammals 40 4. Himalayan Birds 64 5. HimalayanReptiles and Fishes 115 6. Wildlife Conservationinthe Himalaya 139 Jammu and Kashmir 139 Himachal Pradesh 148 Garhwal and Kumaun 164 Nepal 178 Eastern Himalaya 18S Bibliography 203 Index 205 Plates 128-29 1 The Himalaya: An Introduction

The Himalayaare the most magnificentfeatureon the face of the earth. They form the northern boundary of the Indian sub-continent. This mountain chain is a part of the complex folded mountains radiat ing from the Pamir Knot. These are Kun-lun, Sayan, Ling shan, Hin- dukush, Toros, Elburz, Dinarska, Pyrenes, Tien shan, Altai, Stanovoy and Yablonoy. The Himalayan mountain chain stretches from the Indus gap in the north-west to the Brahmaputra gap in the east. They extend along an arcuate shape for about 2400 kms. The width of these mountains varies from 150 kms to 300 kms (Bose 1972). iPhysical Set-up The Himalayaconstituteone of the youngestmountain systemsin the world. Jhingran (1980) wrote, "Whereas the mountains of penin sular India such as the Aravalli, the Nilgiris and the Eastern Ghats are 1500 to 2500 million years old and the Vindhyachals about 1000 million years old, the Himalaya date back to only about 40 million years". There is unquestioned evidence to prove that the Himalaya rose from under the sea. It is believed that before the mountain chain was formed there existed a Tethys sea between two land masses, viz, An- garaland to the north and Gondwana land to the south. Rivers from both these landmasses drained into theTethys sea.Millions of tons of sediment was deposited intothiswater-body which resulted insagging of the ocean bottom due toth? enormous weight. Thus, huge forces of stress and strain came into play. During this period thesouthern conti nent started moving northwards. Some volcanic activity also accom panied this whereby the partly-folded sediments began to rise out of the sea. Slowly the sea water i-ained out. It is believed that the Hima- 10 Himalayan Wildlife The Himalaya: An Introduction 11 laya were fonned due to a number of phases of uplift. These sedi 3. Higheror MainHimalaya ments were folded andfaulted into a series of complex siiuctures. ms is the main Himalayan mountain wall that towers above the Due to later phases of tectonic activity a younger fold-mountain lower Himalaya and the plains of northern India. The snowclad p^ chain was formed to the south of the Himalaya. This is the Siwalik tower to elevations of over 8000 mts. Mount Everest and other high range. It runs parallel to the main range in the west but gradually mountain peaks are apart of the main Himalayan wdl. FokUs of sea merges withit in theeasternregion. creatures are found in various parts of the main Himalaya. This proves The Himalaya may bedivided into four distinct physical regions the contention that this range was once under the sea. (from southto north). The southern slopes of the main Himalaya are steeper th^ to northern counterparts. Hundreds of glaciers of various ^exend 1.Outer orSiwalik Himalaya from the main Himalaya. Amongst the promment ^ This consists of the low rolling Siwalik hills that extend more or gotri, KhaUing and Pindari glaciers. They give nse to important nvers less p^lel to the main Himalayan range. The Siwalik hills are not such as Ravi, Beas. Yamuna, Ramganga, Ganga ^d Teesi^ very distinct in the eastern Him^ya where they tend to merge with The upper tracts of this great mountain wall ^ the Himalayan foothills. These hills are the youngest mountains in nent coverTf snow. The level above which snow ^s not meU ^ India. They bear fossils ofmammals, reptiles and birds. through the year is known as the snowline. It vanes from ai^ The southern face of the Siwalik hills is more steep than their The snowline is lower in the western Himalaya and higher mthe northern counterpart Seasonal streams locally known as choes, raus eastern parts of this mountain chain. The level of the and sots drain this region. These streams are in spate during the mon vary locally. It is lower in moist shady depressions and higher on soon season. exposedslopes.

2.Lower Himalaya These are the foothills of the main Himalayan range. They rise, to Ues «o„h of U.e elevations of over 2500 mts. Anumber of prominent ridges form a lavan mountain wall. The average elevation is usually over 3000 mK. part of the lower Himalaya. These include Dhauladhar. Shimla ridge. This is avast tableland or plateau that extends across the main ftrna- Mussoone ridge and Darjeeling-Ghoom ridge. laya It is apart of the Tibetan plateau that lies further north. Ladakh, lLuI Spiti Mustang-Bhot are some areas of the trans-ftmalaya. Mwalikc- hills mthe southlongitudinaland lowervalleysHimalayahaveinformedthe north.betweenThese arethe toown as dun valleys, viz, the Kiarda dun valley near Paonta Dehradun valley mGarhwal and PaUi dun valley near Ramnagar, The co.. flaSferdfe'^°"^^ sediments has made these valleys Wvers tro have formed flat open valleys in the lower Himalaya permanent^verupper reachesof snow.of theUetrims-Himalayarocky slop« areloo ' fSGarhwali"and''fnVi*Pokhra valley in Nepal. ASrinagarnumber (Alaknanda)of old lake basinftwvalley in vegetative cover. In the valleys the rivers have depo occur in lower Himalaya, viz. Kashmir valley that lies between the ties ofboulders and other sediments. Himalayan lowl and higher Himalaya and the Kathmandu Lley in NTp^et Anumber of glaciers descend down from the ^ ^ are believed to have been old lakes whose water-dried out mountain chain. The Siachen and the Indian important glaciers. Anumber ot •mpo'™'Sude O"" sub-continent rise in the trans-Hunalaya. The enab, Saduj andBrahmaputra.

The Himalaya: An Introduction 13 12 Himalayan Wildlife 2. The Ganga System . Drainage Thedrainage system of theHimalaya is very complex. It consists The Ganga system drains bulk of the Himalayan chain. It receives of rivers, lakes and glaciers. While most of the glaciers are restricted water from the south-eastern face of the Shimla ridge to the Indo- to areas above the tree line, Himalayan rivers criss-cross the entire Nepal border near Darjeeling. The important rivers of this system are: mountain chain. In fact, a number of rivers are older than the moun a) The river Yamuna is a major tributary of the Ganga river. It tain system itself. These include Indus, Satluj and Brahmaputra. They rises from Yamunotri glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttar Pradesh. The river has formed a deep V-shaped gorge as it cuts across the originate in southern Tibet and have cut across the main Himalayan lower Himalayan range (Nag Tibba-Mussoorie ridge). . mountain wall. Lakes are found all over the Himalaya. They serve both as inland drainage basins and as a temporary basin for flowing Important tributaries of the Yamuna river are; (i) river Gin that water. drains eastern Himachal Pradesh, (ii) river Tons that rises as the Rupm There are three major river systems that drain the Himalaya, viz, and Supin from Har-ki-dun in Uttarkashi district, and (iii) nver Agl(^ the Indus system, the Ganga system, and the Brahmaputra system. that flows along an east-west course at the base of the Mussoorie ridge. - ..• 1. TheIndus System b) The river Bhagirathi is one of the two rivers which jom to The river Indus rises inthe snowy wastes near Mansarovar lake in form the river Ganga. It rises from Gaumukh, the snout of the Gan- Tibet. It flows through Ladakh where a number of important rivers gotri glacier at the base of Chaukhamba peak in Garhwal Himalaya. join it, viz, Shyok, Shigar, Gilgit, Zaskar etc. Thereafter the river This river has cuta deep gorge across the granitic rocks of the higher makes aright angle turn at the base of the Nanga Parbat and enters the Himalaya. It flows past the towns of Uttarkashi and Tehri to merge with the Alaknanda river at Deoparyag. plains. a) The met Jhelian is an important tributary of the Indus. It Important tributaries of the river Bhagirathi are: (i) river Bhilan- drains the beautiful Kashmir valley. Important tributaries of the gana which rises from the Kathling glacier and flows past Ghansali to Jhelum are the Lidder and Sindhu. join the river Bhagirathi at Tehri, and (ii) river Janhvi which drains b) The rivCT Chenab is formed at the confluence of rivers Chan part of Uttarkashi district. dra and Bhaga in Lahul. It flows through the main Himalayan range c) The river Alaknanda is the other river which joins the Bhagi and along the base of die Pir Panjal before joining the Indus. rathi at Deoparyag to form the river Ganga. It rises in the snowy c) The river Ravi is another important tributary of the Indus. It wastes upstream of Badrinaih and flows past Vishnuparyag, Nandpar- nses on the slopes ofthe main Himalaya in Chamba district and flows yag, Karanparyag and Rudraparyag toform the Ganga at Deoparyag. through the western part ofthe state to join the Indus in the plains. Important tributaries ofthe Alaknanda river are: (i) river Mandak- d) The river Beas rises north ofManali. It flows past the town of ini which rises near Kedamath and flows past Agastmuni to join the Kullu, Mandi and flows through Punjab before joining the river Indus. river Alaknanda at Rudraparyag. It is joined by the Lastar gad river at e) The river Satluj is the largest tributary of the river Indus. It Tilwara, (ii) river Finder which rises from the Pindari glacier located rises near the lake Mansarovar and crosses into Indian territory near between the Nanda Devi and Nandakot peaks. It merges with the Shipki pa«. The rivers Spiti and Baspa join it in the trans-Himalaya. Alaknanda river near Karanparyag. The river Sundardhunga is ^ im The Satluj river has cut a spectacular gorge through the main Hima portant tributary of the Pinder. Their confluence is at Dhakuri, and layan ran^ near Chini and Kalpa and the Dhauladhar range near (iii) river Nandakini that drains into the river Alaknanda at Nandpar- ^pur. The Bhakra dam has been constructed across this river. The yag. SaUuj flows through the plains of Punjab before joining the Indus d) The mainstream of the river Ganga winds its way through aV- nver. shaped valley and past the holy town of Rishikesh to enter the pains at Hardwar. . ^ Ganai e) The Ramganga river rises near Almora and drains p

