Kendrapara: The mangroves and wetland sites of Bhitarkanika National Park are home to 7,129 mammals, according to the latest mammal census report.
The census, conducted for the fourth successive year, was carried out from November 21 to 23 in five forest ranges under Bhitarkanika National Park, said Bimal Prasanna Acharya, divisional forest officer of Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division.
As many as 35 forest beats in Kanika, Rajnagar, Mahakalapara, Gahirmatha and Kujang ranges were covered during the headcount drive, forest officials said.
According to the census report, 3,184 spotted deer, 1,660 wild boars, 1,819 Rhesus Macaques, 15 common langurs, 224 jackals, 28 fishing cats, eight hyenas, 113 otters, 14 jungle cats, 14 mongooses, 28 foxes, 16 hares, two leopard cats and four porcupines were sighted by the enumerators within the national park.
A majority of the mammals were sighted in Kanika wildlife range, forest officials said. While leopards and porcupines were found only in Kanika range, hares and foxes were spot in Kujang range, they added.
The mammal population this time has increased by about a thousand as compared to last year, the officials said.
During the mammal census of 2016, the forest personnel had sighted as many as 6,122 mammals in the national park. Spotted deer (3,233) had formed the majority of the mammal population followed by wild boars (1,252). PNN
