Project On Conservation Of Indian Giant Squirrel Launched In Odisha’s Ganjam – ODISHA BYTES
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Berhampur: At a time when there’s a risk to the Indian Giant Squirrel, popularly often known as ‘Pata Musa’ or ‘Belara Musa’, the Forest division has launched a mission to establish its inhabitants and methods for conservation in Odisha.
The discipline survey has been began in Kriamba Reserve Forest of Buguda Range underneath Ghumusar South Forest Division in Ganjam district in December, stated Dr Udaya Kumar Das, wildlife biologist and principal investigator of the mission.
“The Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa Indica) can also be found in Pandakhol Reserve Forest under Sorada Range and Jagannath Prasad Reserve Forest under Jagannath Prasad Range in Ganjam district and Mahendragiri Hills, Chandragiri and Lakhari Reserve Forest in Gajapati district,” he stated.
The analysis might be taken up in 4 districts and 6 protected areas together with Kapilas, Kuldiha, Sunabeda and Karlapat. The squirrels, which have been sighted in Mahuri Hills underneath Ramaguda Reserve Forest earlier, couldn’t be discovered after the 1999 Super Cyclone, stated Dr Das.
It may be very tough to get an correct depend of the squirrel inhabitants as they’re extraordinarily agile and preserve shifting throughout excessive branches. Fixed transect survey and random sampling survey might be performed for inhabitants estimation and density. Applications of Map supply, GIS and Distance software program may even be used.
“Only direct observation is the main key to study the animal through binoculars. The activity will have to be recorded in all seasons. Use of compass, GPS and camera trap would provide more scientific data from the field,” Dr Das stated.
The Indian Giant Squirrels have a brownish dorsal coat color and leap from one tree to a different. This is without doubt one of the largest squirrels with a head–and–physique size of 25 to 50 cm, a tail that’s about the identical measurement or considerably longer and a weight of 1.5 kg to three kg, Dr Das stated.