18 Himalayan Wildlife The Himalaya: An Introduction 19

g) Pir Panjal range: This mountain range runs in an arc shape 3. Garhwal andKumaun along the southern periphery of the Kashmir valley. Its peaks rise to The eight districts of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Pauri, Tehri, Dehra- an elevation ofabout 3000 to 4000 metres. The Pir Panjal range has dun, Almora, Pithoragarh and Nainital constitute Garhwal and been cut across by the riv^r Jhelum near Baramula and the river Kumaun and are a part of Uttar Pradesh. They may be divided into the Chenab below Kistwar. following physical units: h) Siwalik hills: These are low hills running more or less parallel a) Yamuna valley: The river Yamuna rises from the snowy wastes to the lower Himalayan or Pir Panjal range. They merge with the at the base of the Bandarpunch peak in Uttarkashi district It is a V- Siwalik. hillsof Himachal Pradeshin theeast. shaped valley and the river winds past tenaces and gorges before entering the plains near Dehradun. 2. HimachalPradesh b)Bhagirathi valley: The Bhagirathi river rises from the Gangotri The state ofHimachal Pradesh is apart ofthe Union ofIndia. It is glacier at thebase of the Bandarpunch peak. It flows across thelower made upofthe following physical units: Himalayan mountain range to merge with the Alaknanda at Deopar- a) Lahul and Spiti valleys: These are two distinct valleys lying in yag, downstream of which theriveris known as theGanga. the trans-Himalayan tract of Himachal pradesh. The Lahul valley is c) Alaknanda valley: The Alaknanda river rises from thebase of drained by the rivers Chandra and Bhaga which join to form the theChaukhamba peak. It flows across thelower Himalayan mountain Chenab. The Spiti valley is drained by the Spiti river. This area is a ranges to merge with the Bhagirathi at Deoparyag. rain-deficient desert. d) Great Himalaya: The great or main Himalayan range occurs in b) Great Himalaya: The great or main Himalayan range runs in theform of a gigantic wall of ice, bare rocks andrugged peaks. It runs an arc shape along the northern part of the state. It is comprised o» along the northern periphery ofGarhwal and Kumaun. All major riv snow-clad peaks, glaciers and deep valleys. This range has been cut ers of this region originate from the snowy wastes occurring at the by the rivers Chenab and Satluj baseof thegreatHimalayan mountain range. c) Dhauladhar range: The Dhauladhar range rises abruptly above e) Lower Himalaya: This is comprised of a series of mountain the Kangia valley and the plains of Punjab. Its upper u-acts are under a ranges that lie to the south of the main or great Himalayan range. permanent cover of snow. The river Beas has cut across this range at Different names have been given to the lower Himalaya in various L^ji. Further towards east, the Dhauladhar range gives way to aseries tracts, viz: of mountain ranges of the lower Himalaya. These are the Nag Tibba — Nag Tibba ridge in Chakrata area range, the Shimla hills and the Churdhar ridge. — Mussoorie ridgein Mussoorie area' — Nainital ridge in Nainital area. • K ^ by the river Beas. It f) Siwalik hills: The Siwalik hills are very well developed in hvDy fh!!.the Dhauladh^nk" and an extensionHimalayanof the PirrangePanjalandrange.on other sides Garhwal and Kumaun. They occupy a position which is more or less Wma/aya: The lower Himalayan range of Himachal parallel to the lower Himalaya. The tops of these hills rise to eleva Pradesh is an eastern extension of the Dhauladhar range. Churdhar tions ofover 3000 metres. g) Dun valleys: Longitudinal valleys are located between the Siwalik hills in the south and the lower Himalaya in the nortli, viz, f) Siwalik hills: The Siwalik hills are prominently develooed all Dehradun valley.

Mandi, Bilaspur, Solan and Sir- 4. Nepal Nepal is an independent country in the central Himalaya. It is Tn hflT i" ^l^nown as the Kiarda divided into the following physical units: a) Mustang-Bhot region: This is atrans-Himalayan tract in north- 18 Himalayan Wildlife The Himalaya: An Introduction 19

Mandi, Bilaspur, Solan and Sir- 4. Nepal Nepal is an independent country in the central Himalaya. It is Tn hflT i" ^l^nown as the Kiarda divided into the following physical units: a) Mustang-Bhot region: This is atrans-Himalayan tract in north- 20 Himalayan Wildlife The Himalaya: AnIntroduction 21

central Nepal. This is largely an arid to semi-arid area receiving very about 1000 metres. low rainfall. . / 0 Dun valleys: A number of longitudinal valleys occur between b) Great Himalaya: The great Himalaya extends in an arcuate the Siwalik hills in the south and the lower or middle Himalaya in the shape along the northern .boundary of Nepal. They extend from the north. These valleys are theBhitri Madhesh, Kamla Narayni, Chitwan Api and Nampa peaks in the west to the Kanchenjunga peak in the and Rapti dun valleys. east along the border of Nepal and Sikkim. This mountain range also mcludes Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. The main 5. Sikkim and Datjeeling Hills Hunalayan mountain range has been cut across by a number of rivers Sikkim is a separate state within the Union of India, while the ongmaung in the trans-Himalayan zone Darjeeling hills are a part of the Indian state ofWest Bengal. They may be divided into the following physical units: a) Great Himalaya: The great or main Himalayan range runs all — Western high Himalaya along the northern border ofSikkim between the Kanchenjunga mas — Arid high Himalaya sif in the west and the Chomolhari in the east. It comprises of a — Central high Himalaya number ofpeaks having anelevation ofover 7000 metres. — Eastern high Himalaya. The Singalila in the west and the Dongkya in the east are two transverse north-south mountain ranges arising from the main Hima ^ > series of mounuin layan mountain wall. These include high snow-clad mountain peaks StTv""!highest peaks of these mountains tower8«a'to elevations"n™ Himalayaof over 3300The soaring toaltitudes of over 6000 metres. A number ofglaciers descend from the main Himalaya and its Sflo^nTJ^/^T""ofwhich flow mageneral direction towards the plains of India Nepal offshoots. The largest is the Zemu glacier from the snout of which rises the river Teesta. n.id<&;!'a'a;:°""'^" <" b) Lower Himalaya or Darjeeling hills: The lower Himalaya is — Humla-Jumla mountains made up of the Gangtok ridge in Sikkim and Darjeeling hills. The — Baitadi mountains latter are divided into two by the deep gorge of the Teesta river. To — Dailekh mountains the east of this gorge lie the Kalimpong hiUs with mountain peaks — Piiithan mountains rising to over 2000 metres. Rivers radiate in all directions from these — Baglung mountains hills and flow into the Teesta river. — MahabharaiLekh. The Tiger hill is the highest peak in Darjeeling hills. Spurs radiate Leban (1972) has referred to these mountains as the 'midlands' from it in all directions. Amongst theseare: and 'transitional' mountains. — Darjeeling ridge to the north _ d) Kathmandu valley: This is a circular basin drained by the — Tadah spur to the east Bagmau nver and its tributaries in central Nepal. It is believed thai — Dowhill ridge to the south te entire valley was covered by avast lake in the ^ — Ghoom ridge to the west. c) Foothills: Low rolling hills represent the foothills of the Bagman nver. Uter on, this natural dam burst anrt th.1>eflow onheT Sikkim-Darjeeling region. The foothills are not as well developed as ^ey was exposed. -Htis valley is hemmed on all sid« by M^Zn" the Siwalik hills of the western and central Himalaya and tend to merge with the lower Himalayan ranges.

mosttr^^t2?,S.Sr'' 6. Bhutan . the main Himalayan motmtain wall. Theirlraprtavrai^le'Sn S Bhutan is an independent country lying in the eastern Himalaya.

The Himalaya: An Introduction 23 22 Himalayan Wildlife

It may be divided into the following physical units: formed as the Siwalik hills of western and central Himalaya. They a) Great Himalaya: The main or great Himalayan range of Bhu consist ofa number of mountains of height upto 1000 metres lying tan runs along its northern border from the Chomolhari peak in the more or less parallel to the great and lower Himalayan ranges in the west to the Kulha Kangri peak in the east. Further towards east this north. These foothills gradually merge with the Brahmaputra plams in mountain wall extends into Arunachal Pradesh. the south. The great Himalayan range includes many high mountain peaks. Natural Vegetation/Forests Its southern slopes are glaciated. There occur a number of glacial basins,lakes, morainesand amphitheatres from which arise numerous The Himalayan mountain chain bears rich forests which compnse rivers and streams. of over athousand different species of trees, shrubs, herbs and chnnb- b) River Valleys: There are no large river basins in Bhutan. The ers. The nature and type of forests found in a pa^cular locality de largest river is the Manas in the east that flows into the Brahmaputra pends upon the prevailing climatic conditions, altitude, aspect, topo river. In the west, the Amo Chu river enters from Chumbi valley graphy, soil andbiotic influences. r u «• 1 » through a deep gorge. It flows towards south to enter the plains near The principal forest types found in different parts of the Himalaya Jalpaiguri. are: c) Lower Himalaya:. The middle or lower Himalaya of Bhutan consist of a series of mountain ranges thatrun more or less parallel to 1, Western Himalaya c „ j the great Himalayan mountain wall. This range rises abruptly above 1. Moist sal forest: Extensive and varied forests of sal are found the plains or the foothills. Thepeaks may rise to an elevation of over in the Siwalik hUls and lower Himalayan foothills. They may be of 3500 metres. the following sub-types: d) Foothills: The foothills of Bhutan are not very extensively — moist Siwalik sal forest developed. They are a series of low hills extending all along the — moist bhabar-dun forest — drySiwalik sal forest. southern periphery of thecountry. The main species are—Acacia catechu. Adina cordtfolia, Ano- 7. ArunachalPradesh geissus latifolia. Lagerstroemia parviflora. Shorea robusta and Termi- Arunachal Pradesh is a state within the Union of India. It occu nalia tomentosa. ^ pies the eastern-most part of the Himalaya. Only that part of this state 2. Khair-sissoo forest: This is adry deciduous forest found along which lies to the west of the Brahmaputra river is included in the the rivers and streams in the outer and lower Himalaya. The mam Himalaya. Thus the Lohit and Dihang catchments of Arunachal Tildes are-Acacia catechu. Albizzia lebbek. Dalbergia sissoo. Pradesh are not apart of the Himalaya. This state may be divided into TamarixdiociaaniZizyphusmauratiana. •. coai thefollowing physical units; 3. Uoisi mixed deciduous fiirest. This forest .s an assMiaB ot s^, a) Great Himalaya: The main or great Himalaya runs all along kbaii-sissoo and even chir-pine forests found in the Siwalik hiUs ^d the northern border of this state upto the Namche Barwa peak that the lower Himalaya. Its main constituents maks the eastern extremity of the Himalaya. High, snow-clad peaks Bauhinia relusa, Bombax ceibtt. Daibergia sissoo, MadHuca tmuca and glaciers form apart of the main Himalayan mountain wall and Terminalia sp. b) Himalaya: The lower or middle Himalaya of Arunachal 4. Si^-tropical chir-pine forest: This is a more or less pi^ Prade^ is made up of afew parallel ranges lying to the south of the ciation of chir-pine found in the outer and lower Himalaya between great Himalayan r^ge. Many of these ranges rise abrupUy above the 900 mts and 1500 mts. The following sub-types are recognized: — lower or Siwalik chir-pine forest ttiSay^.'''' —upper or Himalayan chir-pine forest. r/iipchu c) Foothills: The foothills of Arunachal Pradesh are not as well The main tree speies found in this forest are—^cacw cat .

