433 animals sighted during annual waterhole census at SGNP

433 animals, including 243 mammals, were spotted during the annual waterhole census at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai. The count is conducted every year on Buddha Poornima and monitors around 40 artificial and natural waterholes in the area. This year's count was the lowest in recent years, with 995 animals recorded in 2017. The count is seen as a way to engage volunteers from various wildlife rescue groups and is conducted near waterholes where animals are more likely to be found during the summer.

Mumbai: As many as 433 animals were sighted during the annual waterhole census conducted on Friday at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

HT Image

The exercise done on the Buddha Purnima—the brightest full moon night— involved monitoring of around 40 artificial and natural waterholes in the national park and on its outskirts, Krishnagiri Upvan, Yeoor and Tulsi forest range, as well as the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, covering a total area of around 190 square kms.

Conducted by the forest department, this method of counting wild animals—which has fallen out of practice in many parts of the country in favour of camera-trapping—is still followed at the SGNP. However, it was disrupted in 2020 and 2021 on account of the Covid pandemic.

Of the 433 animals spotted this year, 243 were mammals, five reptiles and 185 wild birds. This was the lowest count in recent years. In 2017, as many as 995 animals were recorded during the waterhole census, which gradually decreased to 671 in 2018 and 590 in 2019.

G Mallikarjuna, park ranger, SGNP, clarified that the count was held in 2022 too, but did not respond to queries seeking details of the census. “We have done the census in a very systematic way this time, unlike previous years,” he told HT over text.

This year’s census included four leopards, two rusty-spotted cats and a crocodile in addition to several deer, wild boars and peafowls.

The counting is done every year on Buddha Poornima as it is relatively easy to spot animals with more natural light. It is conducted near waterholes, where animals are more likely to be found during the summer as streams of freshwater within the forest tend to dry up.

“Seeing a lesser number of animals this year is not a sign of declining wildlife. In other parts of the country, forest departments no longer use this method, but in Maharashtra we do the exercise as it improves engagement with volunteers from various wildlife rescue groups, who help us do the counting. We have been doing it as a tradition for 21 years now, and because it is done on the brightest night of the year, we always hope to see something exciting,” said a forest department official, not wanting to be identified.