Grizzled giant squirrel scores a century in Chinnar sanctuary

Giji K. Raman, Idukki

The Hindu, March 11, 2019 

 

The number of Grizzled giant squirrel has crossed one hundred in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, its only natural habitat in the State.
The latest survey conducted from February 12 to 14 recorded the direct presence of 76 Grizzled giant squirrel and including those indirectly noticed using scientific methods, its number has crossed one hundred.
Assistant Wildlife Warden P.M. Prabhu told The Hindu on Friday that the rise in number of Grizzled giant squirrel in the sanctuary was significant as the presence of the tree squirrel in the country was around 500.
Other habitats
Its presence is also noticed in the Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary under the Theni forest division in Tamil Nadu, Thiruvannamalai division, Anamala Tiger Reserve, Hosur forest division and the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary. Elsewhere, Grizzled giant squirrel, known by the scientific name Ratufa macroura, is mainly confined to the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka.
The Chinnar sanctuary is known as its natural habitat, providing unique features for its breeding and growing. Its habitat is mainly spread on the banks of the Chinnar and Pampar riverine and along the streams joining the rivers. The largest concentration is reported near the riverine of Chinnar.
Its presence is seen mainly on Arjun tree, Indian almond, Palamaram ( Alstonia scholaris ), Java plum tree, Pongame oil tree and tamarind which are largely distributed along the riverine.
The survey was conducted in Chinnar, Champakad, Chunkam, Alampatty-Thoovanam, Vazhathura, and Karimutty as different blocks and in 21 transectlines based on riverbanks, streams and waterlogged areas.
Last year’s figure
In the survey held last year, the direct presence of only 68 Grizzled giant squirrel was noticed and there were apprehensions whether the number was on the decline in the sanctuary.
Grizzled giant squirrel is smaller compared to the common Malabar giant squirrel.

 

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Grizzled squirrel safe at Chinnar: Forest dept

The Hindu, October 25 2018
Thiruvananthapuram:

The Kerala Forest Department has clarified that 68 Grizzled Giant Squirrel individuals were directly sighted at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary during a 2017 survey. The squirrel population was estimated to be 104 individuals in the potential riparian habitat.
No hunting incidents
Referring to a report on the dwindling population of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel species, which appeared in these columns, P.M. Prabhu, Assistant Wildlife Warden, said no hunting incidents of the species had been reported since the sanctuary was established.
He said the sanctuary had a “very healthy and stable population of another flagship species, the Indian Star Tortoise, indicating that habitat disturbance was very negligible”.
Help of tribes
The study was conducted in 50 km of potential habitat of the “sanctuary (riparian forest) which was selected based on the indigenous knowledge of the tribal people inhabiting the sanctuary”, he said.
For the survey, 21 line transects were taken and surveyed repeatedly by 31 participants for six days. “This recent study report is more relevant and authentic,” Mr.Prabu said.

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Dwindling Grizzled Giant Squirrel species

K.S. Sudhi, Kochi
The Hindu, October 03, 2018  

Grizzled Giant Squirrel is living on the edge in the Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary, one of its habitats in Western Ghats.
Researchers could count only 24 squirrels (Ratufa macroura) there, giving rise to fears that its population might have depleted by 85% in the sanctuary over a decade.
A recent study pointed out that the “current population estimation is about 78% to 85% lesser than the previous population estimation carried out in 1993 and 2007 respectively, which is quite alarming.” It was after gap of a decade that the status of the species was estimated.
The findings of the study, carried out by Kiran Thomas and P. O. Nameer of Kerala Agricultural University, was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa recently.
The animal, which got its common name from the white flecks of hair over its greyish body, is seen in pairs or as a family party of three individuals only during the breeding season.
The species is endemic to the southern States of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The only known population of the squirrel in Kerala is in the sanctuary. The population of the species in the country is estimated to be less than 500 mature individuals.
Earlier studies had indicated that the squirrel population was declining by over 30% during the last quarter century, thanks to the hunters and habitat loss.
The current population density of the species is estimated to be 15.26 squirrels per sq km against the density of 18 to 23 squirrels/sq km of 1993 and 64 squirrels/sq km of 2007, the study noted.
The Chinnar population is troubled by the increased predator pressure and the extremely low regeneration of its preferred food plant species due to heavy grazing by cattle.
During the study, the researchers chanced upon several suspected hybrid squirrels.

