The increasing Sambar population in Sukhna Reserve Forest and Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is likely to take a toll on forest ecosystem in the near future. In the absence of predators in the sanctuary, the population of large herbivore, Sambar, is increasing rapidly.
During the census exercise conducted in the year 2010, the population of Sambar in sanctuary was 1,031 and over 100 Sambars were estimated to inhabit the lake Reserved Forest area.
Three years after the census exercise, the forest officials estimated that Sambar population may have crossed 1,400 in the forest area.
The first ever wildlife census conducted in the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary in 2010 had also revealed that the sanctuary has 4.71 average group population of Sambars, which is higher than the national average group population of three.
As per the average, the group size of Sambhar in the sanctuary was reported between 3.39 and 10.07, which was higher than any other protected area in the country. The census report had stated that the group size of Sambhar encountered during the census was large and thereby population estimate of Sambhar is high in the area.
In the absence of big carnivores in the sanctuary, there is a concern over maintaining balance in the environment and food chain in the forest area. The only big carnivores in the forest are leopards, who are frequent visitors to the sanctuary from the adjoining forest areas in Haryana. Others are feral dogs in the nearby villages of the forest area that sometimes hunt fawns.
Given the high count of sambars in the forest area, the cases of their intrusion into human settlements here have increased in the recent past. Sambars from the lake Reserved Forest have entered the city several times causing panic in the residential area.
A wildlife expert Narbir Singh, who was associated with the team that conducted census exercise in 2010 said, “During census, it was reported that Sambars in the sanctuary have a group size of between 3.39 and 10.07, which is higher than any other protected area, in the country. Since the number was high given the area of sanctuary, the authorities concerned was also suggested a number of steps that can be taken in the future to control the increasing the population of Sambars.” “The Sambar population is growing rapidly in the forest area. Recently, during the ongoing birds’ survey, large groups with young Sambars were spotted in the lake Forest Reserve and Sanctuary,” said Narbir.
He added, “As there are no big predators in the sanctuary, the population of Sambar is increasing which is a major concern. Though
pugmarks of leopards have been spotted in the past few months, we are yet to ascertain their permanent presence in all seasons in city’s forest area.”
UT plans wildlife census
The UT Forest and Wildlife Department is planning to conduct a second wildlife census in the forest area of Chandigarh either by the end of this year or next year.
The first ever wildlife census conducted in the year 2010 had revealed that the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary has 1,031 Sambars and 920 peacocks.
The survey team encountered nine species of mammals and 63 species of birds. The resident mammalian species are sambar, spotted deer (chital), pangolin (anteater), wild boar, jackal, small Indian civet, jungle cat, porcupine, Hanuman langur, rhesus monkey, Indian hare, common mongoose, Chital and three- striped palm squirrel.
Prominent among the varieties of birds in the forest area are peacock, red jungle fowl, grey partridge, cuckoos, night jars, golden oriole, kingfisher, swifts, hoopoes, hornbill, barbets, woodpeckers, rollers, barn owls, parrots, doves, jacanas, plovers, coots, hawks, geese, swan, ducks, grebes, black drongo, tree pie, jungle crow, bulbul, hill myna, koel, bee-eater, common myna etc. There are over 150 varieties of birds.
As per the report, varieties of replies including snakes like cobra, rat snake, Common krait, Russell’s viper, Indian python and common monitor (Gho), freshwater turtle inhibits the Sanctuary. The wildlife inhabitant also houses wide variety of butterflies, moth, honey-bee and other micro-organisms in abundance.