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Open Access
Traditional therapeutic uses of animals and animal products among indigenous people of Idukki district, Kerala, India
(Department of Wildlife Sciences, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2021-12-31) Shijith S Nair.; KAU; M Shaji
Humans have known about ethnobiological uses since ancient times and rely on fauna and flora for medicines, food, clothing, and other necessities of life. For their basic health-care needs, the world population is looking for an alternative medication generated from natural resources, and this natural alternative, which consists of various bioactive chemicals, may be more effective with less toxicity than manufactured pharmaceuticals. The Western Ghats are home to a diverse range of fauna and flora, with plant-based medicines accounting for the majority of natural medicines discovered thus far. Animal medicines, on the other hand, have a restricted number of references. Rural communities, who have acquired millennium old traditional wisdom from their predecessors and handed it down through generations, are crucial in disease management. Poverty and a scarcity of medical facilities are to blame, they rely mainly on traditional knowledge, hence This knowledge is only available in rural regions. Before it is depleted as a result of rising urbanisation, modernization, and industry, traditional plant and animal recipes must be recorded. It is critical to document particular human societies' plant and animal usage that are passed down through the generations in undiscovered areas. Furthermore, with the growing threat of microorganism resistance to existing allopathic medications, novel natural chemical combinations with synergistic or additive effects are desperately needed. As a result, the project was designed with the goals of 1) analysing and documenting indigenous people's ethnozoological knowledge in Kerala's Idukki area. 2) additionally, document the creation and use of medications derived from animals and animal products, and 3) quantitative indices are used to determine the highly desired ones. This might be the first investigation in the specific location to describe traditionally used medicinal fauna and its recipes. The findings of the study might help preserve traditional knowledge and identify new taxa as a potential source of adjunct to conventional medicine. 84 The outcomes of the reseaech followed imply that local populations in Idukki have a good understanding of how to make ethnomedicine out of faunal diversity based on what's available. This research preserves ethnobiological data while also laying the groundwork for pharmacological, phytochemical, and synergistic research. People employ animal products/parts either alone or in combination with other things to treat a variety of human diseases. The findings also reveal that ethnomedicine is an important part of the primary health care system in the research area, but that it is mostly centred on flora rather than fauna. The animal recipes offer new perspectives on drug research that, through synergistic mechanisms, may pave the way for the development of new and effective therapies. Traditional knowledge is rapidly fading; hence scholars are being encouraged to perform further study in this region so that it may be preserved and documented.
Open Access
Modelling habitat suitability and climate change impacts on endemic birds of Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India
(Department of wildlife sciences, College of Forestry,Vellanikkara, 2021) Sreehari K Mohan; KAU; Nameer, P O
Open Access
Economic valuation of ecosystem services: A case study of kole wetlands, Ramsar site
(Department of wildlife sciences, College of Forestry,Vellanikkara, 2021) Neha, Tamhankar; KAU; Nameer, P O
Wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, equivalent to tropical evergreen forests, and they play an important role in ecological sustainability. The quality and extent of these wetlands are rapidly deteriorating. The purpose of our study, was to determine the services offered by the wetland as regarded by stakeholders and to quantify the economic value for various ecosystem services. It was held in one of most important wetland systems in Kerala, the Kole wetlands, which has been designated as a Ramsar site. The data used in this study was collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data respondents were chosen using a multistage random sampling method (200 samples), and data was collected using a personal interview method with a pretested organised schedule. The obtained data was analysed by using market value approach, travel cost method, replacement cost method, benefit transfer method, and contingent valuation method. The farmers involved in paddy farming, fishing activities, lotus farming, and those leasing land for duck rearing are the stakeholders relying on the Kole wetlands. Another key economic activity in the Kole wetlands is tourism, accounting additional income to the farmers. Flood storage, groundwater recharge, and carbon sequestration are some of the additional indirect benefits. The relevance of wetland ecosystem services was recognised by the respondents. Crop raiding by birds, pollution, floods, and poor wetland management are important issues that the farmers have facing at Kole wetlands. The Total Economic Value (TEV) of the system is composed of direct use value, indirect use value and non-use value. The level of income generated by wetland-related activities was used to calculate the direct use value of the wetland. Paddy cultivation worth Rs. 126 crores per year, highlighted as most important service provided by the Kole wetland. It has a direct usage value of Rs. 148 crores and the flood storage function of Rs. 187 crores, whereas the groundwater recharge function is worth Rs. 9.9 crores per annum. It has a non-use value of Rs. 7.3 crores. According to the findings, wetland ecosystem services have an estimated economic worth of Rs. 390 crores per year which highlights its enormous importance. The findings of the study can be used to construct a socially acceptable management strategy for the conservation of long-term viability of Kole wetland.
