First Photo of Mainland Serow Captured in Raimona National Park, Assam
In the newly declared Raimona National Park in Assam, officials from the Assam Forest Department and conservationists have recorded the first photographic proof of the Mainland Serow, a vulnerable mammal species. This discovery was made using digital camera traps near the Ganda Bajrum anti-poaching camp.
The photographic evidence was captured by Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organization, and the Assam Forest Department. The finding has been published as a scientific paper in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, authored by Aaranyak’s senior scientist M Firoz Ahmed, senior conservation biologist Dipankar Lahkar, Nibir Medhi, and Nitul Kalita; Bhanu Sinha AFS, DFO of Kachugaon Forest Division; forest official Pranjal Talukdar, Biswajit Basumatary, Tunu Basumatary; Ramie H. Begum, Associate Professor at Assam University (Diphu campus); and Abishek Harihar, Director of Tiger Programme, Panthera.
Bhanu Sinha, AFS, DFO of Kachugaon Forest Division, expressed excitement about the discovery, stating, “The discovery of Mainland Serow in Raimona National Park is good news for biodiversity conservation aspects, and we are thrilled by the finding. Our goal is to conserve this species and other wildlife extensively in the national park.”
The Mainland Serow population is also found in the neighboring Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and the Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan, which may help Raimona National Park’s population recovery. M Firoz Ahmed, senior scientist with Aaranyak, thanked the National Park Authority for their collaborative efforts, emphasizing the importance of this discovery for conservation.
Dipankar Lahkar, a senior conservationist in Aaranyak, explained that the Mainland Serow is present across various habitats from the Himalayas to southern China, mainland southeastern Asia, and Sumatra. However, their populations are fragmented and declining due to poaching and habitat destruction. Effective conservation actions are needed to ensure their long-term survival.
Raimona National Park faces conservation challenges such as poaching for bushmeat and habitat alteration due to logging. The Assam government declared the area a national park on June 8, 2021, and conservation efforts have been strengthened since the establishment of the Bodoland Territorial Council in 2020.