24 Himalayan Wildlife TheHimalaya: AnIntroduction 25 • Ficus roxburghii, Lyonia ovalifolia, Pinus roxburghii, Quercus Fraxinus sp., Pinus gerardiana and Quercus ilex. leucotricophora Rhododendron arboreum. b) Neoza or Chilgoza pine forest: This is an almost pure forest of 5. Oak forests: The following oak forests .are found at different chilgoza pine. The main tree species found in this forest are—Cedrus elevations in the lower and higher Himalaya. deodara. Fraxinus xanlhoxyloides and Pinusgerardiana. a) Ban oak forest: Found between 1700 mis and 2200 mis. The c) Dry deodarforest: This is a dry forest ofdeodar. The main spe main species are—Carpinus viminea, Lyonia ovalifolia, Quercus cies are—Cedriis deodara. Corylus colurus and Pinus gerardiana. leucotricophora andRhododendron arboreum. 8. Sub-alpine forests: These forests are found above an elevation b) Moru oak forest: Found between 2200 mis and 2400 mts. The of 2900 metres. main species aie—Aesculus indica. Betula alnoides. Quercus hima- a) High level fir forest: The main species are—Afciei spectabilis. layana, Quercus leucotricophora and Quercus semecarpifolia. Picea smithiana. Pinus wallichiana, Prunus padus and Taxus baccata. c) Kharsu oakforest: Found between 2500 mts and 3500 mts. The b) Birch fir forest: The main species are—/iWes spectabilis. Bet mam species are—Acer caesium. Betula alnoides. Pyrus lanaia, ula utilis, Quercus semecarpifolia. Rhododendron campanulaium and Quercus himalayana and Quercus semecarpifolia. Sorbusfoliolosa. 6. Moist temperate coniferous forests-. The following coniferous c) Birch-rhododendron scrub forest: The mam species are—Bef- forests are found in the temperate areas of the western Himalaya: ula utilis, Rhododendron anlhopogon. Rhododendron lepidotum and a) Moist deodar forest: This is an almost pure forest of deodar found between 1700 mts and 2500 mts. The main tree species ^°''^^.Alpfn7forests: These forests are found near the snowline in the occumng mthis forest zit~Abies pindrow. Cedrus deodara. Picea higher and trans-Himalayan region: smithiana Pmus wallichiana. Quercus himalayana. Quercu: a) Moist alpine scrub: This is an alpine paswre found just below the snowline in the moister tracts of the maxn Himalaya. The mmn leucotricophora and Rhododendron arboreum. species are-Ac.«ir«^ sp.,Berberis ^..Betula utilis. mtsm,c and 3000 coniferousmts or evenforest:higher.FoundThe mainbetweenspeciesan elevationare— Abiesof 2400oin- dodendron campanulatum. Salix sp.. Synnga emodi and arow. Acer acuminatum. Betula alnoides. Cedrus deodara Picea b) Dry alpine scrub: Found near the snowline in the dner trac". smithiana. Pm^ wallichiana. Quercus sp. and Taxus baccata The main species aie—Arenaria sp.. Artemisia maritima. Artemxsia sacorurum, Caragana sp., Draba gracillima, Euroliana cerato^s. Thi.This fforest' ,s dommated by fir and spruce.at elevationsThe mainof overspecierarT-2300 mts Juniperus communis. Juniperus wallichiana. Kobressia caria sp., Potentiallafruticosa. Primula sp. and Sedum crenulatum. fyrus lanaia. Quercus sp. and Sorbusfoliolosa. 2. Central Himalaya orNepal , th<. fonn? This is more or less apure forest of blue pine 1. Sal forests: These are almost pure forests of ^ "lay occur mmoist ™shady depressions. The main speciesBroadJvedare— Siwalik hills and lower Himalaya upto an elevauon of about 600 mts. Abiespindrow. Aesculus indica. Cedrus deodara. Juglans regia Picea The principal sub-types are: — bhabar-terai sal forest z:z: -d mZ/nZ: — Siwalik sal forest 7. Dry temperate forests: Tliese forests are fnimH in .h. • — hill sal forest. valleys of the higher Himalaya and in T The main species found in these forests are Adina J ' where the innuence of the SW monsoons is negligible- Amoora decandra. Anogeissus latifolia. ^ fer- oojenensis. Schleichera trijuga, Shorea robusla. StercuUa ure . minalia bellerica and Terminalia chebula fore. are-... ~ 2. Tropical deciduous riverine forest. This forest is

TheHimalaya: An Introduction 27 26 Himalayan Wildlife the rivers and streams ofthe outer and lower Himalaya upto an eleva found in the central Himalaya: ^ v . innn tion ofabout 1000 mts. The main species ai&—Acacia catechu. Adina a) Moist temperate deciduous forests: Found between 20w mts cordifolia,Albizziaprocera. Bombax ceiba, Lannea grandis, Sterculia and 3000 mts. The main species are—Acer caesium, Aesculus indica, urens and Trewianudiflora. Alnus nepalensis, Betula alnoides. Juglans regia. Quercus sp. and 3. Sub-tropical evergreen forest: This forest is well developed Rhododendron sp. ... between an elevaUon of 1000 mts and 1200 mts in the high rainfall b) Rhododendron forest: Found in different alutudinal zones usu zone of the lower Himalaya. The main species are—Acer oblongum, ally above an elevation of 2000 mts. The main species of rhôden- Albizzia procera. Alnus nepalensis. Cedrela toona. Eurya acuminata dron found in Nepal aie^Rhododendron anthopogon. R. ^boreum. and Schima wallichii. R. barbatum. R. ciliatum. R. dalhousiae. R.fulgens, R. hodgsonti, R. 4. Sub-tropical lower Himalayan forest: Found upto an elevation lepidotum. R. nivale. R. pendulum. R. setosum. R. triflorum. R. vac- of about 1500 mts. The main species ai&—Acacia catechu. Adina cor- cinoides and R. wallichii. omnfritc Thp difolta, Aegle marmelos. Dalbergia sissoo. Flacourtia indica. Kydia c) Blue pine forest: Occurs at an elevauon of over 2300 mts. Tê calycina, Lagerstroemia parviflora and Unnea grandis. main species are—A6i« pindrow. Abies spectabihs. Betula utilis, 5. Sub-tropical semi-evergreen Himalayan forest: Found between Cedrus deodara. Picia smithiana and Pinus wallichtana. an elevation of 1000 mts and 1600 mts. The main species are— d) Fir and spruce forest: Found between an elevauon of 25M mB Albizzia procera, Ardisia floribunda, Cronus macrophylla, Mallotus and 3200 mts. The main species are—AWcs pindrow. Abies specta- nepalensis. Mangifera indica. Phoebe lanceolata. Randia tettras- bilis Acer caesium. Betula utilis, Juglans regui, Populus ciltata, perma andSaraujanepalensis. Pr^m^.Picea smmUuu,. Quercus sp., Sorbus cuspulau, ami Pound between an elevaUon of 1000 mts and 2000 mts. The main species sit—Cedrela toona. Engelkardtia spi- '^'^\Tma-£«>saforest. Found between an elevatfon of 2^ ""s cata, Qwercus leucotricophora and Pinus roxburghii. and 3500 mis. The main species ÂMes specmbU^. Betulo uuUs. ^^^M^sts: The following varieties of oak forests are found at -r sn^-aipine ..res. different elevations: between an elevation of 1800 mts and a™-«f"Sof^ / ^rc-Carpinus viminea. Cornus capitata. Q-™" Wmc... and

2800 mts and 3200 mts. The main species are-Acer^ acuminatumelevation of A/mtf nepalensis. Quercus himalayana. Quercus leucotricophora. Quecus semecarpifolia and Tsuga dumosa. c) Kh(^su oakforest: Found above an elevation of 3200 mts The mam ^,es are-Ac.r pectinatum. Ilex dipyrena. Quercus Zalay- c) Hippophoe scrub: Occurs above an ele^on of 3^ ^ ^cmecar/)(/b/,a. Rhododendron arboreum and Sorbus main species are—Alnus nepalensis, Hippophae rharw phae salicifolia, Hippophae thibetam and Populus ^ d) Buk oakforest: Found only in eastern Nepal, usually between 10. Alpine scrubforests: The foUowing two types of alpme scruo 2elevauon of 2500 mts and 3500 mts. The main species iTZZ arefound in this region: „„„„,«««» in the sp.,Castanopsis sp.. Ilex dipyrena, Lyonia ovalifolia Prunus nepalen a) Moist olpine scrub: Occurs jua below sis, Quercus lamellosa, lineata and Quercus semeZr^^ot moiscer iraccs of Nepal. The main spKies RMo- 8. Temperateforest: The following types of temperate forests are rus recurvo. Mperus wallicMma, Polenualh fiulicoso, Km

The Himalaya: An Introduction 29 28 Himalayan Wildlife dron antkopogon. R. campanulatum, R.fiilgens, R. lepidotum, R. seto- 5. Oakforests: The following types of oak forests are found mthe sum, R. wallichii, Salix calyculata and S. sikkimensis. b) Dry alpine scrub: Found just below the snowline in the drier aTSforest: Found between an elevation of 1800 mts and tocts of northern Nepal, usually in the inner dry valleys of the higher 2200 m^ ?hrm{in species arcÂcer campbellii. Lithocarpus sp.. âlaya and in the trans-Himalayan tracts. The main species are— elevauon of Artemisia Clematis phlebantha. Cotoneaster Ephedera gerardiana. Hippophae ihibetana. Juniperus sp.. Lonicera sp., Myricaria 2500 mts me main species Îcinâ ca,hcar„, doltsopa. Prunus nepalensis and Quercus lamellosa. wardii. Plectranthus pharicus, Potentialla fruticosa. Rhododendron c) Upper oak forest: Found above an elevauon of ^ mts, ™ sp.. Rosa sericea. Sophora sp.. Spiraea arcuta and Syringa emodi. main sX areÂcer com^tUi. Be,ulo olnoUes. Quercus lorn- 3.Eastern Himalaya 'nt^::^S?^*ollowing .ypes of tetnperate forests are found'r """Sive sal forests

— lower bhabar sal forest upper bhabar sal forest ""T^f/SrS^above 2600 mts. Tlte main — terai sal forest — Himalayan sal forest

"'"""ay® sal forests '^I'suMpine forests-. The following lyP« of sub-alpine foiests

alluvial plain semi-evergreen forest sub-montane semi-evergreen forest ^LZ^lmip'rus «oUicMam. Rhododendron borbatunt. Rhodo secondary semi-evergreen forest dendronft^coreri at an elevaUon of over 3100 rhe mam species found in these forests a•• Casianopsis indica, Duabanga Una arborea. Michelia chamnnm pf u' formosa, Gme- CM.0,1, forests-. The foUowing two types of alpine scrubs in the lower WUs. The^m^if^'^ieV^T^? are found here; , snowline in the sp., Ficus glomerata. Mallotus albus a) Moist alpine scrub: ^ ^x^Berberis sp.. cunini,ToonaciliataandTrewianudiflora ^P" moister parts of the region. ® _ campanulatum, R- Quercus sp.. Rhododendron anthopogon. R. campanu R. ihomsoni and R. wightii. ^ ^ ,i,e snowline b) Dry alpine scrub-. This scrub fotest ts louna

30 Himalayan Wildlife in the inner dry valleys. Junipers are the main species with the follow ing distribution—/iwjpgritf wallichiana (4400-5000 mts). Juniperus squamata (4200-4800 mts), vnd Juniperus recurva (3500-4500 mts).