Open Access
Status, distribution and habitat preferences of small carnivores in Eravikulam national park, Kerala
(Department of Wildlife Sciences, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara,Thrissur, 2015) Nikhil, S; KAU; Nameer, P O
A study was conducted to understand the diversity, status, distribution and habitat preferences of small carnivores in Eravikulam National Park (ENP). The study was conducted from September 2014 to March 2015. This was the first ever study on the small carnivores in ENP.The small carnivores were studied using the camera traps. This was supplemented through the study of the indirect evidences of the small carnivores, using line transect methods. A total of 855 camera trap days, having 20,520 hrs and 65km of transect walk was done at ENP. The vegetation of the study site was studied by taking 77, 10x10m quadrants, covering an area of 7700m2. A total eight species of small carnivores were recorded from ENP. This accounted for 50% of small carnivores of W. Ghats and 19% of India. Small cats of the family dominated the small carnivores at ENP, accounting for 50% of the total small carnivores. The small cats at ENP were the Jungle Cat Felis chaus (27.7%) and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis (22.2%). The other small carnivores found at the ENP were Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis (22.2%), Asian small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinerea (11.1%), Nilgiri Marten Martes gwatkinsii (0.05%), Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphrodites (0.05%) and Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica (0.05%). A total of 153 incidence of indirect evidences of small carnivores were recorded from 65 km transect walk. Abundance of small carnivores (scats/kilometer), with the small cats (1.04) having the maximum abundance followed by civets (0.80), mongoose (0.26), otters (0.17) and Nilgiri Marten (0.04) at the ENP. There was no significant difference in the habitat preference by the small carnivores. They were using both the shola forests as well as grasslands. Therewas no significant difference in the habitat preferences across the seasons under study too. The prominent vegetation at the ENP was Ficusdrupacea, Syzygium arnottianum, Pithecellobium subcoriaceum, Microtropis ramiflora, Gomphandra coriacea. Though no relationship could be made between the vegetation type and the small carnivore distribution, most of the study locations were dominated by Ficus drupacea and Syzigium arnottianum. The most widely distributed small carnivore at ENP was the civets and the greater presence of the fruit trees across the ENP could be the reason for the wider distribution of the viverrids, which has a diet preference towards fruits. Out of the eight species of small carnivores of ENP two are Vulnerable, according to IUCN RedList. However, no conservation threats could be observed on the small carnivores of ENP, and ENP would be acting as an important adobe for the survival of the small carnivores of Western Ghats.
Open Access
Status and habitat preferences of White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis ) population of Wayand wildlife sanctuary, Kerala
(Department of Wildlife Sciences, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2018) Vishnu, M; KAU; Nameer, P O
The research work entitled "Status and habitat preferences of White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) population of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala" was studied during August 2017 to April 2018. It was carried out in four study locations viz., Kurichiat, Muthanga, Sulthan Bathery and Tholpetty. The main objective of the study was to find out the status, nesting characteristics, feeding observations and interview of various stakeholders. Three species of vultures included in the family Accipitridae were reported from the current study in Wayanad WLS viz., Gyps bengalens is, Gyps indicus, and Sarcogyps calvus. Total of 4 active nesting trees were identified from two different colonies this year. All the 4 nest were present in Haldina cardifolia. Out of the 4 nests, 3 nests belongs to Gyps bengalensis located in Kazukankolli and 1 nest belongs to Sarcogyps calvus which was the 1st report of nesting of this species in the sanctuary located in Karamukku, Kurichiyad. Apart from this, 9 nests of the previous years on 6 different tree species were also studied. Other nesting tree species were Terminalia elliptica, Lagerstroemea microcarpa, Dalbergia latifolia, Stereospermum chelenoides and Tectona grandis. Thirty species of trees were identified belonging to 17 different families from the 44 circular plots surveyed in the nesting colony of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Most of the nesting are having height between 25 m - 35 m and girth more than 300 em. Mostly height of the nests are in between 23 m - 26 m of the nesting trees. IVI of the nesting trees are comparatively higher than the other tree species got from the plots. The vegetation parameters that influence the nesting habitat of vultures are the girth of the tree, height of the tree and the tree species diversity in the area. The camera trapping has been found to be a useful technique for the population estimation of the vultures at the vulture restaurants in Wayanad. The camera trap success rate of vultures observed in Kakkappadam is 34.09%. The high success rate is because it is a dumping ground of carcass. Carcass monitored was of Elephant, Sambar Deer and Spotted deer. The most preferred feeding hours by the vultures were 7-8 hours and 12-13. hours.From the survey conducted among the veterinarians and the medical shops it was found that the harmful NSAID's such as Ketoprofen are being used to treat livestock, which could be a problem for the long-term conservation of the vultures. The use of the veterinary diclofenac was nil at Wayanad District. However, some of the medical practitioners were found using the human diclofenac for treating livestock.
