Mouse Deer at Kanha

There was a lot of speculation about mouse deer or Indian chevrotain at Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh Central India. The taxonomic classification is tragulus meminna....... family Tragulidae. Mouse deer is a ruminant and prefers forest habitats or grassy areas surrounded by rocky hillsides. Such habitat is widespread in this tiger reserve, and the discovery suggests a healthy or rather well-preserved habitat for niche-dwelling species.

The deer was spotted and photographed at Kanha by a guest staying at a hotel in Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The news was published in a local daily. Though I had heard from jeep drivers and guides about the presence of this animal in face of concrete evidence and reliable identification, it was difficult to establish the presence of this animal. But the recent findings are an eye-opener. In spite of a such large number of visitors and forest staff, a species can go unnoticed or unidentified.

This could apply to other animals especially birds at Kanha since trained eyes roving in large numbers is a must for a correct listing of life forms in our National parks and sanctuaries.

This speaks of how little we know of wildlife - flora, and fauna - of our tiger heavens and so much is still to be done apart from saving the endangered tiger which rightly is the first priority.