Wildlife Raging from areas under apermanent snow cover and bleak, dry Md wmdy areas to the hot sub-tropical jungles of the foothills, the âlayapresents diverse habitats of wildlife with levels of variation Wildlife in the ffimalaya that are perhaps unequalled elsewhere in the world. They are the home of awide variety of mammals, reptiles and birds. The fauna of Oje eastern Himalaya is different from that of tlie western and central l^âya due to vanations in the altitude and the amount of rainfall. From the tropical and sub-tropical jungles of Jammu in the west to the wet and almost impenetrable foothill forests of Arunachal Mne? ^ following four zoo-geographic Pradesh in the east, from the temperate vegetation above 2000 mts to 1) Himalayan foothills the areas under a permanent snow cover both in the moist mo dry tracts of the Himalaya, this mountain chain presents diveree habitats f) """ with levels of variaUon that are perhaps unequalled elsewhere mthe 4) Eastern Himalaya. ""'the Himalaya are the home of awide variety of mammA, the lepUles, and avifanna. These inctade the tiger and elânt lhat ai« leLcted to the area east of the Yamuna river and rhinoceros, arelict of ancient dinosaurs, now ^"8 " foothills of the eastern HimaUya east of Tibetan wUd ass is found only in the cold deserts of LaclaMi._^^ is perhaps the most widely distributed Amongst the rarer mammals are the snow leopard and clouded leo- "^Hundreds of species of birds are found in the bothmaL'êsuoresident and migratory. Westernthe Shimlatragopanhill. is0âbeauuful phea^t found in die Himalaya include monal and cheer pheasan bearded vulture. '"^"•'"fni'Hn.alayan chain Ues d.e The fauna of the Himalayan region re«mblB thM »f ^ reffion as well as that of the palaearcuc region. It is believed tnat animalsr^?eliltof theApalaearcticwl«" tf-eHimâyanregion migrated to the SSS as it is today. The distribution of fauna in the Himalaya

34 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife in the Himalaya 35

cipitadon is very high and extremely humid conditions prevail within Expeditions to Himalayan peaks, including the ones to Mt Everest the forest. The main fauna includes the ghoral, serow, panda, badger, have sighted birds flying over the high mountains. The first Indian porcupine and a large variety ofbirds. A number of these animals are expedition to Everest in May 1960 found three eastern steppe eagle altitudinal migrators. (Aquila nepalensis) dead on the South Col, below Everest at an eleva tion of about 7900 mts. It may be noted that the South Col is one of Migration of Birds the most difficult areas to cross. In the autumn of 1952, Tenzing, the The Himalaya play an important and interesting role in the migra noted climber had also found a dead eagle on South Col. This sug tion of birds. This has been summarised in the following text gests thattheSouth Col is a regular flyway between central Asia and 1. One form of bird migration across the Himalaya is along the India. The birds which were found there probably died during their valleys of important rivers. Observations made over the past 30 years migratory flight. or so show that there is a seasonal migration of ducks and cranes and 4. Altitudinal migration is another interesting feature of bird mi other Mntral Asian-Siberian birds into the Indian sub-continent along gration in the Himalaya. There are a number of bird species which the Indus valley. ® breed at higher elevations in the Himalaya and in winter move down In the ^tem Himalaya too. birds tend to flow along the Tsang to the foothills and the plains of northern India.The reverse may also ^ nver efore entering the plains of India through the Brahmaputra be the case. Birds, particularly predators hunt at higher elevations in gorge near Sadiya. the summer season. onH movementsalong the Indus in the west Some birds of the Himalayaeven fly to the hills and mountains of south and centralIndia to spend the winter,viz, the Nilgiris, Aravallis, "Tr®Asiaalso follow other Vindhyansand Satpuras. lay^ laljge originate beyond the main Hima- Dr. Salim Ali (1982), the noted ornithologistdescribed this form 2. Aether form of bird migration across the Himalaya is by of bird migration in the following words, "There are certain Hima ®^^'"des. Till recent times, it was difficult to believe layan endemics that evidently fly non-stop on their annual migration a this form of bird migration took place over the high Himalayan to the hills of the south-western Ghats or Sahyadri complex. Promi pe^, some of which soar to an elevation of over 8000 mts. However, nent among these are the woodcock (Scolopax ruticola), pied ground thrush (Zoothera wardii), blue chat (Erithacus bruncola), brown- have^nn,!f ° sophisticated electronic tracking equipments and radar breasted flycatcher (Muscicapa muttui), blue-throated flycatcher pfie hL?" '"'gration does take (Muscicapa rubeculoides) and several other flycatchers. All of them cross the HimJ ®5^*>"shed beyond doubt that even small birds seem to be species of low tolerance and find the requisite ecological S^ mts at elevations of over conditions onlyin thedamp, well-wooded southern hills." 5. Many natural andartificial waterbodies (mainly lakes andres from^cJitS^As'i^ autumn/winter migration when birds ervoirs) attract migratory birds from central Asia and Siberia. These Sa"e o^e to spend the winter takes birdseither haltat these placesfor a few daysenrouteto theirdestina tion further south or spend the winter in these waterbo^'ies. The Pong dam lake, Gobind Sagar lake and Kalagad dam lake, all of which are located in the warmer foothills, are some examples of such water bodies.

Status Before 1952 The Himalayan forests and the wild animals living in them came under enormous strain during the British rule in India. The forests 34 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife in the Himalaya 35

Status Before 1952 The Himalayan forests and the wild animals living in them came under enormous strain during the British rule in India. The forests 36 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife in the Himalaya 37 were ravaged to pave the way for human settlements and to pay for one protected area. The following table shows the area under national parks and sanc the British war effort. This had an adverse effect on the magnificent tuaries asa percentage ofthe total forest area and geographical area in wild animals living in them. different parts of the Himalaya (after Negi 1984): Reckless hunting too caused the steady depletion of wildlife in the Him^ya. Tiger hunts were commonly held in honour of visiting Region %afforest area %ofgeographic area dignitaries. The population of leopard and tiger dropped down to Jammu & Kashmir alanning levels and the distribution of animals like the rhinoceros 2.03 0.36 became confined to smaller andsmaller pockets. Himachal Pradesh 9.15 3.56 Things were not different in parts of Nepal and Bhutan. Popula Garhwal and Kumaun 15.06 6.19 tion pressure, poaching and clearing offorests led to a steady decline Nepal 10.00 4.25 in the population of wild animals. Sil^im 32.00 11.60 Bhutan 11.21 7.94 Present Conservation and Management Arunachal Pradesh 5.36 3.57 Enactment of Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 and setting up of a WildUfe Advisory Body in 1952. both at the central and stale levels Project Tiger brought about a considerable change in the status ofconservation and The tiger occupies the apex position in the ecosystem and the management ofwildlife intheHimalaya. health, strength and dynamism of the ecosystem can be judged by the a) Central level: The Inspector General of Forests is the overall status and position occupied by the tiger in it. The Project Tiger was incharge of wildlife conservation at the central government level. ^ ® scheme by the Indian Board for Under him are DIG (WildUfe) and Assistant IG (Wildlife) who look Wildhfe with the assistance of the World Wildlife Fund. There are afterwildlife management andconservation. now 13 tiger reserves in the country under the auspices of the Project b) State level: Each state in the Indian Himalaya has its own Tiger. In the Himalaya, the Corbett National Park is the only such re- Chief Wildlife Warden of the rank ofChief or Additionl Chief Con serve. servator of Forests. Under him are Deputy Conservators (Wildlife) The management practices in these reserves are directed and con who look after wildlife divisions and different national parks in the trolled in such a way that all the limiting factors of the habitat are state. removed by taking apackage of steps, viz: c) Nepal and Bhutan: The set-up of the wildlife organisation in anti-poaching and wildlife protection measures Nepal and Bhutan too is similar to that in the Indian Himalaya. — elimination of grazing and other forms of competition from domestic cattle Objects ofConservation and Management soil conservation and water management objects ofconservation and management ofwildlife in — fire prevention the Himalayaare: non-interference by human activities a) To extend scientific management to wildlife living in all areas. conservation and habitat management measures such as waterholes, saltlicks and grassland improvement their threatened species and c) To enforce wildlife legislation stricUy and in a manner con- Conservation and Management of Larger Animals dusive to conservmg wild animals. Tiger and Leopard d) To create and manage sanctuaries, national parks and bio- The tiger and leopard are the largest predators in the Himalaya, ^here reserves so as to preserve and conserve both the flora and onservation and management has to be done in such a' way that there fauna found mthese areas. Each ecological unit should have at least is enough cover available. Sufficient food should also beavailable for 36 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife in the Himalaya 37 were ravaged to pave the way for human settlements and to pay for one protected area. The following table shows the area under national parks and sanc the British war effort. This had an adverse effect on the magnificent tuaries asa percentage ofthe total forest area and geographical area in wild animals living in them. different parts of the Himalaya (after Negi 1984): Reckless hunting too caused the steady depletion of wildlife in the Him^ya. Tiger hunts were commonly held in honour of visiting Region %afforest area %ofgeographic area dignitaries. The population of leopard and tiger dropped down to Jammu & Kashmir alanning levels and the distribution of animals like the rhinoceros 2.03 0.36 became confined to smaller andsmaller pockets. Himachal Pradesh 9.15 3.56 Things were not different in parts of Nepal and Bhutan. Popula Garhwal and Kumaun 15.06 6.19 tion pressure, poaching and clearing offorests led to a steady decline Nepal 10.00 4.25 in the population of wild animals. Sil^im 32.00 11.60 Bhutan 11.21 7.94 Present Conservation and Management Arunachal Pradesh 5.36 3.57 Enactment of Wildlife Protection Act in 1972 and setting up of a WildUfe Advisory Body in 1952. both at the central and stale levels Project Tiger brought about a considerable change in the status ofconservation and The tiger occupies the apex position in the ecosystem and the management ofwildlife intheHimalaya. health, strength and dynamism of the ecosystem can be judged by the a) Central level: The Inspector General of Forests is the overall status and position occupied by the tiger in it. The Project Tiger was incharge of wildlife conservation at the central government level. ^ ® scheme by the Indian Board for Under him are DIG (WildUfe) and Assistant IG (Wildlife) who look Wildhfe with the assistance of the World Wildlife Fund. There are afterwildlife management andconservation. now 13 tiger reserves in the country under the auspices of the Project b) State level: Each state in the Indian Himalaya has its own Tiger. In the Himalaya, the Corbett National Park is the only such re- Chief Wildlife Warden of the rank ofChief or Additionl Chief Con serve. servator of Forests. Under him are Deputy Conservators (Wildlife) The management practices in these reserves are directed and con who look after wildlife divisions and different national parks in the trolled in such a way that all the limiting factors of the habitat are state. removed by taking apackage of steps, viz: c) Nepal and Bhutan: The set-up of the wildlife organisation in anti-poaching and wildlife protection measures Nepal and Bhutan too is similar to that in the Indian Himalaya. — elimination of grazing and other forms of competition from domestic cattle Objects ofConservation and Management soil conservation and water management objects ofconservation and management ofwildlife in — fire prevention the Himalayaare: non-interference by human activities a) To extend scientific management to wildlife living in all areas. conservation and habitat management measures such as waterholes, saltlicks and grassland improvement their threatened species and c) To enforce wildlife legislation stricUy and in a manner con- Conservation and Management of Larger Animals dusive to conservmg wild animals. Tiger and Leopard d) To create and manage sanctuaries, national parks and bio- The tiger and leopard are the largest predators in the Himalaya, ^here reserves so as to preserve and conserve both the flora and onservation and management has to be done in such a' way that there fauna found mthese areas. Each ecological unit should have at least is enough cover available. Sufficient food should also beavailable for 38 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife in the Himalaya 39 the ungulates which form the chief food of the tiger and leopard. Un — grazing is strictly prohibited in protected areas in which gulates will prosper if the area is closed to biotic interference and rhinoceros abound. there is a diverse vegetative growth. 5. Deers

