Guwahati, Jan 30: Speakers at a technical seminar at Kaziranga National Park on Tuesday deliberated on the challenges associated with a growing wild buffalo population such as heightened human-animal conflict, inter-breeding and genetic dilution, and the need to take up science-based conservation measures.
Youths from local colleges, academic institutions and community representatives took part in the seminar organised on the occasion of Wild Buffalo Day by the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve and Kaziranga Regional Journalists Association in collaboration with Aaranyak, Wildlife Trust of India, Corbett Foundation and WWF-India.
It may be mentioned that the first systematic population estimation for wild buffaloes at Kaziranga took place in the year 1966 with a count of 471. Thereafter in 2008, the estimation revealed the presence of over 1937 wild buffaloes, while in the year 2022, as many as 2568 wild buffaloes were counted at the park.
The global population of Asiatic wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee) has been estimated at 3,400, of which 95 percent live in India, mostly in Assam. With an estimated count of over 2600, the world’s single largest population resides at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
The keynote address was delivered by Anwaruddin Choudhury, CEO of Rhino Foundation, who shed light on the global scenario of wild water buffalo population with special reference to Assam where 3800 buffaloes are present.
Thereafter, a panel discussion was held on the issues and challenges in reducing human-buffalo conflict where experts suggested critical research on mitigating human-wild water buffalo conflict and ways to popularise it through a citizen science approach.
Another panel discussion was held where the speakers deliberated on conservation backed by detailed buffalo population estimation
The third technical session was held on the topic, “Managing genetics, myths about pure-hybrid and feral population” where further study on the genetic origin of buffalo and a policy-level decision on the same was suggested. A policy-level decision can be undertaken for the same.
The scientific community and students were also encouraged to develop interest in studying genetic diversity and behavioural study of the wild water buffalo.
