Healthy sighting of Sangai brings cheers
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 13 2013: Amid recent disturbing reports about poaching and laying traps inside Keibul Lamjao national Park, which is the natural habitat of the endangered brow antlered deer locally known as Sangai, wildlife activists have a reason to smile as a number of deers could be spotted simultaneously, a rare phenomenon.

After a gap of 10 years, a survey to work out population of the Sangai was conducted today at the sprawling park which is atop the floating biomass of the Loktak Lake, the largest fresh water body in the region.

With a similar survey conducted in 1975 spotting only 14 adult Sangais there had been strong apprehension that the endangered deer species might vanish from its protected natural habitat.

However, concerted efforts by the Government as well as NGOs and wildlife activists had atleast managed to sustain the Sangai population.

Sangais spotted at Keibul Lamjao

Under the supervision of Forest Department's Wildlife Wing officials, NGO representatives and wildlife activists joined today's survey conducted from around 5 am.

specifically aimed at determining number of Sangai, Hog deer and Wild Boar population in the park, separate survey teams carried out the survey from 30 watch towers.

With three Range Officers namely Kh Hitler, L Sarat and L Biramangol co-ordinating the wildlife head-count along with two enumerators at each of the towers, Chief Wildlife Warden Chief Wildlife Warden K angami, Conservator of Forests (Wild Life) Th Mohendra Pratap and Deputy CF (Park and Sanctuary) L Joykumar monitored the survey from the Keibul Lamjao head office.

It is said that official survey could not be carried out in the last 10 years on account of law and order problem.

While the previous surveys used to be aerial counting of the Sangai population which was often difficult to ascertain the exact figure as animals scampered wildly due to whirring chopper blades this time around the focus was on 'ground census' with each of the teams despatched to their respective 'block' since last evening.

The teams inserted bamboo poles through the floating bio-masses to erect temporary watch towers.

According to Th Mohendra, today's survey in the 40 square kilometre national park was undertaken to also assess impact of environmental changes on the Park and count the protected animals in a more scientific manner.

Compared to the last survey carried out in 2003 this time around the survey teams reported spotting 'healthy' number of Sangais, said the Conservator of Forests and hinted that population of the protected animal species should be on the rise.

He, however, confided that the exact figure of Sangais, Hog Deers and wildboars could be determined and announced by the Forest Department only after scientific analysis of the enumerators' reports.

Sharing his experience 'survey expert' Dr Kh Shamungou expressed optimism that the Sangai population might have increased but cautioned that it would be premature to declare the exact number as there is strong possibility of different census teams counting the same animal more than once.

Stressing on the need for similar preservation and protective mechanism for the Hog deers as accorded to Sangais, he informed that Hog Deers are also listed as one of the endangered animal species by the International Union for Conservation of nature.

Highlighting detection of genetic defects amongst the Sangai population as a consequence of in-breeding, he suggested that national project/programme for the endangered species be initiated by the Central Government as was envisioned for the national Tiger Project.

Compared to the 1975 survey figure of only 14 Sangais, the previous count (2003) had put the Sangai population at 180 while in 2005 a study carried out under the Wildlife Institute of India estimated the population in between 60-100 .