Return of the Deer
<p>The eastern swamp deer <em>Rucervus duvaucelii</em> <em>ranjitsinhi</em>, or barasingha, once boasted a healthy population in Protected Areas in Assam, but politico-ethnic disturbances pushed them towards extinction in the 1980s. With the protection of Kaziranga’s grasslands, the deer populations began to rise. At last count, over 800 individuals have made the grasslands their home with some dispersing beyond the park’s boundaries. Some deer were reintroduced into Manas to maintain a separate population of the species, which are vulnerable to the more intense and frequent flooding of Kaziranga. Today, Manas has a relatively stable population of over 120 individuals and will hopefully serve as vital prey for apex predators such as tigers and leopards.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:12px;">Photo: Samsul Huda Patgiri/Sanctuary Photolibrary.</span></strong></p>
