Grizzled giant squirrel

We all know the diminutive scampering palm squirrel making forays into all branches of a fruiting tree assiduously collecting food. We have grown up watching their antics as they walk like a trapeze artist on suspended wires and leap unbelievably between treetops. A few of us must have seen the Indian giant squirrel also known as the Malabar giant squirrel, Kenchalilu in Kannada. But did you know that South India also hosts another giant squirrel? It’s called the grizzled giant squirrel.

The name is suggestive of its appearance – white interspersed between greyish brown hairs giving them the grizzled appearance. It is the smallest amongst the giant squirrel family. This not too well-known giant squirrel occurs in small numbers in Riparian forests (vegetation that generally grows alongside rivers in rain shadow region) of just 3 states, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and further south in Srilanka.

Tree canopy contiguity is very essential for the grizzled giant squirrel since are mainly arboreal just like their cousins –palm squirrel and follow a diet of mainly fruits, leaves, bark and some flowers. They are known to be partial to young tamarind, mango, Terminalia arjuna (Holematti) and Pongamia pinatta (Gobbarada mara) leaves and fruits. They also occasionally feast on insects and bird eggs.

Like Malabar giant squirrels, the grizzled also builds a roughly globular multilayer nest using twigs, leaves and tree fibers in layers and raises up to two young. They are highly territorial and very vocal.

They are known for their role as seed dispersers however the population of this charismatic species has reduced by 30% in the last 25 years due to habitat loss by deforestation, fragmentation of existing forest patches, excessive cattle grazing and harvesting of food trees by local people, forest fire and hunting of the animal for meat and fur.

Due to its low numbers with just over 500 and in decline this animal has been recognized as ‘Near threatened’ by International Union for Conservation of Nature, an international organization who is an authority on the status of the natural world. 

Wildlife allowance – An incentive for the foot soldiers of our protected area

June 2016

Forest rangers, the unsung foot-soldiers, are the guardians of our planet’s most precious natural assets. Without them, our efforts to protect wildlife are a lost cause. A survey carried out by World Wildlife Fund regarding ranger perceptions (Singh & Lee, 2016; Singh, 2016) found that many of the wildlife rangers across the world in Africa, Asia and Latin America faced life-threatening situations while on duty, threats by community members related to their work, a poor work/life balance, and face insufficient support and poor recognition of their work from their governments. Hence, as a key preliminary step, improvement in the conditions of employment and offering greater recognition of their work must be implemented, especially in the developing world.

© Sanjay Gubbi

Karnataka, the southern Indian state, today hosts of over 15 percent of its land cover protected under multiple-use forest called reserved forests, and protected areas comprising of conservation reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and tiger reserves. Of this, over five percent is designated as protected areas. Over 2,500 personnel are employed by the Karnataka Forest Department in these protected areas as forest watchers, guards, deputy range forest officers and range forest officers, together called as the frontline staff or wildlife rangers. This is in addition to the several hundred staffs who are employed on a need basis for short periods.

These frontline staff employed by the state forest department, during their daily duty face several hardships including and not restricted to - living in remote areas, harsh weather and difficult terrain, bear the brunt of antagonism from local people during wildlife conflict situations, face threats from smugglers and poachers, a risk to life from wildlife encounters and other similar quarters. They also stay away from their families for several weeks at a stretch. Though they are the cornerstones of conservation of tiger, elephant and other charismatic wildlife species, they are still a neglected lot.

Sanjay Gubbi as Member of the State Board for Wildlife had proposed to the state government of Karnataka that an additional financial benefit should be paid to the frontline staff working in the protected areas in the state due to the various hardships they face while on duty. An additional pay as recognition of their gruelling working conditions and their commitment towards protecting and conserving wildlife can serve as positive re-enforcement in their line of work and boost their morale considerably.

After a follow-up of over seven years spanning over six state wildlife board meetings, convincing four Chief Ministers of the state, political leaders and government officials; a proposal initiated in March 2009 has finally been approved by the government. A government order passed in June 2016 has mandated that all permanent frontline line staff working in the protected areas of the state, in addition to their regular salaries, must be provided with a hardship allowance. An amount varying from USD ~53 to ~30 is now to be paid to all the frontline staff as ‘wildlife allowance’ on a monthly basis and comes into effect from June 2016. Though the amount may look small, it is very useful for the frontline staff.

This is a first of its kind initiative in the country and is a sustainable initiative as it is built into the governmental system rather than support from outside agencies that could vary as per availability of resources. A previous allowance by the federal government through the National Tiger Conservation Authority had allocated an additional allowance of USD ~12, but only to the staff working in tiger reserves.

Similar initiatives could be taken up in other states within India, and in the developing world that has similar working conditions and benefits like India for frontline staff of protected areas.

Another new wildlife record for Karnataka

Chinkara camera trapped in Bukkapatna State Forest, Tumakuru district. ©Nature Conservation Foundation

An exciting record of wildlife has been documented for Karnataka from Tumakuru district. Chinkara also called as the Indian gazelle (Gazella bennettii) has been recorded from Bukkapatna State Forest (153 km2) in Sira taluka of Tumakuru district. The record was made under a study on leopards carried out by wildlife biologist Sanjay Gubbi of Nature Conservation Foundation and his team. The study uses camera trapping for understanding leopard numbers in various parts of the state.

Chinkara called as ‘sanna hulle’ in Kannada was thought to sparsely exist only in northern Karnataka in areas bordering Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Very little is known about its distribution within Karnataka and it normally occurs in arid areas, deserts, savannahs and subtropical light forests. This is the first ever confirmation of this species for southern Karnataka and it is surprising that it occurs as south as Tumakuru district. This is perhaps the second only photo-documentation of the species from Karnataka. Part of Bukkapatna forest falls within Gubbi taluk hence it is possible that chinkara is found in Gubbi taluka as well. In addition, Bukkapatna forests abut Suvarnamukhi Reserved Forest that falls under Chitradurga district where chinkara was seen, confirming its presence in Chitradurga district as well.

This antelope species is known to exist in India, and in very few numbers in Pakistan and Iran. It is almost decimated in Pakistan and Iran due to overhunting as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. In India, chinkara is protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 giving it utmost protection.

Apart from hunting for meat and trophies, the species is also losing ground due to extensive conversion of grasslands to agriculture and industrial development, and predation from feral dogs. Areas like Bukkapatna are more and more threatened by wind energy projects.

Of the six species of antelopes found in India, three species the chinkara, blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) and the four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) are found in Karnataka. Bukkapatna has all these three antelope species, and perhaps the only documented place in Karnataka that has all these three antelope species.

This study on leopards is giving interesting results. Last year the ratel or honey badger was first photo-documented in Karnataka under this project in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

An edited version of this news was published in April 2015 in local newspapers in Kannada
http://www.mgrtv.com/indian-gazelle-spotted-tumakuru.html