Vadodara: should you just happen to venture to the woods of Ratanmahal along with Jambughoda sanctuaries, along with also a striped hyena crosses the path, do not be amazed.
A census conducted by the forest department lately has shown that the amount of striped hyenas has taken up over the previous year.
Because of some minimum human interference because of Covid limitations, this timid creature has thrived from the jungle and its own periphery.
It’s great news for its wildlife fans as striped hyenas are declared as a’near threatened’ species in global level by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Back in May 2019, only 77 hyenas were seen at Jambughoda, Shivrajpur and Kanjeta scope and also in 2020 their amount climbed to 87.
However, this season’s census showed that the population of striped hyenas has taken around 123.
“Hyenas are extremely timid animals and they do not like to get bothered by people.
In actuality, every time they see any person like even a child, hyenas simply run off,” Baldevsinh Waghela, divisional forest officer (DFO), wildlife, Vadodara, stated.
“Within the last year, there’s been minimal human interference because tourist footfall has gone down substantially because of the outbreak.
There was entire lockdown for nearly 3 months a year ago and following that also, not many turned in or around the sanctuaries for wildlife trips,” Waghela told TOI.
“Villagers typically eliminate dead cows or some other creature on the outskirts of the village.
Hyenas mainly feed on dead animals, therefore that they venture in the periphery of their cities to consume the carcasses.
Ahead of the outbreak, they had to have bothered by the continuous inflow of tourists and also frequently fled without getting good meals,” Waghela added.
However, since March this past year, the striped hyenas which are protected under schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, are receiving ample food with no fear of individual existence including the natives.
“Hyenas generally venture out during the night and become scared by automobile headlights and engine sound.
There was barely any disturbance of automobile movement for several weeks and it offered them a free run.
That clubbed with considerable food accessibility should have resulted in a rise in the population,” Waghela said.
The forest division ran the wildlife census May 29 and May 30 this season at Jambughoda, Shivrajpur along with Kanjeta.