Open Access
Utilisation of the waterholes by wild animals in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary
(Department of Wildlife Sciences, College of Forestry, Vellanikara, 2019) Sachinkrishna, M V; KAU; Nameer, P O
Utilisation of natural and artificial waterholes in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) was analysed in this research work. Vayals are the natural swampy areas while the waterholes are the artificial ponds made by the forest department. The study was done with two objectives such as mapping ofthe vayals and the artificial waterholes in the WWS and the usage of these structures by wild animals. We used GIS tools for mapping ofthe vayals as well as artificial waterholes in WWS. The animal visitation was studied using the camera traps installed in the selected vayals and artificial waterholes across the four ranges of WWS from September 2018 to May 2019. The observations were made in dry season and wet season. The geo-coordinated maps of 171 vayals and 168 artificial waterholes in Wayanad WWS were prepared. It is interesting to note that most of the artificial waterholes were made within the vayals. A total of 21 species of wild animals were found to be using the water sources in WWS. The animal visits to vayals/natural waterholes were greater than that of the artificial waterholes. However, the animal activity in these water sources in the dry season was greater than that of wet season. The herbivores preferred vayals more than waterholes, but the frequency of visit of other animals such as carnivores, primates, etc. were found to be more in waterholes. The most abundant animal in Wayanad wildlife Sanctuary was Spotted Deer and its frequency of visit was higher in vayals than artificial waterholes. The frequency of animal visit at waterholes made inside the vayal is found to be higher than that of waterholes dug outside the vayal. The temporal activity pattern of water source usage was also studied. Most ofthe vayals and waterholes were used mainly during morning and evening hours. The direct usage of artificial waterholes for drinking water was rarely observed. Most of the visits made by herbivores to the waterholes were for grazing around the waterbody. The randomness of usage of water sources were also studied using Run test. Asian Elephant, Barking Deer,Gaur, and Wild Boar show a non-random usage of natural waterholes in the wet season. In artificial waterholes, elephant shows a non-random usage in wet season and the Spotted Deer and Sambar Deer shows non-random usage in dry season. The design of waterhole is also found to be affecting the animal activity. The side walls of many waterholes were made steep in such a way that it cannot be accessible by small animals like Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, etc. The quality of water is another factor that influences the usage. Many waterholes were not capable of holding water in the extreme dry months. The vayals kept moist throughout the year and supported the animals with good fodder in the lean periods. Constructing waterholes inside the vayals causes degradation of the swampy habitat and lead to drying up of vayals. It also affects the hydrology of that landscape. So,the present study highlights the importance of vayals and its management in protecting that habitat. The construction of artificial waterholes should be done with proper scientific studies.
Open Access
Comparison of feeding Ecology of two endemic species of langurs, Himalayan Grey Langur (Semnopithecus ajax) and Tufted Grey Langur(Semnopithecus priam)
(Department of Wildlife Sciences, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara,Thrissur, 2019) Aakib Hussain Paul; KAU; Nameer, P O
A field study was conducted to study the feeding ecology of two endemic species of the langurs viz., the Himalayan grey langur (Semnopithecus ajax) and Tufted grey langur (Semnopithecus priam). The study was conducted from August 2018 to April 2019 in Dachigam National Park, Srinagar and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala. The Himalayan grey langur showed typical preference towards a particular feeding item during different seasons. Although the Himalayan grey langur is folivorous yet consumes a variety of food items such as fruits, roots, flowers, buds, bark and twigs. The Himalayan grey langur spent a considerable amount of time in searching and feeding of insects to maintain the ionic balance. The overall maximum feeding was reported in case of Rosa webbiana (9.54 %), followed by Populas deltiodes (8.11 %), Salix alba (7.63 %), Hedera nepalensis (7.63 %) and Aseculas indica (6.9 %). Rosaceae family was most preferred followed by Salicaceae. The most preferred food item was leaves (27.18 %) followed by fruits (22.75 %) and seeds (10.49 %). Average height of feeding was reported to be 5.68 m, which was maximum, in case of Aseculas indica and Pinus wallichiana (11 m), followed by Ulmus villosa (9.8 m) and Ulmus wallichiana (9.7 m). The Tufted grey langur was reported to be feeding on 12 tree species belonging to seven different families. The maximum duration of feeding in case of Anogeissus latifolia and Samanea saman (18.87 %) followed Dalbergia lanceolaria and Gmelia tillifolia (9.43 %), Terminalia bellarica (7.55 %). The Tufted grey langur diet mainly comprised of leaves, twigs and fruits. The leaves comprised of 60.38 %, twigs 20.75 % and fruits 18.87 %. The average height of feeding was 8.8 m, which was maximum in case of Hydnocarpus pentandra (12 m) followed by T. bellarica (10.5 m). The Himalayan grey langur spent maximum time in feeding followed by resting and grooming. The Himalayan grey langur spent 41 % of the time budget activity on feeding, followed by moving (21 %), resting (16%) and grooming (15%). Vegetation studies using quadrant survey showed a total of 26 species belonging to 16 different families. The species such as P. wallichiana, P. jacquemontiana, Q. robur and M. alba as dominant. The IVI was computed to show quantitative relationship among vegetation and highlight the importance of trees. The IVI values show that most important family of trees is Panacea, Hamamelidaceae, Ulmeace, Fagaceae, Cannabeacae and Rosaceae. Although major population areas of S. ajax and S. priam are protected areas yet special efforts are required for conservation of these valuable species which have been categorized as ‘Endangered’ and Near threatened’ by IUCN.
Open Access
Taxonomic inventory and ecology of the bats of silent valley national park, Kerala
(Department of Wildlife Science, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2016) Aswathy Chandran, U B; KAU; Nameer, P O
Status, distribution and habitat preference of small carnivores in Silent Valley National Park (SVNP) was studied during September 2015 to April 2016, using camera trap survey and day transects survey for the direct and indirect evidence. Seven species of small carnivores were recorded during the study. They are Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica, Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis, Brown Mongoose Herpestes fuscus, Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis, and Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus, and Nilgiri Marten Martes gwatkinsii. 12 mammal species other than small carnivores were reported along with 7 species of birds and one species of reptile during this present study. Small Indian Civet is the most abundant small carnivore in SVNP followed by Brown Palm Civet, and Stripe-necked Mongoose. From the diversity indices, it is found that species diversity was high during rainy season compared to non-rainy season. The analysis of activity pattern of small carnivores of SVNP showed a significant difference in activity distribution of sympatric species. The Stripe- necked Mongoose has diurnal activity pattern where Brown Mongoose has a nocturnal activity pattern. Two species of viverrids, Small Indian Civet and Brown Palm Civet showed a nocturnal activity, but they have varying peak activity periods. Leopard Cat had a nocturnal activity pattern. Logistic regression analysis was done for predicting the presence of small carnivore species based on 20 habitat parameters. The predictive accuracy of the regression model for occurrence of Stripe-necked Mongoose and Leopard Cat were 100%, which of Brown Mongoose, Brown Palm Civet and Small Indian Civet was 97%, 80%, and 79% respectively. Differential preferences of the species for the studied habitat variables were examined using discriminant analysis. It is interesting to note that the small carnivores of Silent Valley shows niche overlapping.
Open Access
Status, distribution and habitat preferences of small carnivores in Wayanad wildlife sanctuary, Kerala
(Department of Wildlife Science, College of Forestry, Vellanikkara, 2017) Sreekumar, E R; KAU; Nameer, P O
Status, distribution and habitat preference of small carnivores in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Wayanad WLS) was studied using camera traps during November 2016 to February 2017. The present work recorded 25 species of mammals during the study period that included 1932 camera trap days using 111camera trap stations. Out of that nine species were small carnivores belonging to four families (Mustelidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae and Felidae). This included Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus, Brown Palm Civet Paradoxurus jerdoni, Common Palm Civet Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Small Indian Civet Viverricula indica, Indian Grey Mongoose Herpestes edwardisii, Ruddy Mongoose Herpestes smithii, Stripe-necked Mongoose Herpestes vitticollis, Jungle Cat Felis chaus and Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis. The most common and abundant small carnivore in Wayanad WLS was Viverricula indica, followed by Herpestes vitticollis and Paradoxurus hermaphroditus. Among these Aonyx cinereus and Prionailurus bengalensis are rare species. The time activity pattern of small carnivores revealed that, all the viverrids were having exclusively nocturnal activity pattern while the Herpestes smithii and Herpestes vitticollis were showing diurnal activity pattern. An attempt was also made during the study to predict the occurrence of the small carnivores using 20 selected microhabitat variables by binary logistic regression analysis. The goodness of fit of the model well explained that the binary logistic regression is not suitable for predicting the occurrence of small carnivores using microhabitat variables studied. The present study also observed that selected microhabitat variables like canopy closure and tree density were negatively influencing the occurrence of Viverricula indica. However, the tree density was the only significant variable influencing the occurrence of Herpestes vitticollis. An attempt was also made to compare the small carnivore diversity in the natural habitat and the Senna spectabilis dominated landscape in Wayanad WLS. However, no significant difference in the small carnivore diversity was observed between these two habitats. Wayanad WLS supports one endemic species of small carnivore, the Paradoxurus jerdoni and one threatened species, the Aonyx cinereus. Therefore, the present study highlights the significance of the Wayanad WLS as a prime habitat for the conservation of the small carnivores.

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