2. Bears Sambhar, spotted deer, hog deer, swamp deer, barking deer, The Himalayan brown and black bears are found at different Kashmir stag and musk deer are the main species of deers found in elevations in the Himalaya. They cause damage to crops and orchards different parts of the Himalaya. Some conservation and management and hence are hunted by poachers. Thus there is a need to afford practices are: adequate protection to these animals. — deers have a tendency to destroy forest plantations and they also raid agricultural fields. Suitable deer or game proof 3. Elephant fences can be erected as a protection measure. These should Elephantsare found in the Himalayan foothills to the east of the be of double strands of barbed wire which are not more than Yamuna river. Until recently, they wereextensively used as a beast of 10 to 15 cms apart. The barbed wire is then attached to fence burden. Elephant catching was a popular and economic operation in posts that are more than 3 mts high. Digging trenches is not the past. However, the thinking has changed now and emphasis is laid useful asdeer tend tojumpoverthem on conserving the elephant. This may bebrought about by the follow deers form the main food of the tiger and hence the ecological ing measures: management of the tiger habitat means suitable management corridors used by elephant herds for migrating from one place of the deer too to other are left undisturbed. waterbodies and saldicks may be made in interior areas that plantations of pure species are avoided so that the elephants cannot be easily approached by poachers areableto get morevariety in their food. grassland improvement. — in case elephant herds invade agricultural fields, fireworks, should be exploded or guns may be fired in the air to scare ^ and Goat Antelopes them away. tahr oh^ include urial or shapu, Tibetan sheep, markhor, Himalayan — when an elephant becomes a rogue it has to be proclaimed and Thesp • ' They are the most sought after meat animals. captured by the pit or kheda method. Rogues should be shot difF distances and hence their protection is only when all attempts tocapture them alive have failed. Care uuncuit. The conservation and management measures include: should be taken to ensure that no other animal is harmed in ®'^forcing strict vigil against hunting the process. ecological management oftheir habitat

4. Rhinoceros Legislation The rhinoceros is found in the foothills east of central Nepal. Wildlife in the Indian Himalaya is governed by the Wildlife Pr(^ Some management techniques are: Uon Act of 1972. The act provides for the protection of wild am- s and birds and for matters connected therewith orancillary orin- the rhino habitat is maintained by keeping enough areas under C! ental thereto. It has 7chapters which are divided into 66 sections, swamps and grasslands —controlled burning may be done to hold the ecological succes ive schedules ofanimals are incorporated in this act. sion at the grassland stage This act deals with wildlife administration, hunting of wild ^ — when rhinoceros tend to cross the boundaries of national nials, sanctuaries &national parks, trade in animal skins &trop parks and sanctuaries, firing of blank catridges may have to 3nd prevention and detection of wildlife offences. nmtec- Nepal and Bhutan too have their own legislation for e P beresorted toin order topush them back tion ofwild animals. 38 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife in the Himalaya 39 the ungulates which form the chief food of the tiger and leopard. Un — grazing is strictly prohibited in protected areas in which gulates will prosper if the area is closed to biotic interference and rhinoceros abound. there is a diverse vegetative growth. 5. Deers

Himalaya. Itis a common monkey living in and around human seitle- ments. In summer the rhesus macaque may ascend to elevations of over 2500 mts in search of food. They are good swimmers and cross even rapid torrents. The rhesus macaque eats fruits, leaves, succulent shoots & roots and spiders and insects. 2. Assamese macaque (Macaco assamensis): Found in the lower Himalayan Mammals Himalaya from Mussoorie in the west to Aninachal Pradesh in the east. During the summer season the Assamese macaques livebetween 600 mts and 1800 mts while in winter they are rarely foundover 1200 mts. They usually live in small troops in dense forests, avoid human settlements, but may raid fields and orchard^. Their food consists of fruits, seeds, leaves, roots, shoots and insects. TheirTu body temperature^ STOupremainsof animalsmore orwholesssucklestatic irrespectivetheir young ofones.the 3. Common langur or Hanuman monkey (Presbytis entellus): The climatic temperature. In the Himalaya, mammals are found right from common langur is found in various parts of the Himalaya. They may the foothill zone along the Indo-Ganga plain to tracts around the ascend to elevations of over 3500 mts. The Himalayan race is more snowline. hairy, thick-coated and the pale heads stand out in sharp contrast with Amongst the larger Hmalayan mammals is the Indian one-homed other parts of the body. The langurs move in troops of varying sizes rhinoceros which was once found all along the foothills. However, andascend to the sub-alpine forests in search of food during the sum today iis distribuuon is restricted to the eastern Himalayan foothills. mer months. They eat fruits, flowers, leaves, shoots, succulent roots The elephant and uger are found in the area to the east of the Yamuna andoccasionally raidfields andorchards. nver along the boundary of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. Other larger mammals include the leopard, clouded leopard, snow 4. Golden langur (Presbytis geei): This langur was discovered by l^p^d, Tibetan wild ass (found only in the cold desert of Ladakh) the famous naturalist E.P. Gee in thejungles ofeastern Himalaya. The black and brown bears. coat is of a uniform deep cream to golden colour. Little is known about this elusive species found in the jungles ofthe Sankosh river on medium-Sized mammals found in the Himalaya include the Indo-Bhutan border. ^^hmir stag, ghoral, bharal. blue sheep, nyan, hyaena, jackal, wolf and wild boar 5. Slow loris {Nycticebus coucang): Restricted in occurrence to parts of Arunachal Pradesh. It lives in dense forests and is nocturnal lav. in the Hima- by habiL

Most Himalayan mammals are migratory by nature They move Cat Family 1. Tiger {Panlhera tigris): Found in different pam of laya from Garhwal in the west to Arunachal Pradesh found from the lower foothills to elevations of over _ Primates tiger preys on deers, antelopes, wild boars, porcupi , phants and even domestic animals. j .\. Thp leooard is found 1. me,us macaque (Uacaca mulMc): Found all over ihe lower 2. Uopard or Panlher {Panlhera pardus). snowline. It all over the Himalaya from the foothills to irac 42 Himalayan Wildlife Himalayan Mammals 43 lives both in forests and in open rocky areas. It will kill and eat 9. Jungle ca, IFelis cha^s): The jungle cat ^ anything it can overpower, viz. deers, antelopes, wild boars, porcu legs and a short tail. Found all over the Him aya. momines pines, monkeys, birds, domestic cattle and even poultry. The leopard jungle cat has a thicker winter coat. It usually hunts IS more widely distributed than the tiger. and evenings. It eats small mammals, birds, domesuc animals and 3. Snow leopard or Ounce (Panthera undo): This is an elusive poultry. animal found at very high elevations from Kashmir to parts of western 10. Ly;u: I.FeHs lynx)-. The lynx ^nachal Pradesh. It lives in the caves of stunted forests lying near tract of the upper Indus valley in Ladakh. ^ ê snowhne. The snow leopard hunts early in the morning or around alpine scrub grasses and rocks near the snow i • during aliitudinal migrant and ascends to elevations o o fj^gmmals and SL?ên^ and^7'even largerfbirds. It moves to the alpine pastures marmots,in search the summer months in search of prey- They ea s which it birds. Not much is known about the lynx as e ^ critical may descend to elevauons ofabout 2000 mis. snow leopard lives is extremely difficult and their populauon leopard {Neqfelis nebulosa): This is another elusive levelsin therecentpast. 11. Pallas' cat {Felis manul): This ,g (aiown about -"""^les and hunt atnight, killine deers sively in the cold desert region of Ladakh. No wild boars, monkeys, large birds and even domestic îm^s the feeding habits of the Pallas' cau

Civets

1. Spoued linsang or Tiger civel ..Me. ca. 'Sr,'Snr tiful civet found in the forests of igSO mts. H Arunachal Pradesh between an elevation of13" ^ or devours small mammals and birds which itcap 0"ihe ground. . asturdy civet '••2. i^rgeLarge inaianIndian civei (Viverraivivetiu • . ^y_ Itu is a solitary—• with an elongated head £md long country animal found in dense forests, scrublands and ^1^ j^gg mdian Darjeeling hills, Sikkim and Anmachal m OfIt lives-he both in forested areas Jid arn..nH°h " Himalaya, civet eats small animals and birds. jji the upK>n smaller m^mals, birds, small 3. Small Indian civet ^^jlands. It se^^ foothills of the Himalaya usually preferruig for food on the ground. herrnap^''^'^^' 1500 mts. I, lives in or lerthtv t '" "I""' 4. Common palm civet or Toddy cat coarse aiound grassy swamps, dvers, streams MdWes "the fw): Ablack or dark brown civet bean"g^ the nor^^^ on any animal it can kill including fishes and S ® m the lower reaches of the H>malay and does not normally enter water tn L,nh ^ freshwater molluscs. It to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. I ,„,ral fields, crouching on arior ovX^in^® ">•< "o ^1. by day amongst the branches villages and agncul palm trees are its favourite shelter n

Himalayan Birds 65

the western and central Himalaya 3. Little grebe {Podiceps ruficollis capensis)'. Found in the west ern Himalaya.

