E-Paper
Unseasonal rainfall affects annual animal census
Citing the wet weather, the Pune Forest division had already cancelled the animal census in wildlife ranges such as Bhamburda and Paud regions
Pune:
Unseasonal rainfall during the first week of May hampered the annual wildlife census which is held every year on May 5 on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. The number of animals sighted this year was far less as there was rainfall for two consecutive days in various forest areas around the Pune district.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 2 mm of rain in Ambegaon tehsil, 9 mm in Narayngaon, and 21.5 mm in Bhor tehsil on May 5. Similarly on May 6, 2.5 mm of precipitation was recorded at Narayngaon, 3 mm at Bhor, and 0.5 mm in the Shirur area.
Citing the wet weather, the Pune Forest division had already cancelled the animal census in wildlife ranges such as Bhamburda and Paud regions.
During the 24-hour census period, 16 distinct animals were spotted at Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. Sambar deer, rabbit, peacock, owl, wild boar, Indian Pangolin, and Barking deer are among them.
The observers also heard the ‘animal calls’ of Indian Giant squirrels. This census involved 40 people, including 20 civilians and 20 forest officials, and was held in eight different locations within the refuge.
Because of the two days of rain and dense fog, observers had considerable difficulty with animal sighting, according to Vasant Chavan, Range Forest officer at Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary.
In Tamhini Reserve, the census was held at 2 places, However, due to the inclement weather, only two animals were sighted including an Indian Bison and a sambar deer sighted during the census this year.
Speaking about this Sameer Ingle, RFO, Tamhini Reserve said, there was a rainfall experienced in Tamhini Reserve on the census day, therefore animals did not visit the waterholes that night.
For the first time this year, camera traps were put at the Junnar Forest division for the wildlife census. During the census, 388 wildlife species, including wild animals and birds, were spotted.
The census was conducted on 57 waterholes in the Junnar Forest division’s Junnar, Otur, Shirur, Ghodegaon, Manchar, Khed, and Chakan ranges. Camera traps were deployed in 50 locations to capture live images. Volunteers and employees had difficulty counting due to overcast weather in some areas, according to Amol Satpute, deputy conservator of forest, Junnar Forest Division.
