The elusive Mainland Serow, a vulnerable mammal species recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has been documented for the first time in Assam’s Raimona National Park.
This significant discovery was made recently by forest officials and conservationists using digital camera traps.
The Mainland Serow was captured on camera twice near the Ganda Bajrum anti-poaching camp in the park's western range.
The photographic evidence was collected by personnel from the forest department and members of the biodiversity group Aaranyak.
"The discovery of the Mainland Serow in Raimona National Park is a positive development for biodiversity conservation. We are thrilled by this finding," said Bhanu Sinha, Divisional Forest Officer of the Kachugaon Forest Division.
According to Sinha, the forest department aims to conserve this species along with other wildlife in the national park.
The Mainland Serow’s presence in Raimona is notable as its population is widely distributed in neighbouring regions such as Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan, potentially aiding population recovery in Assam.
The discovery has been detailed in a scientific paper published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. "Raimona National Park harbours a wealth of wildlife, and this finding is encouraging for the conservation community," said M. Firoz Ahmed, a senior scientist at Aaranyak.
The Mainland Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar) is known to inhabit various regions from the Himalayas to southern China, mainland Southeast Asia, and Sumatra.
However, its populations are fragmented and declining due to poaching, habitat destruction, and loss, according to senior conservationist Dipankar Lahkar.
Lahkar highlighted the challenges in conserving the Mainland Serow due to the lack of reliable data on its abundance and distribution.
He stressed the importance of effective conservation actions for the species' long-term survival.
Raimona National Park faces conservation concerns such as occasional poaching for bushmeat and habitat alteration from logging during ethnopolitical violence.
"With government protection, future efforts should focus on securing and recovering the species’ population and restoring degraded habitats," Lahkar added.
Raimona was designated a national park by the Assam government on June 8, 2021, marking a significant step toward preserving the region's biodiversity.
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