WII in the Field

Himalayan Tahr – Livestock Interactions in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary - Swati, K., S. Sathyakumar and G. S. Rawat

As part of the ongoing Institutional Cooperation Programme between WII and University of Tromso, Norway on ‘Natural Resource Ecology and Management in the Himalayas’ funded by NORAD, a short-term study on Himalayan Tahr – livestock interactions was carried out in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttaranchal, during 2003–04.

Himalayan Tahr (males) at Shokharakh

Located in the Western Himalayas, Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary encompasses some of the relatively less disturbed areas available for the Himalayan Tahr. In the Shokharakh area near Tungnath (10 km2) located at the southern boundary of the sanctuary, tahr is one of the most commonly encountered wild ungulates. Migratory livestock also visit this area although this has been reduced to a certain extent due to restrictions by the Forest Department in the past. The vegetation in the study area varies with altitude having Upper Temperate Moist Deciduous forest with Maple (Acer sp.), Brown Oak (Quercus semecarpifolia), Horse chestnut (Aesculus indica), Rhododendron arboreum etc. till about 3200 m.  Beyond this is the alpine scrub having species of stunted Rhododendron (R. companulatum, R. anthopogon and R. lepidotum) and alpine meadows with various herb and grass species.

The main objective of the study was to collect information on the spatial and temporal use and overlap of habitat by the tahr and livestock in the Tungnath and Shokharakh area. An extensive study area, Rudranath alpine meadows where livestock visit, was also selected. The sampling methods followed were scans from four vantage points and trail walks, one in the alpine and the other around tree line. At every sighting, data on group size, composition and habitat parameters were collected. Biomass sampling by harvest method was carried out in both the areas for three seasons excluding winter. 

Data was collected for all seasons during April 2003–March 2004 during which 617 groups of Tahr were sighted by scans and trail walks. The scan points had an encounter rate of 8 to 12 indiv/hr and it was 16 to 36 indiv/km walk in the transect. Based on the highest number of individuals encountered in a day, it was estimated that a minimum of 100 tahr were present in the area. Most sightings were between the altitude ranges of 2900 m and 3200 m. Tahr preferred steep terrain with slope categories more than 50 degrees in the Southern and Southeastern aspects. The average group size was 5 to 7 individuals. On most occasions, they were observed to split into small groups after moving for some time in a larger group. Groups were even seen to converge at dusk. Thus, it can be confirmed that tahr form fluid groups, splitting and rejoining during the course of the day.

Diet of tahr was studied through direct observations as well as by dung analysis. They were seen to feed on Danthonia cashmeriana, Kobresia sp., R. arboreum, Rosa sp., Piptanthes nepalensis, Iris kemaonensis, Rheum sp. etc. During the peak growing season they fed on green sprouting forbs, grasses and sedges. Tahrs were most active during early morning and late evening but tended to feed through the day in cloudy weather. During sunny days they spent most afternoons under the scattered trees of R. arboreum and Brown Oak.

The female groups with sub-adults, young and newborn kids, were most sighted in spring and summer, which was due to the segregation of adult males after rut (Oct-Feb). Most of the mixed groups were encountered during the rut although a few were seen even during other seasons. By April the segregating males begin to form all male groups, which feed and move independently. Sexual segregation in adult males after rut could largely be to avoid competition with female, young and newborn kids in their home range. This may also help males to regain or improve their physical body condition after rut by foraging on high altitude plants, which may be of higher nutritive value.

Ten herds of livestock visited the area from April to October comprising of goat and sheep ranging from 150 to 800 individuals in each herd. These were accompanied livestock and were mostly taken into the Reserved Forest area and not in the sanctuary, although quite a few groups did visit the alpine meadows of Tungnath (within the sanctuary). In addition to this, cows, buffaloes, horses and mule were also seen to graze in the area. Most of the disturbances, livestock as well as tourists were along the pilgrim path to the Tungnath temple from the tourist hamlet of Chopta but this too is not very extensive. Livestock in the Reserved Forest area although cause  substantial damage by reducing green areas especially around their camps into muddy grounds highly enriched by a layer of dung. No significant overlap in habitat use was seen with respect to tahr and livestock in this study, although results of dung analysis are yet to be obtained as the analysis is underway.

To get a better insight on grazing practices and tahr habitats throughout its distribution range a few surveys have been carried out in other parts of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. The intensive study area has a fairly good population of tahr. It would be interesting to compare this area with other tahr habitats having variable intensities of grazing and anthropogenic pressures.