Arunachal: A big achievement for the Forest Department, as it spots one of the rarest mammals, Takin or Gnu Goat in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
About the locating in Arunachal:
The Takin was spotted by a trap camera above 3,500 metres in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Kameng district.
Vikas Swami, DFO, Seppa said, “We got a camera trap image in November. Seppa Forest Division had installed cameras above altitude 3500 metre as a part of Snow Leopard Survey programme with help of WWF-India (knowledge partner).”
Further the Forest officials said, “Exact number of individuals is not known to us but it’s the largest mammal which is very rare to see in the wild.”
Majority in the ownership of the land rests with the local communities in the state and effectively a very small area falls under Forest Department. Several pockets have community driven conservation programmes while several have seen widespread hunting, both for sustenance and game.
About Takin:
Takin is a large, muscular, hoofed mammal sometimes referred to as a goat antelope, because it has things in common with both goats and antelope. The Takin is adapted to its mountainous environment in Asia. Due to overhunting and the destruction of its natural resources, it is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
