WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT in Andaman & Nicobar

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT in Andaman & Nicobar Islands Group IIIGaithaolu ThaimeiRaj SandeepR V KarnanTakhat Singh Ranawat : 

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT in Andaman & Nicobar Islands Group IIIGaithaolu ThaimeiRaj SandeepR V KarnanTakhat Singh Ranawat

Introduction : 

Introduction Andaman and Nicobar groups of islands are situated in the Bay of Bengal Andaman group of Islands located north of 10º N latitude while Nicobar group in south Climate: Tropical Rainfall: 3000mm Total Number of Islands: 349 Total Area: 8249 km2 Forest cover: 7615 km2 (92%) Forest type: Tropical Rain forest Moist deciduous forest Littoral forest Mangrove forest

Slide 3: 

Geographic isolation of these islands has resulted in high degree of endemism Endemism is more pronounced in land animals Faunal distribution is influenced by fauna of both Indo-chinese Indo-Malayan regions Large mammals are absent in both Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Protected Areas : 

Protected Areas There  are  96  Wildlife Sanctuaries,   9 National Parks one Biosphere Reserve (Great Nicobar Biosphere) Smallest N.P. Saddle Peak (Andaman)- 0.03 sq.km Sanctuary Goose (Nicobar)- 0.01 sq.km 19.6% of the geographical area under protected area network The areas inhabited by six aboriginal tribes are notified as tribal reserve under A&N Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulations 1956. The tribal reserves constitute 34% of the forest area

Terrestrial flora and fauna Andaman and Nicobar islands : 

Terrestrial flora and fauna Andaman and Nicobar islands Raj Sandeep

FLORAL DIVERSITY : 

FLORAL DIVERSITY Mixed flora 2,200 varieties of plants- 200 endemic South-epiphytic vegetation Middle- moist deciduous North- wet evergreen Grasslands- Nicobars Deciduous forests -Andamans

Timber : 

Timber Out of 200 sps. 30 commercial importance Gurjan (Dipterocarpus spp.) Padauk( Pterocarpus dalbergioides) Marble tree (Diospyros marmorata) Chooi (Sageraea elliptical) Kokko( Albizzia lebbeck) Holy rudraksha ( Elaeocarpus sphaericus)

Mammals : 

Mammals 50 sps, of mammals Common mammals –andaman wild pig ,crab eating macaque ,andaman palm civet ,spotted deer, andaman bat, andaman spiny shrew, elephants Exotic introduction- deer ,sambar Feral elephant crab eating macaque

Feral elephants of Andaman & their conservation : 

Feral elephants of Andaman & their conservation Introduced by forest department A private company left 40 elephant to island No proper record of sex & age Fragmented group & chances of gene flow is remote Need of protection

Protective measures : 

Protective measures Isolated population & inbreeding -maintain low level of inbreeding Large area needed to maintain viable population More young population necessary Futurity of small population

Suggestions : 

Suggestions Immediate census to find out population age structure, sex wise plan to further work Introduction of bull & reproductive female Improving habitat Desilting of water holes

Birds & butterflies : 

Birds & butterflies 270 sps of birds,99 sps endemic Andaman wood pigeon, Andaman teal, Megapode, Nicobar parakeet, Crested serpent eagle, white bellied sea eagle, Butterflies & moths-225 sps,10 sps endemic Swallowtails, wild silk moth

Megapode & conservation : 

Megapode & conservation Protection Captive breeding Surrogative studies Eco-development

Exotics : 

Exotics Cheetal Five striped palm squire Hog deer, barking deer Leopard Elephant Common mynah, house sparrow, peafowl

Marine life and its management in Andaman : 

Marine life and its management in Andaman Gaithaolu Thaimei

Marine life : 

Marine life 1962 km coastline Rich marine biodiversity 1200 species of fish 350 echinoderms 1000 molluscs > 200 corals Vertebrates – dugong, dolphin, whale, salt water crocodiles, turtles, sea snakes…

Marine NPs : 

Marine NPs Mahatma Gandhi Marine NP, Wandoor Rani Jhansi Marine NP, Havelock

Mahatma Gandhi Marine NP (MGMNP) : 

Mahatma Gandhi Marine NP (MGMNP) Estd. -1983 Area – 281.5 sq. km Land area – 61 sq. km No. of islands – 15 Islands for tourists – Jolly buoy & Redskin Visiting season- Nov to May

MGMNP (contd.) : 

MGMNP (contd.) Mangrove forest Tropical Wet Evergreen Forest Tropical Moist Deciduous Forest

Marine life in MGMNP : 

Marine life in MGMNP Over 300 sp. of coral fishes, jellyfish, starfishes, sea anemones, sea cucumber, sea urchin, crabs, octopus, dolphins, turtles, sharks… Land fauna- Andaman wild pig, spotted deer, civet, bats. Birds- A teal, whistling teal, white bellied sea eagle, parakeet, reef heron…

Contd. : 

Contd. Corals – Colonies of tiny animals called polyps Symbiotic association with zooxanthellae Grows up to a depth of 40m, high density at 8m. Ideal condition- 22-250C, light, wave action. 120 sp. Corals fringing reefs Acropora (stag horn), Porites (boulder coral), Fungia (mushroom coral), Montipora (knob coral), Lobophyllia (brain coral), Favia (star coral)

Threats to corals : 

Threats to corals Sedimentation Pollution Destructive fishing Oil spills, heavy metals, pesticides, coral mining, uncontrolled tourism, physical damage by boat anchors...

