Barasingha Deer

Why in news?

A decade after reintroduction, the Satpura tiger reserve's Barasingha population tops around 303 and three population units established across the landscape.

• Scientific name – Rucervus duvaucelii
• It commonly known as the swamp deer, is a large and majestic deer species native to the Indian subcontinent.
• Family – ‘Artiodactyls’ or ‘even-toed ungulates’
• Name – "Barasingha" translates to "twelve-tined" or "twelve-horned" in Hindi, which highlights the magnificent, multi-branched antlers found on mature males.
• Distribution – It is distributed across the Indian subcontinent; an isolated population is found in Nepal.
• Habitat – Grasslands, meadows, open woodland areas, wetlands and swampy regions.
• Present mainly in Kanha Tiger Reserve (largest natural population) of Madhya Pradesh.
• Subspecies of Barasingha in India
  • Wetland Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii)
  • Hard-ground Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii branderi) – in Kanha Tiger Reserve. Hard-ground swamp deer is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh.
  • Eastern Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhii)
• Presence in other regions includes
  • Dudhwa Tiger Reserve & Pilibhit National Park (Uttar Pradesh) – Where the Barasingha proudly serves as the State Animal of Uttar Pradesh.
  • Kaziranga and Manas National Parks (Assam)
  • Bardia National Park & Shukla Phanta (Nepal).
• Size – They stand about 110 to 120 cm (44 to 46 inches) at the shoulder and can weigh up to 170–180 kg.
• Appearance – Their woolly coat is a bright rufous or yellowish-brown in the summer, shifting to a thicker, paler brown during the winter.
• Hooves – They possess unique, wide and splayed hooves that spread out as they walk.
• This serves as an evolutionary adaptation providing crucial stability on soft, muddy, and marshy ground.
• Behaviour – They are strictly herbivorous, feeding mostly on swamp grasses and aquatic plants.

• Conservation Status
  • IUCN Red List – Vulnerable
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule I.
  • CITES – Appendix I
• Threats – Habitat loss & fragmentation, hunting, poaching, human encroachment, grazing pressure, etc.

Reference

TOI | Decade after reintroduction, Satpura reserve’s Barasingha population tops 300