Discovery of Rare Mammalian Species Enriches Biodiversity at Kaziranga National Park

&NewLine;<p>Travellers exploring Assam&&num;8217&semi;s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve are in for an exciting treat as two new mammalian species have recently been identified&period; This discovery adds to the rich biodiversity of the park&comma; known as the primary habitat of the one-horned rhinoceros on Earth&period; The newfound species&comma; namely the binturong &lpar;bearcat&rpar; and the small-clawed otter&comma; were uncovered during a recent enumeration by officials&comma; bringing the total mammalian count in the tiger reserve to an impressive 37&period; Both species are classified under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">The Binturong<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The elusive binturong&comma; also known as the bearcat&comma; is an arboreal mammal native to South and Southeast Asia&period; Its nocturnal and arboreal habits make it a challenging find&comma; but officials managed to capture a photograph of it on January 10 during the fifth migratory bird count in the tiger reserve&period; The binturong&&num;8217&semi;s distribution is exclusive to northeast India&comma; making this sighting particularly noteworthy&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">The Small-Clawed Otter<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The discovery of the small-clawed otter came after a brief training program for officers and frontline staff&comma; a collaborative effort between the Wildlife Institute of India and the Assam Forest Department&period; This otter species is mainly found in protected areas of West Bengal&comma; Assam&comma; Arunachal Pradesh&comma; Karnataka&comma; Tamil Nadu&comma; and certain parts of Kerala in the Western Ghats region&period; Possessing partially webbed feet with short claws&comma; these otters showcase enhanced hunting skills in aquatic environments&comma; primarily sustaining themselves on a diet of fish&comma; crustaceans&comma; and mollusks&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Kaziranga National Park&&num;8217&semi;s Diverse Mammalian Population<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve boast a diverse range of mammalian inhabitants&period; Alongside the newly discovered species&comma; the park is home to the Indian wild boar&comma; Indian gaur&comma; sambar&comma; hoolock or white-browed gibbon&comma; Gangetic dolphin&comma; capped langur or leaf monkey&comma; sloth bear&comma; leopard&comma; and the jackal&period; This recent enumeration brings the total mammalian count to 37&comma; further highlighting the park&&num;8217&semi;s significance as a haven for wildlife conservation&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">About Kaziranga National Park<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985&comma; Kaziranga National Park features a remarkable mammal roster&comma; often referred to as the Big Five&period; This includes the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros&comma; Indian elephant&comma; Bengal tiger&comma; wild water buffalo&comma; and the eastern swamp deer&period; The park continues to play a crucial role in preserving these iconic species and promoting biodiversity conservation in the region&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The recent discovery of the binturong and small-clawed otter in Kaziranga National Park adds a new dimension to the park&&num;8217&semi;s already diverse wildlife&period; As travellers explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site&comma; they can now witness firsthand the unique and rare mammalian species that contribute to the ecological richness of this remarkable habitat&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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