Experts call for measures to sustain thriving wildlife at Asola sanctuary
NEW DELHI: With a striped hyena being caught on camera traps earlier this month at the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, on the southern Delhi Ridge, along with multiple sightings of three leopards, the natural park not only has top predators and scavengers, but a variety of herbivores, largely fulfilling a complete foodchain and ecosystem.
The next step, experts say, will be to initiate measures at the 6,874-acre sanctuary, to ensure that the wildlife is protected and sustained.
Senior officials of Delhi’s forest department said ever since the imposition of the first Covid-19 lockdown last year, several new species of animals and birds were spotted at the Asola sanctuary. An ongoing census at the sanctuary to count all mammals has not only revealed the presence of at least three leopards, but also captured a striped hyena roaming the sanctuary. The census has recorded a total of 17 different mammal species so far.
Sohail Madan, centre manager, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) at Asola, who are conducting the census, said ever since the count began in March 2021, initial trends indicate a definite increase in the population of mongoose, golden jackal and civet cat in the sanctuary. Porcupines also showed a ‘healthy’ count. The census is expected to be completed by 2023, Madan said. “There are more than two leopards at least, with camera traps capturing different leopard images. On December 3, we captured a striped hyena, evidence of which was last seen only in 2018 inside the sanctuary. So far, we can say there is an increase in the mongoose, jackal and civet numbers,” said Madan, adding 22 camera traps were being used for the census.
According to him, the next step in preserving the rich diversity and prey base for different animals is to carry out enrichment plantation and canopy plugs for herbivores, while bio-dams and check-dams at regular gaps to ensure there is an adequate water supply. “If there are enough watering holes and sufficient food, we can then expect more animals to thrive in the existing area and more breeding will also take place. For the herbivores, we are carrying out enrichment plantation, growing native trees and shrubs which will provide an adequate ecosystem to these herbivores,” he said.
Among the other animals sighted as part of the census include jungle cats, hog deer, Indian hare, nilgai, black buck and spotted deer, each captured on camera traps. “The signs of increased sightings of animal, especially a top predator such as the leopard, are a promising sign for the ecology of a region. This is an indicator that the ecosystem is complete and fully functional. Once we have completed our wildlife census, we will be able to give a better picture of where we stand,” said a senior forest official.
Like Madan, the official also attributed this increased number in wildlife to several of the department’s conservation programmes to improve the availability of water, improve flora in the area and also limiting trespassing by locals into the forest land.
Environment and wildlife experts, however, warn that government should not be content with mere sightings of newer species in the sanctuary, and added that the real test will be to sustain these animals in an urban setup like Delhi.
“There is ample proof to suggest that high movement of people and vehicles in a forest, especially during the night, impacts the movement and foraging patterns of animals. Many animals move after dark, and if they sense the presence of humans, they tend to avoid their regular routes and eventually move away from the area altogether,” said Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of wildlife protection NGO, Wildlife SOS. He said the forest department should make concerted attempts to limit the movement of people from neighbouring localities, such as Sangam Vihar and Tughlakabad.
In 2016, a male leopard was spotted in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park in north Delhi, who was said to have been staying in the park for days before the authorities decided to move it to the Rajaji National Park for the safety of the people living around the area.
Faiyaz Khudsar, scientist in-charge at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, who spotted the leopard, says proper monitoring of the sanctuary and getting skilled forest teams will help the city maintain such green spaces for wildlife without causing any safety issues for either the animals or the residents of the area.
“When we spotted the leopard at the Yamuna Biodiversity Park, our foremost focus was to ensure that there was round the clock monitoring of the animal. Leopards tend to exist close to human habitation and survive on whatever is available, from a rat to even chicken waste, without causing any harm. We need proper monitoring mechanisms and skilled teams in these parks,” he said.
CR Babu, from the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems, said the Nairobi National Park is a perfect example of how humans and wildlife can coexist peacefully if authorities take proper measures.
“The Nairobi National Park is located very close to their airport. At any given time of the day, you can see vehicles passing close to the sanctuary. What works there is that they have built 12-foot tall boundary walls that keep the animals protected and also prevents humans from getting in. Such innovative measures need to be adopted,” Babu said.
A senior official of the wildlife division of the union environment ministry said several aspects need to be taken into account while maintaining a wildlife sanctuary in a city. The primary consideration is the safety of humans residing around these areas, and that of the animals.
“Even in states with high forest cover, where locals are fairly aware and used to encounters with wild animals, we find a great discord and instances of deaths of animals and humans. In an urban area, these challenges would multiply. There is no doubt that we can develop a successful sanctuary for animals in Delhi, but before that we need to develop safe wildlife corridors for the movement of animals, buffer zones around the sanctuary where even if the animal moves out of the main forest, they do not come into direct contact with humans. A strong anti-poaching policy is also important,” the official said.