Pelicans

Himalayan Birds 1. White or Rosy pelican {Pelecanus onocrotalus): A winter mi grant in waterbodies of the lower Himalaya. 2. Grey or Spotted-billed pelican {Pelecanus philippensis philippensis and P.P. crispus): A winter migrant found in the waterbodies The Himalaya are the home of thousands of species of birds or of the lower Himalaya. avifauna. The bird assemblage of this mountain chain has been influ enced by palaearctic, south Indian. Malayan. Chinese, Tibetan and Cormorants and Snake Birds central Asian elements. Amongst the larger birds found in the Hima 1. Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carbo): Found in the Himalayan laya are kites, eagles, vultures and pheasants. The medium-sized birds foothills. include fowls, cocks, woodpeckers and swallows while tits and war blers are some of the smaller birds of the Himalayan mountain chain. 2. Indian shag (Phalacrocorax fuscicoUis)-. Found in the lower Both resident and migratory birds live in the Himalaya. Migratory Himalaya. birds come to various parts of this mountain to spend a particular 3 Little or Pygmy cormorant {Phalacrocorax niger): Found aU season; d.uring summer they come from the plains of cental India and over the lower Himalaya. during winter from the landmass ofcentral Asia. Bu-d niiption is a very interesUng avifaunal activity in the 4. Darter {Anhinga rufa melanogaster): Found in the western and Himalaya. Birds moving to and from central and southern India and central Himalaya cen^ Asia cross this mountain chain. TTiey either fly along valleys of the important nvers like Indus, SaUuj and Brahmapuua or fly over Herons the nigh mountains. 1. Great whUe-belUed heron (.Ardea imperiam. Found in Uie migration of birds also takes place. Many birds move central and eastern Himalaya. vallcvJtn summers and descend to the shelter of the 2. Gim. heron iArdea ,oUam- Occurs mU.e H.a.alayan foo.- far awav ew1igin hills in south India to spendHimalayawinterfly months.to places as cuss2^in?i^?'ncussed mthe followmg text (after Ripiey 1964). Himalaya are dis ""3 Heron iArdea cinerea ree,ros.^^^: Founa in U.e

Grebes

5. Lutie grt Himalaya. western, central and easte lack necked grebe (Podiceps caspicus caspicus)'. Found in Himalayan Birds 65

the western and central Himalaya 3. Little grebe {Podiceps ruficollis capensis)'. Found in the west ern Himalaya.

Pelicans

Grebes

5. Lutie grt Himalaya. western, central and easte lack necked grebe (Podiceps caspicus caspicus)'. Found in 66 Himalayan Wildlife Himalayan Birds 67

Ducks, Geese and Swans 6. Pond heron orPaddy bird {Ardeola grayify. Found all over the Himalaya, usually uptoan elevation of 1500 mis. 1. White-fronted goose (Anser albifrons albifrons): Apalaearctic 7. Chinese pond heron (Ardeola bacchus): Found in ditches and species found indifferent pans of the Himalaya. paddy fields ofthe foothills ofthe eastern Himalaya. 2. Lesser white-fronted goose {Anser erythropus): Found in the 8. Cattle egret {Bubulcus ibis coromandus): Occurs in the grass western, central and eastern Himalaya. lands and wet areas ofthe Himalayan foothills. 3. Bar-headed goose {Anser indicus): A species of the Tibetan 9. Large egret {Egretta alba alba and E.a. modesta): Not very zone, occurs in all parts of the Himalaya. common in the foothills of the western and central Himalaya. 4. Snow goose {Anser caerulescens caerulescens): Very rare in 10. Little egret (Egretta garzetta garzetta): Found in the western parts of Kashmir. andcentral Himalaya. 5. Whooper swan {Cygnus cygnus): Found in the wetlands of western Himalaya. phus):L Found near wet areasbitternin the(Gorsachiusfoothills ofmelanolophusthe eastern Himalaya.melanolo- 6. Lesser whistling teal {Dendrocygnajavanica): Occurs upto an 12. Little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus minuius): Found in the elevation of about 500 mts in the western and central Himalayan swamps and marshes of the western and central Himalaya. foothills. \ 7. Large whistling teal (Dendrocygna bicolor): Not very com wetlandswprianii ofthe Hunalayan foothills.leucocephalus): Not very common in the mon in the western Himalaya. 8 Spotbill duck {Anas poecilor-hyncha poecilor-hyncha): Oc of01 uie western and centralWnaitomMHimalaya oscitans): Found in the wetlands curs in'the weUands of the foothills of the western, central and eastern Himalaya. 9. Mallard (Anas piatyrhynchos): Found upto an elevation of the (.Ciconia episcopus episcopus): Found in about 3000 mts in different parts of the Himalaya. It is known to IuTm1 »P'° - elevauon of breed in Kashmir. 10. Gadwall (Anas strepera strepera): A winter migrant to the tropical and sub-tropical forests of the Himalaya. 11. Falcated teal {Anas falcata): Found in parts of the Himalayan foothills.

Not very common in the 12. Wigeon {Anas penelope): Found in the wedands of the west- em Himalayan foothills.

Ibis and SpoonbiU 13. Garganey {Anas querquedula): Awinter visitor to the wet lands of the western and central Himalayan foothills. 14. Shoveller {Anas clypeata): Awinter migrant to the sub-tropi- the Lives in and around cal and temperate tracts ofthe western Himalaya. 66 Himalayan Wildlife Himalayan Birds 67

Not very common in the 12. Wigeon {Anas penelope): Found in the wedands of the west- em Himalayan foothills.

15. Pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea): Occurs in evergreen and tropical moist deciduous forests of the eastern Hima the swamps and marshes of the foothills of Nepal and eastern Hima laya. laya. 3. Indian black-crested baza {Aviceda leuphotes syama): Found 16. Common pochard {Aythya ferina): Found in the foothills of in the foodiills of the central and eastern Himalaya. the western Himalaya. 4. Black kite or Pariah {Milvusmigrans migrans): Found upto an 17. White-eyed pochard (Aytha nyroca): Found in the wetlands elevation of 2200 mts in western and central Himalaya. ofKashmir and Ladakh. 5. Black kite or Pariah {Milvus nugrans lineatus): Found in the 18. Ti^ed duck {Aytha fuligula): Apalaearctic species spending upper areas of the Himalaya. the winter in parts of the western, central and eastern Himalaya. 6. Brahminy kite {Haliastur indus): Found in the foothills of the 19. Scaup duck {Aytha marila): Awinter migrant to the wetlands western and central Himalaya. of the western, central and eastern Himalaya. 7. Goshawk {Accipiter gentilis): A winter visitor to the upper 20. Cotton teal {Nettapus coromandelianus coromandelianus): areas of the Himalaya. Found m the wedands of the foothills of the western and central Himalaya, usually upto an elevation of400 mts. 8. Crested goshawk {Accipiter trivirgatus): Found upto an eleva tion of2200 mts from Garhwal to Arunachal Pradesh. swampsQu/flmlc ofthe foothills of Arunachal{CairinaPradesh.scutulata): Occurs in the 9. Sparrow hawk {Accipiter nisus melaschistos): Found between an elevation of 1100 mts and 3300 mts in the Himalaya. 10. Besra sparrow hawk {Accipiter virgatus kashmiriensis): Found in the western Himalaya. aUy 11. Besra sparrow hawk {Accipiter virgatus qffinis): Found in the central and eastern Himalaya. central Himalaya, upto the Ouais ofABhutanwinterinvisiiorthe east.to the western and 12. Long-legged buzzard {Buteo rufinus rufinus): Found in the western and central Himalaya. vari^' (^ii'gus merganser orientalis): Found in 13. Upland buzzard {Buteo hemilasius): Found in the uppertracts elevation'of STOmtslSlT"^ of western and central Himalaya. 14. Buzzard {Buteo buteo burmanicus): Found upto an elevation of about2200 mts;breedsin Ladakh.

t 15. White-eyed buzzard eagle {Butastus teesa): Found inthe foot Hawksand Vultures hills ofthe western and central Himalaya. 16. Hodgson's hawk eagle {Spizaetus nipalensis nipedensis): , ringed late {Elanus caeruleus vociferus)' Lives in the Found between an elevation of 400 mtsand 2200 mts in various parts tats and culdvated areas or.jrf«ti rcSt^S oftheHimalaya. 17. Changeable hawk eagle {Spizaetus cirrhatus limnaetus): 2. BlyOt's baza Wceda jerdcni jerjonf)-. Found in the tKipical Found upto an elevation of 2200 mts from Garhwal to Arunachal 68 Himalayan Wildlife Himalayan Birds 69

26. Red-headed bullfinch (Pyrrhula erythrocephala): Found from Kashmir to Kangra.

Buntings

1. Pine bunting {Emberiza leucocephala): Found from Kashmir to Mussoorie. 2. Black-faced bunting {Emberiza spodocephala): Found in the east of Himalayan foothills. 3. White-capped bunting {Emberiza stewarti): Found from Kash mir to Almora. 4. Rock bunting {Emberiza cia): Found in the upper tracts ofthe Himalaya. 5. Grey-headed bunting {Emberiza fucata): Found from Kashmir to Shimla. 6. Crested bunting {Melophus lathami): Found in the foothills from Kashmirto Bhutan. 5 Himalayan Reptiles and Fishes

Many different species of reptiles live in the Himalaya, Gangetic gharial and muggar are found in limited numbeis in o y few ofthe Himalayan rivers. Smaller four-footed « common house gecko. Asian gecko and fiui-tbroated lizard. species and varieties of both poisonous and non-poisonous ««foiiiriii

RepUles include snakes, lizards and restricted to the foothill, terai and bhabar tracts, snakes ^ found all over the Himalaya. Snakes . fUg ^rorid. Amongst Over two thousand species of These occur from ihese, over one hundred are found in the Lahui and terai and bhabar tracts to the cold deserts have Spiti. Only the important venemous and non-venem been described in detail while the rest have only Whittaker 1975). 120 Himalayan Wildlife Reptilesand Fishes 121