 

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Sky bridges for monkeys

Giji K. Raman,
IDUKKI  
The Hindu, March 20, 2017
After the success of the sky bridge for Grizzled Giant Squirrel, authorities are planning sky bridges for the Tufted Gray Langur (Semnopithecus priam) of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Like the squirrel, the langur also known as Madras Gray Langur is endemic to South India and Sri Lanka.
Unlike the Bonnet macaque, they are known for less interaction with human beings.
The sky bridge connecting the trees across the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway for the langur was after it was found a success for the squirrels in increased passage across the NH.
“Road kill was a major problem for wild animals especially during the summer season as they have to cross the NH for drinking water from the Pampa river,” said an official of the sanctuary.
Unlike the one for the Grizzled Giant Squirrel, these wooden bridges have more width, said the official adding that though it is mainly meant for the Tufted Gray Langur, the Hanuman monkeys and the Bonnet macaque can also use for their safe passage.
Five sky bridges will come up from Karimutty to the border of the sanctuary with Tamil Nadu. The Pampa is the perennial water source for the largest number of mammal and reptile populations in the sanctuary.
Most of the roadkills were reported during night-time and the Forest Department recently had erected road barriers with much opposition from the local people.
“Once the simians start moving on the sky bridge, the small species too will follow it,” he added.
The Giant Squirrel is not the only one using the sky bridges made a few years ago. All squirrel species pass through them, he said.
Though there are eight sub-species of Semnopithecus found in South Asia, four of the Semnopithecus priam species are in Chinnar sanctuary.
They are distinguished for their genetics and colourisation, especially of the limbs and tail carriages.

The species reported to have been found in the sanctuary are Priam, Clussumieri, Hypoleucos and Ajax.

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Giant squirrels get a lifeline

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor
PATHANAMTHITTA,  
The Hindu, August 12, 2014 

The Forest Department has launched a project to protect the Grizzled Giant Squirrel, the smallest of the giant squirrels in the Indian subcontinent.

This endangered species is found in Kerala only at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Munnar wildlife division, G. Prasad, Wildlife Warden in Munnar, said on Monday.

The Grizzled Giant Squirrel population in southern India is estimated to be around 300.

Mr. Prasad said the department launched the squirrel protection project at the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, considering its rarity due to habitat loss and poaching.

They are usually 50-90 cm long, including its long tail, and feed mainly on fruit of the Calf Buffalo plant, which is abundant in the riparian forests along the Alampetty stream leading to the Pambar near Marayur.

The Munnar-Udumalpet highway splits the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary into two. The giant squirrel habitat along the stream is further divided by a bridge at Alampetty, endangering its movement. Mr. Prasad said the squirrels had to cross the highway for food and mate, which made them vulnerable to predators and vehicle hits. “Eagles and other aerial predators prey on the squirrels. Hence, they need more protective cover and wider areas for movement,” he said. Mr. Prasad said forest officials at Munnar erected a bamboo canopy bridge for the squirrels, facilitating a free passage through the canopy across the road. The 10-metre bridge was fastened to tall trees on both sides of the Alampetty stream.

The squirrels had nests on nearby trees and feed on fruits, nuts, tender leaves, insects, bird eggs, and bark of some trees.

He said steps were being taken at the sanctuary to plant more Calf Buffalo plants near the river.

Mr. Prasad said the squirrel species had been listed on Appendix-II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, preventing international trade in this species without a permit.

 

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Researchers search for elusive giant squirrels

K.S. Sudhi,  KOCHI, November 29, 2013

Researchers are looking into the ecology of one of the least studied species of an elusive animal, Grizzled Giant Squirrel.

The Indian population of the arboreal rodent species is believed to be around 500 and the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary houses around 150 of them, the only place from where the rodent species has been reported in the State.

In rest of the country, the population of the smallest of the giant squirrels in India has been reported from Srivalliputhur in Tamil Nadu and Cauvery in Karnataka. Researchers are clueless about the limited population of the species as its cousins breed and survive in large numbers in the forests of the country. The species is found in good numbers in Sri Lanka too.

Other species

“There are good number of Malabar Giant Squirrels, the another giant squirrel species found in Kerala, and Black Giant Squirrels, also known as Malayan Giant Squirrel, found in the forests of north east,” researchers of the College of Forestry of the Kerala Agriculture University, Thrissur, said.

The population of the Malabar variety is supposed to be over 5000 in the country and confined to south Indian States. The Grizzled species has a low rate of reproduction and is more vulnerable to risks of survival, researchers said.

Scientific literature describes the animal, also known as Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel, as one with “brownish-grey in colour, with pale hair tips giving it a grizzled look. Its underside is dirty white. The ears, crown and dorsal midline are dark brown or black. The ears are short, round and often tufted. The tail is as long or longer than head and body and has long pale hair, making it greyish looking as compared to the tails of other sub-species.”

It was in 1993 that a primary research was first done on the species. Since then, it escaped the attention of the researchers.

The squirrel is believed to be feeding on fruits and flowers and leaves of trees. However, no specific information is available on the feeding and breeding habits of the species, which has been classified as Near Threatened in the Red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

One need to know more about the ecology, population dynamics and food and feeding habits for evolving long-term conservation of the species, whose population trend is decreasing according to the IUCN data.

 The Hindu, 29/11/2013
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/researchers-search-for-elusive-giant-squirrels/article5403669.ece

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