Management of MGMNP : 

Management of MGMNP DFO (Wildlife Div.1) Managed by Wandoor Range – protection, water craft.. Research & Survey range- tourism, R & S, Zone Plan for MGMNP Preservation Multiple zone Tourism Benthic community Protection Zone

Contd. : 

Contd. Protection- protection camps, lookout post, patrolling, no camps inside the park, Research and monitoring- ZSI, CARI, JNRM,… Fishing – permits outside the Park.

Ecotourism : 

Ecotourism Jolly buoy and Redskin – Dec to May 200 visitors per day No anchorage of boat 2 mooring buoys No plastic zone, jute bags provided Eco huts, benches, garbage bins Interpretation center at Wandoor

Birds & Reptiles of A & N Islands : 

Birds & Reptiles of A & N Islands

Birds of A & N Islands : 

Birds of A & N Islands 246 species inhabit these islands 99 species are endemic Megapode (Megapodius nicobarensis), Narcondum hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) White-bellied sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), Edible-nest swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta), Emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica)

Narcondam hornbill. (Rhyticeros narcondami) : 

Narcondam hornbill. (Rhyticeros narcondami) the Narcondam Hornbill, which lives only on this 6.8 sq. km island and has a population of less than 400individuals Most nests of the Narcondam Hornbill are found in old, fissured and hollowed trees Due to storms and old age, many trees die every year on this small, 6.8 sq. km island. The nest sites are at premium and out of the 300-400 Narcondam Hornbills that occur there, there is a stiff competition for nest sites. Domestic goats introduced to support security forces The goats are not allowing regeneration of ficus species so there is very little recruitment. if the goats were not eradicated and the old trees keep dying at the present rate, then in another 80 years there would be no old tree left to have nest cavities for this highly endangered and endemicspecies to breed.

Edible-nest swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta : 

Edible-nest swiftlet (Collocalia esculenta The Cave Swiftlets use echolocation to navigate . During the breeding season, the salivary glands of this species expand to produce the special inspissated saliva for binding twigs and other detritus together for building the nest, which is a shallow cup stuck to the cave wall. Only those species whose nests are 'white' and made purely or almost purely of saliva are the most prized. The nests are harvested from cave walls. bird's nest soup in Chinese cuisine.

Megapode (Megapodius nicobarensis), : 

Megapode (Megapodius nicobarensis), mound-builders or incubator birds. They do not incubate their eggs with body heat, but bury them by building large nest-mounds of sand and humus. The eggs incubate by the heat of decaying vegetation. Chicks use their claws to break out of the egg, and then tunnel their way up to the surface of the mound. They hatch feathered, active and ready to lead an independent existence. Nicobar Scrubfowl breeds all year round Batti Malv, Tillanchong and Megapode Island Campbell Bay and Galathea N P

Reptiles of A & N Islands : 

Reptiles of A & N Islands 76 terrestrial reptiles. 24 spp endemic four main species of sea turtles viz., Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata squamata), and Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), Salt water crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), Water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator), Reticulate python (Python reticulatus), sea snakes and many other varieties of snakes including King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah).

Salt water crocodile : 

Salt water crocodile The main habitats of the saltwater crocodile included mangrove creeks, closed bays and freshwater marshes, now scarce and restricted to the island of Little Andaman the loss of flat lands adjacent to freshwater sources, comprising prime crocodile nesting habitat, a) killing of nesting females at nest sites; (b) poaching for skin, fat and collection of eggs by local settlers; (c) intensive fishing and boat traffic in all the mangrove creeks; and (d) remoteness and inaccessibility of these areas

Olive ridley turtle. : 

Olive ridley turtle. The olive ridley nests only on the east coast of theAndaman Islands & 12 sites have been observed.. They nest during October to April with a peak from January to February. We observed nesting @ Cuthbert Bay of the Middle Andamans. 135 eggs laid . Collected & buried again in hatchery site. Incubation about 45 days .

THREATS FOR TURTLE : 

THREATS FOR TURTLE poaching by feral dogs and humans, sandmining, incidental catch, habitat degradation andtourism. important food source for the original inhabitants of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Original inhabitants of the islands carried out subsistence hunting at offshore or by capturing nesting turtles on beaches. They also collected turtle eggs, which formed a valuable protein source. Andaman Islands, all the species except the leatherback were hunted for meat. In Nicobar, cooked turtle meat is consumed regularly.

Challenges & Threats : 

Challenges & Threats Rampant immigration from mainland Smuggling of endangered wildlife to neighboring countries Sea cucumber, corals, shanks etc Increasing pressure by tourism Illegal hunting and activities in Tribal reserves Disturbance by Andaman Trunk Road in Jarawa reserve

Steps takento conserve biodiversity : 

Steps takento conserve biodiversity Implementation of Shekhar singh commission report in-Toto by SC No monoculture Plantations to be cut down and forest regenerated there Ban on felling of trees and collection of NTFP from all tribal reserves, except by the tribals for their own consumptions Issue of identity card to Islanders Closure of all Timber based industries Regulation of traffic on ATR All forestry extractions scaled down Removal of encroachment done post-1979 Emphasis on sustainable development processes in agro-forestry, horticulture, fisheries etc Creating Awareness and educating people

Thank you : 

Thank you