Venomous Snakes termite mounds, ratholes, under rocks and boulders and even inaban doned human dwellings. This snake feeds on insects, rats, mice, liz 1. Common krait (Bungarus caeruleus): Asmooth, glossy, bluish- black snake having a rounded head that is slighUy different from the ards, frogs, toads and even small snakes of their own kind. Till recent neck. About 40 thin white cross bands cover the entire body. The times they were hunted and killed for their skin. lower part of its body is white coloured. It is found in the western, 5. Indian monocled cobra (Naja naja kaouthia): A medium to central and eastern Himalaya upto an elevaUoii of about 1700 mts. large-sized snake with shiny scales and wide head and neck. The The common krait lives in sandy soil, termite mounds, burrows of colour ranges from black to yellowish or greenish-brown with ragged rodents mdpUes ofbrick and rubble. bands. The hood bears a marked white monocle. The underside is Kraits are nocturnal and hide during the day. They come out after yellowish-white. _ ., ^ ^k and hum for food mainly mice, rats, toads, frogs, lizards and This cobra is found in the lower hills of Garhw^ even small members of their own kind. Nepal, north Bengal, Bhutan and Aiunachal Pradwh. They iâbit wetter areas and live in rat holes, termite mounds ^d^ boulders. They are nocturnal and hunt for footer J A medium to large-sized season makes them very active and dangerous. The hood is ^dout Zfh It has characteristic yellow and black when disturbed. Their food consists of '"êcts, rats, mice, tog^ not very markedV!ondeveloped theunderside.backbone and ablunt tail. The bands are ards and even fishes and small snakes. TTiey are hunted for their skin. foothm's^ ^ 1500 mts in the 6. KO,i cobra iOpUophasus Im^y. Ws EmmI '"cts of Garhwal, Kumaun, Nepal, north shiny scales. Theie occur f and rodenr Pradesh. They live in termite mounds large head is alitUe wider than the neck. The coiow vm kraits are nrvt 1" vicinity of villages and water. The banded to yellowish or deep are edged with black, near fields TnrfU ^0°^ >" 0P«" underside is of alighter colour. ^ J"® ^. foothills of the snakes. smaller This is areladvely rare ,«^/^.^rdevadon of western, central and eastern Himalaya, y jjjgij slendering wJf" '""'u ^^^llophis macClellandi): Asmall 2000 mts. They prefer dense ® ^ ^he hood is spread out tail is blackf'"®?'? shmy scales and a blunt black head. The food consists of lizards, rats and smaU snakes. brown ^coV^ wh ."".S when disturbed. . . j acterisucacterisUc vellowyellow spots on thek top of the head 7. Russell's viper (Vipera snake having heavy, rough, strongly HimllVTrv 4000 mts in the eastern or yellowish-brown with j ^^jhade that may or may not are able to of waterbodies, in forest areas and black. The underside is usually ofalighter snao bespeckled. ^-ntral and eastern Himalaya, mice, frogs and smalLs^s^* This snake is found in yve in termite mounds co6ra (Aâya naja naja): Amedium to large- ra,usuallyhoL:uptocrevicesan elevationof rocteof 3000 . thornywi*V"'"fbushes and andamediiim.«i grass. When provoked, they are cmbs and smaller or even velinu/' h i, colour varies from dark brown to black THey feed on rals, mice, lizarfs. «»n»o"S. white or yellow narTpattern^^ththat may at times formcoveredragged bands.with aspeckled snakes oftheir own kind. rt.iatively te ai and bhabar tract to an elevation of about 4000Himalayamts. Theyfromlivethein Reptiles and Fishes 123 122 Himalayan Wildlife small snake whose upper surface is green in colour while the lower frogs, rats, mice, lizards, small snakes, birds and even their eggs. part is ofa different shade. The head is wide, triangular and the neck 4. Bronze-back tree snake (Dendrellaphis tristis): A isthin, delicate. The head has tiny scales while the dorsal body scales sized slender snake having smooth scales. They are long with a are slighdy keeled. head and large eyes. The upper portion is dark brown Oj" âck. whUe This snake is found at elevations of 4800 mts in the western the underside is of awhitish, grey or light green colour. Am e Himalaya. It perhaps ascends upto the highest elevation as compared or bronze strip extends on the dorsal side from fte head • to any other snake in the world. They live in thick vegetation near the outer edge of the belly scale is notched and these form a edges of streams and rivers. These snakes are relatively slow moving side of the body. This helps the snake to cUmb .c and search for food at night. Frogs, rats, mice and lizards are their Found all 'along the Himalayan foothill Wt up^ main food. about 2000 mts. They live in low bushes and thomy ^ snake which is active both during the day and nig -nakes are Non-venomous Snakes from tree to tree and from tree tops to the Their usually found in the open and usually <^0 small snakes and 1. Himalayan cat snake {Boiga multifasciata): A small to me- principal food consists of frogs, rats, mice, squirrels, smai ûm-sized slender snake, with smooth scales, very thin neck, pro- birds. tudmg eyes and a flat head. It has a light brown colour and bears a .. j- This is a medium to darker pattern of zig zag markings. Adistinct 'Y' mark occurs on the 5. Royal snake (Spalerosophis diade ). top of Its head. The underside is of a lighter shade. The scales are large-sized snake. The upper part is are irregular smooth but not usually glossy. colour while the underside is of a rose-pm • -pije Hmalayan cat snake is found upto an elevation of about black markings on the back. The head and necK are juuu rats. They are nocturnal creatures and spend the day amongst dorsal scales are keeled. r«„,hnis terai and bhabar tract of bushes, under the bark of trees or rocks. Frogs, toads, rats, mice, liz The royal snake is found in the footh • jjjgy Uve in rat Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, This snake is active ards and insects are their main food. holes, crevices and amongst rocks and bashes. They prefer M/we/wZ/fl nasutus): A medium to large- during the day and is an agile cUinher °\«®rfood j^^gts of rodents, si^ slender snake with dull scales. It is green in colour. The head is arid areas to moister tracts. Their pnncipal fooo underside is ofa Ughter shade. Found in the lizards, insects and small birds. ^ medium- ^thiUs and terai-bhabar belt of Kumaun, Nepal and north Bengal. 6. Banded racer side is Ugh^ ^ iS K-^! ®ôngst low bushes and trees. Frogs, mice, Uzards and sized snake having smooth scales. shade. The youngs small birds are their main food. brown in colour while the lower side is regularly spa iChrysopelea ornata): A small to medium-sized snakes have white cross bands that sxt ^ jmie narro and brilliant white markings on the "ea • S Iht ! "^'"1 aêry bright pattern of black, than the head while the tip or nose is ^ bhabar tract o scales that are used.V®for climbing. lateral folds on the belly The banaelbanded racer«cer_.is f<^dfound in J^^^ngst .h.the grasses^" western and central Himalaya. It ' . during the day. onHdnorth Bengal upto an elevation of forestsabout 2000of themts.foothillsThey areof activeNepal bushes. This is an agUe snake hunong fo gnd rubble mthi a^g the day and prefer to live on large trees and dense forests. live in the burrows of rodents. Tnsects and lizards. grass. Their main food consists of frogs. wge snake with nth!fbranches of one high tree to the y 7^15 is a " k also used for searching their food. Theirêirprincipalenemiesfoodand consiststhis abilityof 7. Common ratsnake {Ptyas rmicosus). Reptiles and Fishes 123 122 Himalayan Wildlife small snake whose upper surface is green in colour while the lower frogs, rats, mice, lizards, small snakes, birds and even their eggs. part is ofa different shade. The head is wide, triangular and the neck 4. Bronze-back tree snake (Dendrellaphis tristis): A isthin, delicate. The head has tiny scales while the dorsal body scales sized slender snake having smooth scales. They are long with a are slighdy keeled. head and large eyes. The upper portion is dark brown Oj" âck. whUe This snake is found at elevations of 4800 mts in the western the underside is of awhitish, grey or light green colour. Am e Himalaya. It perhaps ascends upto the highest elevation as compared or bronze strip extends on the dorsal side from fte head • to any other snake in the world. They live in thick vegetation near the outer edge of the belly scale is notched and these form a edges of streams and rivers. These snakes are relatively slow moving side of the body. This helps the snake to cUmb .c and search for food at night. Frogs, rats, mice and lizards are their Found all 'along the Himalayan foothill Wt up^ main food. about 2000 mts. They live in low bushes and thomy ^ snake which is active both during the day and nig -nakes are Non-venomous Snakes from tree to tree and from tree tops to the Their usually found in the open and usually <^0 small snakes and 1. Himalayan cat snake {Boiga multifasciata): A small to me- principal food consists of frogs, rats, mice, squirrels, smai ûm-sized slender snake, with smooth scales, very thin neck, pro- birds. tudmg eyes and a flat head. It has a light brown colour and bears a .. j- This is a medium to darker pattern of zig zag markings. Adistinct 'Y' mark occurs on the 5. Royal snake (Spalerosophis diade ). top of Its head. The underside is of a lighter shade. The scales are large-sized snake. The upper part is are irregular smooth but not usually glossy. colour while the underside is of a rose-pm • -pije Hmalayan cat snake is found upto an elevation of about black markings on the back. The head and necK are juuu rats. They are nocturnal creatures and spend the day amongst dorsal scales are keeled. r«„,hnis terai and bhabar tract of bushes, under the bark of trees or rocks. Frogs, toads, rats, mice, liz The royal snake is found in the footh • jjjgy Uve in rat Jammu, Himachal Pradesh, This snake is active ards and insects are their main food. holes, crevices and amongst rocks and bashes. They prefer M/we/wZ/fl nasutus): A medium to large- during the day and is an agile cUinher °\«®rfood j^^gts of rodents, si^ slender snake with dull scales. It is green in colour. The head is arid areas to moister tracts. Their pnncipal fooo underside is ofa Ughter shade. Found in the lizards, insects and small birds. ^ medium- ^thiUs and terai-bhabar belt of Kumaun, Nepal and north Bengal. 6. Banded racer side is Ugh^ ^ iS K-^! ®ôngst low bushes and trees. Frogs, mice, Uzards and sized snake having smooth scales. shade. The youngs small birds are their main food. brown in colour while the lower side is regularly spa iChrysopelea ornata): A small to medium-sized snakes have white cross bands that sxt ^ jmie narro and brilliant white markings on the "ea • S Iht ! "^'"1 aêry bright pattern of black, than the head while the tip or nose is ^ bhabar tract o scales that are used.V®for climbing. lateral folds on the belly The banaelbanded racer«cer_.is f<^dfound in J^^^ngst .h.the grasses^" western and central Himalaya. It ' . during the day. onHdnorth Bengal upto an elevation of forestsabout 2000of themts.foothillsThey areof activeNepal bushes. This is an agUe snake hunong fo gnd rubble mthi a^g the day and prefer to live on large trees and dense forests. live in the burrows of rodents. Tnsects and lizards. grass. Their main food consists of frogs. wge snake with nth!fbranches of one high tree to the y 7^15 is a " k also used for searching their food. Theirêirprincipalenemiesfoodand consiststhis abilityof 7. Common ratsnake {Ptyas rmicosus). 6 Wildlife Conservation in the Himalaya

India is considered to have the richest assemblage of wildlife. If variety is taken as a yardstick then India will perhaps stand out as a giant. During the British rule in India there came a time when many animals including the tiger and lion had reachcd on the threshold of extinction. Each not-too-infrequent tiger-hunt left tens oftigers dead. The wanton destruction of wildlife continued due to hunting and clearance of forest areas. In the past few decades, there has been an awakening towards conserving the wildlife. The government has come out with several laws prohibiting the killing of animals, and preserving the precious wildlife. Several areas have been declared as protected areas so that animals and birds can occupy their natural habitat and live and grow under natural and protected conditions. Several wildlife sanctuaries and national parks have been created in several parts of the country with the specific object of conserving the wildlife. Some of the impor tant conservation areas in the Himalaya have been dealt in the follow ing text. CONSERVATION AREAS OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR Jammu and Kashmir is one ofthe leading Hin^aJayan slates in the field of wildlife conservation. The state government has established national parks and sanctuaries in all the three major ecological regions of the state, viz. Ladakh. Kashmir valley and Jammu region These ai«as have helped to conserve and improve the lot of both tlie flora and fauna particularly those species which were on the verge of ex- Unction, viz, the Kashmir stag and snow leopard.

