An updated account of mammal species and population status of ungulates in keoladeo national park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan

Abstract

This study documents the present status of mammals in Keoladeo National Park (KNP) and assesses the population structure of ungulates. It provides a comprehensive account of the mammal diversity of the park and aims to compare the change in mammalian species account ever since the park became a protected area. We employed line transect surveys for density estimation of ungulates. We report local extinction of eight species since 1966, and extant diversity of 34 mammalian species in KNP. The estimated densities of chital, feral cattle, nilgai, wild boar and sambar were 52.37, 33.66, 13.68, 3.21 and 0.32 in-dividuals/km2 respectively. Although blackbuck has become locally extinct and sambar density has significantly reduced, chital and nilgai as habitat generalists have increased in density in the last 25 years, which has contributed to an overall increase in ungulate population density in KNP. The mammalian diversity has changed substantially with local extinction of some carnivores and constant change in the habitat condition.