LEH, Sep 1: Union Territory (UT) government of Ladakh has declared ‘snow leopard’ its state animal and black-necked crane state bird.
According to a notification vide No:LA(LA(F&W)UTL/2019(02)/1562 -36 in this regard was issued Tuesday by the principal secretary forest, ecology and environment, Pawan Kotwal.
The official notification read: “The Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh is pleased to declare snow leopard (Panther unica) and black–necked crane (Grus nicricollis) as state animal and state bird, respectively, of the union territory of Ladakh from the date of issue of this notification.”
Erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state had the black-necked crane and Kashmir stag (Hangul) as its state bird and animal respectively.
Following the bifurcation into separate administrative divisions, the black-necked crane and snow leopard were declared as the state animal of Ladakh.
Here it needs to be mentioned that on October 7, 2013, it was for the first time a Black-necked Crane, the state bird of J&K has been fitted with satellite transmitters in the Ladakh region. In India, eastern Ladakh is the only known breeding ground for Black-necked crane outside China.
The estimated population of Black-necked Crane in ladakh region is between 80-100 while the global population is estimated to be around 6,000.
Under the first phase of the research project, the satellite transmitters were placed on two Bar-headed Geese in the Gharana Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu in March 2012. A detailed report on this study titled ‘Tracking Movement Pattern of Bar-headed Goose in J&K’ was brought out by the WII (WildLife Institute of India) , Dehradun in April 2013.
According to Tahir Shawl, Joint Director Wildlife Jammu & Kashmir Research Institute, the high altitude wetlands in trans-Himalayan region of India are breeding grounds of many species of migratory waterfowl and play host to species like Black-necked Crane and Bar-headed Geese during summer.
He said the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State had the black-necked crane and Kashmir stag (Hangul) as its state bird and animal respectively.
“While the black-necked crane is found in eastern Ladakh, Hangul is in Kashmir” now after bifurcation Ladakh has perhaps taken the decision as Hangul – the mammal does not found there.”
Mr Shawl also recalled that the exercise to fit the satellite transmitters on two Black-necked Cranes was accomplished by the leh Wildlife Division of the department in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai in September .
Expert bird catcher, associated with Bombay Natural History Society, Ali Hussain, Dr Asad Rafi Rahmani, Director BNHS, Dr Bilal Habib, Scientist WII, were present in Changthang to carry out the elaborate procedure along with senior officials of the State Wildlife Department.
Shawl said the study was expected to be carried out in the wetlands of Changthang area including Chushul, Hanle, Tsokar, loma, Saato and Ronga in collaboration with the WII, Dehradun. (Agencies)
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