eBook Viraj

WILD NATURE VIRAJ CHOUDHARY 2020

When I hear about \"Save an Animal Day\", I wonder what it must be saved from? Is it not infact the Human Kindness, Compassion and Caring that so desperately needs to be saved? The beauty around us is not man-made, rather it is nature’s gift to humanity. Humankind must learn to understand that the life of an animal is in no way less precious than our own. When we uncover the beauty of nature, children find it magical. It not only enriches their lives, it also helps nurture them to be the champions for its future. The amazing beauty of nature evokes a feeling that leaves you overwhelmed with awe; a feeling far beyond any verbal expression can match. I would rather pick my camera and let the pictures speak for themselves. Come! Let me take you to Sikkim and give you a glimpse of its Wild Nature. Viraj “No matter how few possessions you own or how little money you have, loving wildlife and nature will make you rich beyond measure.” PAUL OXTON

To Mom & Dad



SIKKIM INDIA

CONTENTS 1 TIBETAN GAZELLE 8 18 2 ARGALI 26 32 3 TIBETAN WOLF 40 46 4 KIANG 54 5 TIBETAN SANDFOX 6 HIMALAYAN MARMOT 7 ALTAI WEASEL

8 WOOLLY HARE 56 60 9 DOMESTIC YAK 64 72 10 GRIFFON VULTURE 80 86 11 RUDDY SHELDUCK 90 12 BAR-HEADED GOOSE 11 TIBETAN PARTRIDGE 12 TIBETAN SNOWFINCH 13 FLORA 95

8

TIBETAN GAZELLE Procapra picticaudata Tibetan gazelle, is a species of antelope that inhabits the Tibetan plateau. It has a sandy-brown to greyish-brown coat that is greyer in the summer than in the winter. The front of the Tibetan Gazelle’s slender legs are light grey. The inside of the Gazelle’s legs, while the Gazelle’s belly, and the Gazelle’s large, heart-shaped rump patch are white. A light, rust-coloured border surrounds the rump patch. The Tibetan Gazelle’s hairs are erectable, and conspicuously fan out when the Gazelle is alarmed, such as when the Gazelle is fleeing from a predator. The Tibetan Gazelle inhabits open landscapes, including plains, hills, and mountains. In the mountains, the Gazelle is found both in valleys and on high ridges. The Tibetan Gazelle avoids arid areas where few of the small forbs (non-grass herbs) that form an important part of the Gazelle’s diet grow. Most Tibetan gazelles are found in Tibet, but small numbers may also be found in Ladakh and Northern Sikkim. Within Tibet, the Gazelle population in concentrated in the Chang Tang in northern Tibet. The Tibetan Gazelle is under second class protection in China and is included in Schedule I, Part I of the Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972. According to noted zoologist George Schaller, there may be as many as 100,000 Tibetan gazelles on the Tibetan Plateau. 9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

ARGALI Ovis ammon The name 'argali' is the Mongolian word for wild sheep. It roams the highlands of Central Asia (Himalaya, Tibet, Altay). It is the largest species of wild sheep. It stands 85 to 135 cm (3 to 4 ft) high at the shoulder and measure 136 to 200 cm (4 to 7 ft) long from the head to the base of the tail. The female, or Ewe is the smaller sex by a considerable margin, sometimes weighing less than half as much as the male, or Ram. The argali has relatively the shortest tail of any wild goat-antelope or sheep, with reported tail lengths of 9.5–17 cm (3.7–6.7 in). Argali from the Himalayas are usually relatively dark, whereas those from Russian ranges are often relatively pale. Males have two large corkscrew shaped horns, some measuring 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) in total length and weighing up to 23 kg (51 lb). Males use their horns for competing with one another. Females also carry horns, but they are much smaller, usually measuring less than 50 cm (20 in) in total length. Argali habitat ranges from central Kazakhstan in the west to the Shanxi Province in China in the east and from the Altai Mountains in the north to the Himalayas to the south. They live at elevations from 300 to 5,800 m (980 to 19,030 ft). Argali may search for regions in the mountains where snow cover is not heavy during the winter, following winds that blow snow off the earth. Rams are generally found at higher elevations more regularly than females and stay at higher elevations longer during the winter. 19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