142 Himalayan Wildlije Wildlife Conservation in the Himalaya 143

for««. The principal forest types found in this national park are: (i) Dryalpine scrub. W Dry jumper scrub forest (b) Populus and salix forest Fauna: The faunal assemblage of this national park resembles (c) Sub-alpine birch-fir forest that of the adjoining Kashmir valley, Ladakh and Chamba area of (d) Dry alpine scrub and pasture. Himachal Pradesh. This is the home of—leopard, Kashmir stag, brown and black bears, civet cat, grey langur, ibex, musk deer and endan?^ home of a number of rare and many speciesof birds. Tibetan wilrf ^^ ''^S'Himalayan tract viz—snow leopard, cies found hp ^ bharal. Amongst the rare bird spe- Overa Wildlife Sanctuary Ztory budsrs nLpass'h'''through thisr"area on their way toP^dge.warmer partsManyofmigra-India. This is asmall wildlife sanctuary located in the eastern part of the Kashmir valley. It was set up as a sanctuary m1981 Kistwar National Park area of 32 sq kms. This sanctuary has recently been merged with the Overa-An] sanctuary described in the following text about 400 sq^kms"(JSiTlny ^ ^ Geomorpfwlogy: The terrain encompasses ^ Kashmir with Himachal ?u°" catchment of the river. Glaciated tracts occur m ^ ment of the river Chenab Tlfr^' •^ ^ while the landscape of lower elevations has been carved out by fast mts. • elevation varies from 1700 mts to 4800 flowing water. Climate: Temperate to arctic climatic conditions prevail. spurs,geomoiphic^featJrêsridges, saddles,Uicludeglacial amo^fhn" rugged. Theinterlockingprominent coniferous and — sub-alpine and alpine belts are found in different parts 7il7' ary. Fauna: The Overa wildlife reachesupper u-acts.of thisRainsnaSualk^rrrrâre rerf - "ôn^l'tionsprevailsare experiencedin the inlowerthe musk deer, serow, markhor and many interesung pe winter. Autumn is briaht during the monsoon season and in heavy snowfall occurs from ^T^l' cold. Very Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary nf nhniit 400 sq kms in the upper ^c-rs: This sanctuary covers an ^ mountain resort of catchment of the Lidder nver p ^ of the Overa Pahalgam in Kashmir valley. It also includes me sanctuary described in the previous text. (c) Dry deodar forest Geomorphology: The S scrub forest of thick deposits of glacial /j^^jgr river and its tributanw shaped valleys and amphitheatas. terraces are sand- have carved out deep boulder-fiHed 8 S • ^ hanging valleys wiched between interlocking spurs. Wateriaiis are common. 144 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife Conservation in the Himalaya 145 Climate: A typical temperate climateprevailsat lower elevations while arctic tosub-aictic conditions arecommon in the upper reaches. (h) Sub-alpine birch-fir forest Winters are wet and extremely cold. Snow covers a large part of the (i) Sub-alpine pasture sanctiiary for several weeks. 0) Birch-rhodêndron scrub forest (k) Deciduous alpine scrub Forests: The principal forest types found in this sanctuary are: (1) Dwarf rhododendron scrub. (a) Moist deodar forest Fauna: The Gulmarg wildlife sanctuary is the G>) Mixed coniferous forest interesting high altitude species. These include—leopard, ' (c) Moisttemperate deciduous forest black be^, musk deer, ib^x, maikhor and smaller (d) Sub-alpine forest tlie squirrels and field mouse. Amongst the birds (e) Moist alpine scrub. western tragopan and different species of eagles and vultures. Fauna: This sanctuary is the home of many rare and threatened high altitude species. These include—leopard, Kashmir stag, brown Shankaracharya Hill Wildlife Sanctuary bear, black bear, ibex, musk deer and various interesting species of birds. Shankaracharya hill is adominaMg °Hrof°to^sts each lake and Srinagar. It is the destination of hun Kashmir valley Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary day. The hill-top affords a commanding view ° jjjjj êre for tens of miles. Before 1940, the ^ Gulmarg is apopular mountain resort near Srinagar in Kashmir depleted due to the removal of fuel wood, sm of trees. Jêy. Dense forests occur in this area. fThe tract around Gulmarg has There came a stage when this hill becanie ^ nroKramme was Thereafter, a massive afforestado. a.d ûtTso^Ss ^ sanctuary. It encompasses an area of taken up to increase the tree cover. This m forest covff. cess. Today, the Shankaracharya hUl supports agooo ^ glaciated terrain is found in the upper Geomorphology: This is atowering hill situated along fieuratinnfiguration due to the acUonTTi©oflowerrunningslopeswater.have got their present con lake. The slope varies from very steep to precipi .. gjea. ters P^âils in tfiis area. Win- Climate: Temperate to sub-arctic all throufflwhA snowfall occurs at frequent intervals Very heavy snowfall is received during the w ^ Forests: The principal tree species Aat ^^'^^âcacia, oak and srea are deodar, blue pine, poplar, chestnut. listed bdow « "'is sanctuary are ^ are-leopaid. DacC:a.^.^ - Pauna: Amongst the animals found of wiW goats and (a) Moist deodar forest •nusk deer, black bear, brown bear, different speci Temperate mixed coniferous forest sheep and many interesting species of birds. !S moist mixed deciduous forest (a) Temperate secondary scrub Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary (e) Cypress and Alder forests hills. K (f) Blue pine forest The Ramnagar wildlife sanctuary (g) Sub-alpine high level fir forest covers an areaof about13 sqkms. 144 Himalayan Wildlife Wildlife Conservation in the Himalaya 145 Climate: A typical temperate climateprevailsat lower elevations while arctic tosub-aictic conditions arecommon in the upper reaches. (h) Sub-alpine birch-fir forest Winters are wet and extremely cold. Snow covers a large part of the (i) Sub-alpine pasture sanctiiary for several weeks. 0) Birch-rhodêndron scrub forest (k) Deciduous alpine scrub Forests: The principal forest types found in this sanctuary are: (1) Dwarf rhododendron scrub. (a) Moist deodar forest Fauna: The Gulmarg wildlife sanctuary is the G>) Mixed coniferous forest interesting high altitude species. These include—leopard, ' (c) Moisttemperate deciduous forest black be^, musk deer, ib^x, maikhor and smaller (d) Sub-alpine forest tlie squirrels and field mouse. Amongst the birds (e) Moist alpine scrub. western tragopan and different species of eagles and vultures. Fauna: This sanctuary is the home of many rare and threatened high altitude species. These include—leopard, Kashmir stag, brown Shankaracharya Hill Wildlife Sanctuary bear, black bear, ibex, musk deer and various interesting species of birds. Shankaracharya hill is adominaMg °Hrof°to^sts each lake and Srinagar. It is the destination of hun Kashmir valley Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary day. The hill-top affords a commanding view ° jjjjj êre for tens of miles. Before 1940, the ^ Gulmarg is apopular mountain resort near Srinagar in Kashmir depleted due to the removal of fuel wood, sm of trees. Jêy. Dense forests occur in this area. fThe tract around Gulmarg has There came a stage when this hill becanie ^ nroKramme was Thereafter, a massive afforestado. a.d ûtTso^Ss ^ sanctuary. It encompasses an area of taken up to increase the tree cover. This m forest covff. cess. Today, the Shankaracharya hUl supports agooo ^ glaciated terrain is found in the upper Geomorphology: This is atowering hill situated along fieuratinnfiguration due to the acUonTTi©oflowerrunningslopeswater.have got their present con lake. The slope varies from very steep to precipi .. gjea. ters P^âils in tfiis area. Win- Climate: Temperate to sub-arctic all throufflwhA snowfall occurs at frequent intervals Very heavy snowfall is received during the w ^ Forests: The principal tree species Aat ^^'^^âcacia, oak and srea are deodar, blue pine, poplar, chestnut. listed bdow « "'is sanctuary are ^ are-leopaid. DacC:a.^.^ - Pauna: Amongst the animals found of wiW goats and (a) Moist deodar forest •nusk deer, black bear, brown bear, different speci Temperate mixed coniferous forest sheep and many interesting species of birds. !S moist mixed deciduous forest (a) Temperate secondary scrub Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary (e) Cypress and Alder forests hills. K (f) Blue pine forest The Ramnagar wildlife sanctuary (g) Sub-alpine high level fir forest covers an areaof about13 sqkms. other Books of Related Interest • Wildlife inthe Himalayan Foothills By P.C. Tiwari and B. Joshi • Himalayan Forests and Forestry ByS.S.Negi • Forestsofthe Punjab and the Western Himalaya By H. Cleghom • Himalayan Natural Resources B.D.^harma &Tej Kumar Sharma (eds) • Mountain Ecosystems: AScenario of Unsustainability ' By Vir Singh &M.L Sharma (eds) • Handbook of National Parks. Wildlife Sanctuaries & f Biosphere Reserves in India By S.S. Negi • India's Forests, Forestryand Wildlife By S.S. Negi • Cold Deserts of India By S.S. Negi • Indian Forestry: A Perspective ByAjayS. Rawat (ed) • Indian ForestryThrough the Ages ' ByS.S.Negi - • Man and Forests By Ajay S. Rawat • Forestry In British India ByRibbentrop • Discovering the Himalaya (Set of 2 Vols ) ByS.S.Negi • Mountains of India 1- % . ByM.S.Kohli ' '' •' - • Forts and Palaces of the Western Himala^ '- ByAshok Jerath f ' \ " • Glimpses ofthe Western Himalaya By O.C.^Handa • The Sfjj^rldour ofHimalayan Art &Culture By Ashok Jerath • Ancient Communities ofthe Himalaya ByD.RSaklani

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