The population of the endangered swamp deer, commonly known as 'barasingha', has risen in Assam's Kaziranga National Park (KNP) with a census putting their figure at 1,148, a senior Forest Department official has said.
The swamp deer census in KNP, which concluded yesterday, referred to spotting of 1,148 of markings of the deer species, an increase of 19 compared to 2015, said Divisional Forest Officer Subasish Das.
Two isolated populations of these animals occur in southwestern Nepal. It is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The antlers of the mature 'barasingha' stags have ten to 14 tines.
The census was a solo effort of KNP officials who spotted 194 swamp deer in Agoratoli range, 538 in Kohora range, 288 in Bagori range and 128 in Burahpahar range of the park, Das said.
Adults males numbered 284, adult females 601 and newborns 176, the DFO said.
He said the rise in population of the swamp deer indicated that the conservation efforts were paying dividends as they were an endangered species.
Mans National Park in the state also has a swamp deer population after 19 of these animals were shifted from KNP last year, Das said.
KNP officials had approached Oil and Natural Gas Commission in 2010 and after a nod from it, the process to count the species was jointly started by Wildlife Trust of India and Assam Forest Department for the first time in 2011, a forest department official said.
In the first year of census in 2011 the result of which was available in May 2012, it was found that there were 1,184 swamp deer. But their population was reduced to 664 after the floods in November 2012. Their count went up to 1,129 in May 2015 but once again that came down to 929 in December that year, the KNP official added.