TIBETAN WOLF Canis lupus chanco Genetically similar to Himalayan Wolf, it is native to China in the regions of Gansu, Qinghai, and the Tibetan Autonomous Region generally up to 3,000 above sea level. However, between 2005 and 2008, sightings and scat of Tibetan wolves were recorded in the alpine meadows above the tree line north-east of the Nanda Devi National Park in Uttarakhand, India. In 2013, a Tibetan wolf was photographed by a camera trap installed around 3,500 m (11,500 ft) altitude near the Sunderdhunga Glacier in Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand, India. Tibetan wolves have a genetic adaptation to help it cope with living in low-oxygen, high-altitude habitats. Specifically, these wolves have a strong selection for RYR2, a gene that initiates cardiac excitation Tibetan wolves were the most important predators accounting for 60% of the total livestock losses, followed by the snow leopard and Eurasian lynx. The most frequent prey were the domestic goats (32%), followed by sheep (30%), yaks (15%), and horses (13%). 27

28

29

30

31

32

KIANG Equus kiang Kiangs are found on the Tibetan Plateau, between the Himalayas in the south and the Kunlun Mountains in the north. They prefer relatively flat plateaus, wide valleys, and low hills, dominated by grasses, sedges, and smaller amounts of other low-lying vegetation. This restricts them almost entirely to China, but numbers up to 2500 to 3000 are found across the borders in the Ladakh and Sikkim regions of India, and smaller numbers along the northern frontier of Nepal. Common names for this species include Tibetan wild ass, khyang and gorkhar. They have a large head, with a blunt muzzle and a convex nose. The mane is upright and relatively short. The coat is a rich chestnut colour, darker brown in winter and a sleek reddish brown in late summer, when the animal moults its woolly fur. The summer coat is 1.5 cm long and the winter coat is double that length. Their only real predator other than humans is the wolf. Kiangs defend themselves by forming a circle, and with heads down, kick out violently. As a result, wolves usually attack single animals that have strayed from the group. 313

1 34

35

36

37

38

39

40

TIBETAN SAND FOX Vulpus ferrilata Among the true foxes, their skulls are most specialized in carnivory. Their Jaws are much narrower and foreheads conclave. Their teeth are much longer than those of hill foxes. Its habitat is restricted to Tibetan Plateau and the Ladakh Plateau. It Inhabits upland plains and hills from 3500 to 5200 metres (11,500 to 17,100 ft) elevation, although occasionally seen on lower ground, down to 2500 metres. It is small and compact, with soft, dense coats and conspicuously narrow muzzles and bushy tails. Adult measures 60-70 cm (24-28 in) in length, not including tail while the juveniles measure 29-40 cm (11-16 in) in length. They weigh around 4 to 5.5 kg. They primarily prey on Plateau Pikas, Rodents, Marmots, Woolly Hare and Lizards. May also scavenge on carcasses of Tibetan antelopes, musk deer and livestock. 41

42

43

44

45

46

HIMALAYAN MARMOT Marmota himalayana The Himalayan marmot occurs in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau at altitudes of 3,000 to 5,500 m (9,800–18,000 ft) in northeastern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan and China. In China, it has been recorded in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Xizang, western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. The Himalayan marmot lives in short grass steppes or alpine habitats, typically above the tree line but below the permanent snow limit. It lives in colonies and excavates deep burrows that colony members share during hibernation. Burrows are between 2 and 10 m (6.6–32.8 ft) deep, given that the upper soil layer is sufficiently light and deep such as fluvioglacial, diluvial and alluvial deposits. It is characterized by short but robust legs, enlarged claws well adapted to digging, stout bodies and large heads and incisors to quickly process a variety of vegetation. It has a dense woolly fur that is rufous grey on the back and rufous yellowish on ears, belly and limbs. It is one of the largest marmots in the world, being about the size of a large house cat. The marmot eats plants growing on pastures, in particular the soft and juicy parts of grassy plants. 47

48

49

50