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Double-Humped Camels of Ladakh: Prospects and Constraints to Sustained Survival

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Double-Humped Camels of Ladakh: Prospects and Constraints to Sustained Survival SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE Double-humped camels of Ladakh: prospects and constraints to sustained survival The Bactrian camel (Camelus bactri- Bactrian camels are the major tourist sativa) hay for feeding camels during anus) is a large, even-toed ungulate na- attraction in Nubra valley. Tourist season winter season. After onset of summer, tive to the steppes of Central Asia. They in the valley starts after mid-March to camels once again attain good body are mainly found in cold deserts of April and lasts up to September and condition due to better availability of China, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, October. Camel-riding activity is carried vegetation. Some villagers have started Pakistan and Kazakhstan1. A small popu- out in the sand dunes which extend over fencing the community grazing areas, lation of C. bactrianus also exists in India, few kilometres area in the valley. During due to which availability of grazing area distributed largely in the Nubra valley of summer season, the valley appears beau- for camels and other livestock is shrink- Ladakh region (a cold arid desert in tiful due to greenery, increase in water ing. The increase in agriculture activities Trans-Himalayas), Jammu and Kashmir level in River Shyok and presence of is also posing a hurdle to free grazing by (Figure 1). It was introduced as a draught sand dunes. A registered co-operative livestock. Sometimes, camels cross the animal in Ladakh by travellers of Yark- society (Central Asia Camel Safari) fences and enter into agriculture areas, land in the 19th century. However, after exists in Hunder village, which is headed where they are driven out by lathi and closure of the silk route in 1950, few by an elected president. Other villages sharp metallic weapons leading to fatal Bactrian camels were left behind with also have their own small unions control- injuries. Villagers are not aware about local traders in the Nubra valley2. ling the camel-riding activity. Tourism is scientific methods that can be used for At present the total population of dou- the major source of income for many identification of camels. This also results ble-humped camel in Nubra valley is villagers in Nubra valley, though they into dispute over ownership of camels about 211, including 21 calves below the also cultivate wheat, barley, alfalfa, pota- and conflict among local people. age of one year (status up to March toes and other vegetables during the Important health problems faced by 2015). The camel population is largest in summer season. Several guest houses, these camels as reported by villagers and Hunder village, followed by Sumoor, hotels, restaurants and rest houses have observed in our investigations, include Diskit and Tigger. In 2012, the total been constructed, but most of them corneal (eye) injuries and subsequent estimated3 camel population in the valley remain closed during winter seasons (De- corneal opacities occurring while brows- was about 150. Fortunately, the popula- cember to March). Bactrian camel is a ing on bushes of sea-buckthorn, and neo- tion has evidenced an increasing trend valuable animal as its demand for riding natal mortality mostly due to predation during the past few years, which is a purpose is high. An untrained adult male by wild carnivores like foxes, jackals and favourable sign for conservation of this fetches around INR 50,000–70,000; dogs. Pregnant camels are left for graz- precious animal species2 (Figure 2). whereas a trained (for camel riding) male ing and they usually give birth to young camel costs around INR 100,000. The ones in the community grazing areas, value of an adult trained female camel is where the newborn calves are prone to more than the trained adult male camel attack by predators. Sometimes, lung in- (about INR 120,000), though males are fections, infertility, urinary tract prob- generally preferred over females. Thus, lems like cessation of urination and camels play an important role in local posterior paresis, and subsequent com- economy as for several families in the plete paralysis are also noticed. Avail- valley, camel-based tourism activities are able diagnosis and treatment facilities for the major source of income. Other camels and other domestic animals sources of income include government appear inadequate, as villagers reported jobs, agriculture and animal husbandry scarcity of medicines during medical (yak, sheep and goat) and other allied emergencies. Camel owners also men- Figure 1. Double-humped camel in Nubra professions. tioned that they get good support from valley, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Larger camel populations remain in local Remount Veterinary Corps unit of semi-wild condition and the farmers the army for treatment of sick animals. bring them home to train for camel riding Besides, a veterinary hospital is also only during the tourist season. During located at Diskit, which is run by the rest of the year, they graze in the com- State Animal Husbandry Department. munity grazing areas where sea- After interactions with local people buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is during a survey conducted by team of the prominent flora4. During winter sea- scientists in the recent past, it was con- son, limited plant materials are available cluded that the following measures because of extreme cold climatic condi- should be undertaken to safeguard the tions; hence the body condition of cam- future of the double-humped camel in the els deteriorates drastically. The hump Nubra valley: Figure 2. Status of double-humped camel in decreases in size and hangs on either (1) Attempts should be made to en- Nubra valley. side. Villagers store alfalfa (Medicago courage camel-based tourism activities in CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 109, NO. 5, 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 857 SCIENTIFIC CORRESPONDENCE Nubra valley. Some incentives to camel nutritional deficits of camels during lean as well in the conservation of these owners may be offered, like starting (winter) season and scarcity conditions camels. camel insurance programmes, providing in the valley should be made available. If loans for purchase of camels, loans for possible, feed/fodder processing units construction of housing facilities, etc. should be established and feed supple- 1. Grubb, P., In Mammal Species of the World (eds Wilson, D. E. and Reeder, D. (2) The community grazing areas ments based on locally available ingredi- M.), The Johns Hopkins University Press, should be protected from encroachment. ents could be developed. Baltimore, 2005, 3rd edn, pp. 637–722. Attempts should be made to reduce con- (6) People in Nubra valley neither 2. Vyas, S., Sharma, N., Sheikh, F. D., Singh, flict among camel farmers and other vil- practice camel milking nor consume S., Sena, D. S. and Bissa, U. K., Asia Pac. lagers arising due to the camels entering camel milk. They should be encouraged J. Reprod., 2015, 4, 61–64. agriculture land. to train the female camels for milking 3. Angchok, D., Stobdan, T. and Srivastava, (3) Small-scale industries/cottage in- and include milk yield traits in selective R. B., Curr. Sci., 2012, 102, 1624–1625. dustries for processing/manufacturing breeding programmes. The milk of dou- 4. Vyas, S., Sheikh, F. D., Singh, S., Sena, D. camel-based products should be encour- ble-humped camel should also be evalu- S., Bissa, U. K. and Sharma, N., J. Camel aged. Camel hairs are used for making ated for its nutritional and medicinal Pract. Res., 2014, 21, 1–3. blankets, shawls, sweaters, gloves, etc. properties. Production of value-added About 3–4 kg camel hair is obtained products from camel milk during tourist ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. We thank Abdul from one adult animal during April–May season will enhance the income of camel Aziz Sufi, Mohd. Shafiq and other villagers of each year. Leather is not obtained from farmers. Nubra valley for assistance during the survey the dead camels. The camel hair/leather- (7) Facilities for camel healthcare on the status of Bactrian camels in the valley. processing plants could be established should be developed in the valley. Avail- and farmers may be encouraged by pro- ability of medicines and trained veteri- Received 5 May 2015; revised accepted 17 viding subsidies for their establishment. nary personnel should be ensured June 2015 (4) Villagers may be encouraged to throughout the year. keep pregnant camels indoors and pro- (8) Training should be provided to vide them balanced ration, so that they camel farmers regarding normal restrain- RAKESH RANJAN* can give birth to calves under supervi- ing and handling and on different meth- SHIRISH D. NARNAWARE sion. This would prevent parturition in ods of animal identification, like hot/ KASHI NATH the community grazing areas and reduce cold-branding, tattooing, tagging, bar RAJESH K. SAWAL neonatal mortality due to attack by coding, etc. N. V. PATIL predators or some other reason. Newborn (9) Farming of double-humped camels calves should not be allowed to go to the may be started in other parts of Jammu National Research Centre on Camel, community grazing areas for at least 2–3 and Kashmir as well where conducive Jorbeer, months. environmental conditions exist. Their Bikaner 334 001, India (5) Complete feed-block or other kinds widespread use in tourism activities *For correspondence. of feed supplements which can meet the may help secure livelihood of the people e-mail: [email protected] An unusual roosting behaviour of Schneider’s leaf-nosed bat, Hipposideros speoris at a cave-temple roost in Tamil Nadu Bats are involved in the essential ecosys- decade and half ago about 15,000 indi- caves, and synanthropic habitats like old tem services such as pollination, seed viduals of Rousettus leschenaulti used to temples and unused houses11. However, dispersal and insect control13. However, roost inside Cheranmahadevi temple near in this case we found that human pres- a multitude of factors like anthropogenic Tirunelveli8; but recent observations re- ence in the cave temple as well as temple disturbance, climate change, habitat loss veal that these bats have completely rituals like burning of camphor and ring- and emerging diseases have greatly af- abandoned this roost.
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