Sangai - The Endangered Fauna

By Jubeda Begum *

The Sangai or Manipur brown-antlered deer (Cervus eldi eldi) a delicately beautiful animal found only in the hilly North East Indian State of Manipur, has already one let off.

The name "sangai" is a local Meitei dialect. This particular sub-species of the Thiamin deer is also fondly called Manipur's dancing deer because of its delicate gait as it negotiates its way along the floating wetlands.

Sangai is also known as Eld's deer as it was first described by Lt. Percy Eld in 1838, the name Cervus eldi eldi was given in honour of Lt. Eld in 1842.

Sangai is one of the three subspecies found in South East Asia, the other two being found in upper and lower Burma & in parts of Thailand, Kampuchea and Vietnam.

In 1951, the local administration reported that Sangai was extinct. Happily a half dozen were found 2 years later living on a vast island of floating biomass on Loktak Lake, the 2nd biggest lake in India, to the South East of Manipur's State Capital, Imphal.

Subsequent efforts to preserve the Sangai, a sub-species of Eld's deer, have been pretty successful. The floating island and the surrounding lake side were protected and declared a National Park in 1977, since then there has been negligible poaching.

Sangai - "the dancing deer" at Keibul Lamjao Photo Courtesy :: Rocky Pebam

There are now over 100 deer on the Island , whose spongy surface lends them a bobbing gait. Hence their moniker - "the dancing deer". The deer survived, despite being surrounded by human settlements partly because of the ease with which they are able to hide within the island's dense grass.

They were hunted mostly after leaving this floating habitat to raid the local villages crops at night. A few dozen Sangai have also been bred in captivity, at Imphal & distributed to India's Zoos. Despite fears that the Sangai's gene pool was too debased to survive the deer looks viable.

But that is more than can be said for its floating habitat, a rare composite of silt & vegetation flush into the lake through a dozen feeder streams. Ordinarily this mass known as phumdi is held together by a felicitous effect of water level's seasonal rise and fall.

During the 3 months dry season, the phumdi sinks to the lake bed & replenished, when the water rise, it is uprooted & refloated. (2-3) metres thick in places, the phumdi is sturdy enough to carry a fisherman's hut, or as the locals say, the wt. of a buffalo bull.

But now-a-days it is thinning & holes are appearing the main cause is believed to be the hydroelectric power station which was opened in 1983, providing about 70% of the power that Manipur need.

Worse still Loktak lake is shrinking. This is due to historic process of siltation and utrification. But, it has been accelerated by deforestation and agriculture and by break up of phumdis.

The phumdi's demise should not spell curtains for the dancing deer. It is able to survive on dry ground. But, then of course it will not be wild.

Keibul Lamjao - The unique habitat of Sangai:

The star attraction of this place is of course Sangai. Keibul Lamjao is famous not just because of brow antlered deer but it has added its value to fame; its other claim to fame is the fact that this is one of the very few floating protected areas in the world.

Spreading an area of 40 sq/km Keibul Lamjao National park was established in the year 1966 as a sanctuary & in the year 1977 as a National Park. Loktak Lake (6,475 HA) the largest fresh water lake in India, a large portion of which falls within the park.

Access to park:

It is about 50 km from Imphal. Imphal has good air connection to major cities in India, through its airport, which is served by Indian Airlines (and other major airlines). The nearest rail head is at Dimapur, about 230 km away in Nagaland and linked to Imphal by road.

Best time to visit- the winter & spring - approximately October to February. Accommodation- two rest house-one at Phubala and the other at Sendra (the main island of the Lotak lake).

Temperature ranges from 34.4 Cel to 1.7 Cel with an annual rainfall of 1220 mm. Relative humidity is 81% with least humid in March 49%.

As the Sangai is the Nation's pride, it could earn a good foreign exchange value and add to Nation's economy. Being an endangered species, spaecial attention and protection measure should be taken up by the Govt. of India joining hands with the Manipur State Govt.

A helping hand of all the people of Manipur is also needed to make the free flourish of the rare fauna.

** Check out "Sangai - A jewel in the crown for Manipur" in Gallery section here.

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* Jubeda Begum wrote this article for The Sangai Express . This article was webcasted on April 16, 2008.

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