IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
| Schaller, G.B.; Simon, N.M. | |
| The endangered large mammals of Asia | |
| 1970 Conference Proceeding | |
The South Asian countries of Bhutan, Ceylon, India, Nepal, and Pakistan have a wildlife heritage which few areas in the world can equal, both in the variety of large mammals and formerly in their numbers. The cats include the tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, lion, cheetah and snow leopard. There are four species of bear. Wild buffalo, three species of rhinoceros, elephant and gaur inhabit or inhabited the swamps and forests, as do several kinds of deer such as the sambar, axis deer or chital, hog deer, and swamp deer, to mention only a few. The open woodlands harbour blackbuck, nilgai and Indian gazelle or chinkara. The distinctive fauna of the Himalayas include several kinds of wild sheep, wild goats, yak and such species as the serow and takin. Not only is the variety large, but some species once occurred in great profusion. Herds of 10, 000 blackbuck were reported from the Punjab, and swamp deer crowded the reedbeds of the Indus and Ganges rivers, also in herds of thousands. Reading the hunting accounts of a century ago, one gains the impression that South Asia was an animal paradise comparable to East Africa. These assemblages have now gone, and each species clings to a small vestige of its former range. The decline, which has been spectacular, has occurred in all countries, with the possible exception of Bhutan, and can be traced to three main causes: Habitat destruction, hunting and disease. The cheetah is not considered further in the paper as it is seen among the species that have passed the point of no return. Snow leopard is rare, but skins are still offered for sale to tourists by, for example, the Kashmir Government Emporium. The most recent census counted 175 lions in Gir Sanctuary. Leopards and tigers are listed among the relatively common species, although the status of the tiger is deteriorating so rapidly that the time is not far distant when it will have to be added to the endangered list. |
|
 |
PDF files are only accessible to Friends of the Cat Group. Joining Friends of the Cat Group gives you unlimited access and downloads in the Cat SG Library for one year, and allows you to receive our newsletter Cat News (2 regular issues per year plus special issues). More information how to join here |
(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |