Itanagar, December 17: In joy for the Forest Department, Takin (or gnu goat) - one of the rarest mammals - was caught by a trap camera above 3,500 metres in Arunanchal Pradesh's East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh.
It is first photo/image of Takin from East Kameng district, DFO Seppa, Vikas Swami said. 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.
Check the Tweet From Arunachal Pradesh Environment and Forests Department:
Camera trap images of Bhutanese Takin from Seppa FD. It is first instance of camera trap image capture of this animal in East Kameng.
The cameras were installed in high altitude areas under snow leopard population assessment survey by the Department.@NatungMama @PemaKhanduBJP pic.twitter.com/iyce5shUuS
— Department of Envt. & Forests, Arunachal Pradesh (@ArunForests) December 18, 2021
"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)," Swami said. Exact number of individuals is not known to us, the Forest official said, adding: "But it's the largest mammal which is very rare to sight in wild." Dolphins Spotted Splashing in Water off Vashi Creek Near Mumbai! Watch Rare Video of Mammals Going Viral.
Much of 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.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2021 10:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).