Volume 25, Issue 75, January - June, 2024

Mammalian diversity and conservation status in and around Ranga Reserve Forest, Lakhimpur, Assam, India

Monish Kumar Thapa^1♦, Sourav Dutta², Hirak Jyoti Das², Tilak Kumar Pradhan², Debajit Mahanta², Sujal Tossa², Ritu Kalita², Kamal Sharma²

¹Wildlife Science Course, Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Guwahati- 781014, Assam, India
²Assam Wildlife Rescue and Research Organization (AWRRO) - Bihpuria, Lakhimpur, Assam, India

^♦Corresponding author
Wildlife Science Course, Department of Zoology, Gauhati University, Guwahati- 781014, Assam, India

ABSTRACT

The study has been carried out in the Ranga Reserve Forest of Assam to find out the mammalian diversity during our study period from March 2021 to June 2022 spread over the four distinct seasons: Summer (March to May), followed by the monsoon season (June to August), post-monsoon season (September to November), and winter (December to February) using Visual Encounter Survey, Randomized Walk and Camera Trapping Method at the fringe villages of the forest. The study revealed 24 species of Mammals belonging to 22 genera under 16 families and eight orders recorded from the study site during the study period. During the study period, it was found that the Sciuridae family exhibited the highest species richness, constituting 17% with four species. On the other hand, the families Elephantidae, Lorisidae, Muridae, Hystricidae, Leporidae, Pteropodidae, Manidae, Canidae, Mustelidae, Suidae, and Cervidae displayed the lowest species richness, comprising 4% each with one species. The Ranga Reserve Forest is home to the Critically Endangered Manis pentadactyla (Linnaeus) and the Endangered Elephas maximus (Linnaeus), along with other threatened mammals such as the Nycticebus bengalensis (Lacepede) and Viverra zibetha (Linnaeus). According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the recorded mammals fall in different schedules: six species of mammals in Schedule I, 14 species in Schedule II, two species in Schedule III, one species in Schedule IV and two species in Schedule V. In this paper, an attempt was made to provide the inventory, status and conservation of mammalian diversity of Ranga Reserve Forest, Assam. Mammal populations in the study area face immediate and substantial threats from various human-induced activities and environmental challenges, including habitat degradation, pollution, hunting, and climate change. These multifaceted issues demand immediate and comprehensive conservation efforts to ensure the well-being and sustainability of these populations in the region.

Keywords: Mammal, Diversity, Ranga Reserve Forest, Assam, India

Species, 2024, 25(75), e7s1629

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v25i75.e7s1629

Published: 09 March 2024