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Overgrazing by livestock is creating food shortage for the Asiatic ibex in
Livestock in the Pin Valley National Park in Himachal Pradesh is threatening the survival of a wild goat species, Asiatic ibex. This, in turn, is crucial for the snow leopard population in the area, says a conservationist. "Overgrazing by livestock and unscientific extraction of various species of flora by locals and shepherds in and around the Pin Valley National Park is depleting its flora," senior scientist Yash Veer Bhatnagar, who is associated with Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation, said. Bhatnagar has been studying the ecology of animals in the Pin Valley park for the past 10 years. "The Asiatic ibex is mainly threatened due to the shortage of food. Grazing pressure by livestock results in competition among species," he said. The Asiatic ibex has a wide global distribution spanning over 200,000 sq km — from the Hindukush to the Sutlej gorge, along the Himalayas, in India to the Tien Shan and Altai ranges in Mongolia and Russia. "Villages in the vicinity of the park are an immediate threat to the species. The hazards for the wild animals have increased as the park is used from June to November by migratory graziers whose livestock are potential carriers of diseases. "The dependence of the villagers on the park for wood, fodder and cultivation is also degrading its habitat," he said. Rugged with sandy plains and surrounded by barren mountains ranging from 3,650 m to 6,632 m, the Pin Valley park was established in 1987. It is spread over 1,825 sq km with a core zone of 1,150 sq km. Bhatnagar advocated the need to check the dwindling population of the Asiatic ibex. "The Asiatic ibex, along with bharal (Himalayan blue sheep), is an important prey species of the highly endangered snow leopard. Good ibex populations, especially in parts of Spiti, Lahaul, Kinnaur, Chamba and Kulu, can greatly help maintain a good snow leopard population. Studies have shown that in areas with a healthy ibex population, instances of snow leopard attacks on herders’ livestock are fewer," he said. According to studies conducted by Solan-based high altitude zoology field station of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), mammalian fauna in the cold desert of the Pin Valley park is quite diverse. The ZSI has recorded the presence of the red fox, Tibetan wolf, stone marten, Himalayan weasel, pale weasel and the mouse hare in the park. Thirty-nine species of
birds and 14 species of butterfly are also found in the park. The bird
species include the snow pigeon, blue rock pigeon, plain mountain
finch, golden eagle, Himalayan griffon, common kestrel and long-tailed
shrike. Himachal Pradesh, a storehouse of biodiversity in the western
Himalayas, supports 25 per cent of the country’s mammalian fauna.
The ZSI in its report, Fauna of Western Himalaya, has recorded
447 species of birds and 107 species of mammals in the tiny hill
state. The best sighting of animals can be made between September and
November when animals start their seasonal migration to lower
altitudes. — IANS
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