Himalayan Serow

• A Himalayan Serow has been spotted in Manas Tiger Reserve, Assam.
• It is a mammal that is somewhere between a goat and an antelope, which is a high-altitude dweller found 2,000-4,000 metres above sea level.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species Status - ‘Vulnerable’.
• It is listed under Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides absolute protection.
• A black-necked crane (Near-threatened) and white-bellied heron (Critically Endangered) were also recently sighted in Manas.

Manas National Park

• This national park is located at the foothills of the Bhutan-Himalayas, Assam and is one of the first tiger reserves under Project tiger in 1973.
• It extends from the Sankosh River in the west to the Dhansiri River in the east.
• 1985 - Manas Wildlife Sanctuary became UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 1989 - Manas acquired the status of a Biosphere reserve.
• River Manas flows into the National Park from the gorges of Bhutan.
• Manas is the only landscape in the world where Terai Grasslands merge with the Bhabar grasslands interspersed with habitats ascending to Semi-Evergreen forests and then to Bhutan Himalayas.
• The last population of the Pygmy Hog survive in the wilds of Manas and nowhere else in the world.

Himalayan serow

A Himalayan serow has been sighted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region-Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Himalayan serow resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.

There are several species of serows, and all of them are found in Asia. The Himalayan serow, or Capricornis sumatraensis thar, is restricted to the Himalayan region. Taxonomically, it is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).

Habitat: They are typically found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres. They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region. The Trans-Himalayas Mountain Region or Tibet Himalayan Region is located to the north of the Great Himalayas which consists of Karakoram, Ladakh, Zaskar and Kailash mountain ranges.

Recent Sighting: The animal was spotted near Hurling village in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. Spiti lies in the cold mountain desert region of the western Himalayas, and its valley floor has an average elevation of 4,270 metres above sea level, making the sighting special as Serows are generally not found at this altitude. This is the first recorded human sighting of the serow in Himachal Pradesh. The animal has been spotted a few times earlier in the state, but that has always been through camera traps.

The animal has also been spotted in the Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary, and in the higher reaches of Chamba. The Sanctuary is locally well known for its extensive alpine pastures as well as the numerous treks, trails and passes that connect it with the neighbouring Great Himalayan National Park and Pin Valley National Park.

Facts:

IUCN Red List: Vulnerable CITES: Appendix I The Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule I