MP sets record in relocating Kanha swamp deer

The Kanha tiger reserve has scripted a new chapter in the history of global wildlife conservation with the successful relocation of the world's most endangered wildlife specie, hard ground swamp deer. With a team of specialists, doctors and technicians and without using tranquillizer, the Kanha management had sent for the first time 7 swamp deer on January 7, 2015 and then 4 on March 15, 2015 to Van Vihar, Bhopal. These wildlife creatures have fully adapted to their new environs. 

The Kanha tiger reserve is the only place in the world where hard ground swamp deer (cervus duvauceli branderi) exist. The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has undertaken their shifting with a view to increasing their population elsewhere and to protect them from any epidemic. In all, three species of swamp deer in the world exist in India and Nepal. In India, this specie has survived in only Kanha tiger reserve, Dudhwa and Kaziranga national park and Manas national park. Their number had declined rapidly due to expansion of arable land and poachers. There were about 3,000 swamp deer in and around Kanha national park till year 1938. later, their number continued to dwindle. 

As per an assessment, only 551 swamp deer in 1953 and 66 in 1970 had survived in the Kanha national park. Due to the untiring efforts of the Kanha management, the number of swamp deer has increased to about 600 there and they have also become safer. According to Small Population Biology, a number of small wildlife population is affected by adverse genetics and environmental factors. Therefore, they need continuous effective management and monitoring.

Even death of some animals might affect the entire bio-population for a long time. The Kanha management has been making constant efforts for the preservation of swamp deer. These include construction of their housing, continuous development of housing, water development, creation of swamps, translocation of some swamp deer to their native habitats and daily monitoring of the entire bio-population in the national park. This is the reason that relocation of swamp deer in Kanha tiger reserve is among a selected few success stories in wildlife conservation.