Habitat fragmentation of Sambar deer in Wangdue Forest Division

Photo: Samber deer in rescue center

The habitat destruction is broadly considered to be the primary threat to wildlife around the world. The habitat destruction has many faces. For an example, many species live in areas that are being destroyed for land development and farming by humans. Deforestation is another problem for endangered species, as animals are pushed from their natural habitat. Regardless of the many factors that threaten animals today, the bottom line is that once an animal is extinct, it’s gone forever. Protecting endangered species, helping them breed, and encouraging the survival of the species are all efforts that we must take seriously. 

Bhutan being located in 10^th global hot spot region in the world, it is an integral component of Bhutan’s ongoing mission to preserve and protect wild animals. Bhutan is also a home to many endangered species; many of their resident animals are listed as nearly threatened, meaning the population is at risk of becoming endangered. Without a clear understanding of the biology of our wildlife species, we cannot plan or predict the effects of management strategies. The Sambar deer is listed as VU through continued declines across its range, however; no information was traced out from Bhutan until now. Currently, the Sambar deers in Nahi and Gatshelo has started migrating towards human habitations in search of food and water. It's reasonable to assume that these animals are moving to the villages because they're being displaced by the climate change and the habitat destruction, but that's only part of the explanation.  

Despite the stern legislation in place the problem still persists as it tops the list of threats to the country’s fauna diversity, may be due to lack of information and proper documentation. The migrations of Sambar deer in Wangdue Division have won the attention and concern of all the individuals from different walks of life. A loss of species is real conservation disaster, regardless of whether it is caused by natural forces or human activity.  As of now, there is no record on the study carried out on the conservation status of this animal in Bhutan. Therefore, it is crucial that this study is carried out before the wild population of Sambar deer is depleted since the trend keeps on up surging.

As such, the study will provide an opportunity to document the drivers of habitat fragmentation and its effect on biodiversity in native habitat. Previously, the Sambar deer has not been listed as threatened or even as near threatened, which reflects poor collation and processing of information. The Sambar is a large deer native to the Indian Subcontinent, southern China and Southeast Asia. Although it primarily refers to R. unicolor, the name "Sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine deer and the rusa deer. However, no proper information traced out from Bhutan on its population trends and long term monitoring in the country. Almost everywhere, the Sambar is in rapid decline leading to a widespread distribution of very low numbers and much local-level extinction. It is quite obvious that, the loss and alteration of natural habitats could have serious ecological impacts, in both the short-and long-term. 

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