Gitanjali Banerjee, India - 2005/6 Studying the ecology of the One-Horned Rhino in West Bengal Explorers: Banerjee Exploration Zone: Land: Indian rhino, wild buffalo, swamp deer, hog deer; Location of Activity Asia: West Bengal, India; Period of Activity: 2001- current STUDYING THE ECOLOGY OF THE ONE-HORNED RHINO IN WEST BENGAL For her 2005–2006 field season, Gitanjali Banerjee carried Wings WorldQuest Flag #6 into the lush grass floodplain of the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary near the Torsa River. This expedition was part of Gita’s multi-year project to provide wildlife managers with information on whether or not the grass and plants available to co-existing herbivorous wildlife would be enough to sustain these endangered populations. Measuring Competition for Grasslands in Wildlife “Islands” India has set aside land to preserve rhinos, gaur (Indian bison), and other large species of the subcontinent. Gita, a wildlife scientist currently pursuing her doctorate, felt it was critical to understand how large herbivores interact and to determine if these grassland animals are still thriving. Little was known about the nutritional ecology of greater one-horned rhinos in the context of competition with other herbivore species. Gita wondered if the one-horned rhinos and gaur were competing for the same food, or if they and the other herbivores in the sanctuary dined on distinctly different portions of their habitat. Putting the Sanctuary into a Human Context Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is in a beautiful setting, flanked by the Bhutan hills on one end and the Torsa River on the other. Jaldapara is surrounded by a rich mix of tribes with distinct lifestyles and traditions and by small pockets of refugees from neighboring Nepal and Bhutan. Many people use grass from the sanctuary for the thatched roofs of their mud huts and for feeding livestock. They also collect firewood and other forest products. Pressure from the human population is felt across Jaldapara’s protected area, as well as along the park’s perimeter – a major source of concern for the long-term existence of rhinos and other endangered species. Field Technique: Observing Wild Rhinos and Bison Safely Gita designed a study plan that required a daily perusal of several defined parcels of land (transects) within the Jaldapara reserve. She planned to count and observe the large animals in each transect daily, examine the animals’ droppings, and take small samples of what the animals were eating. Gita needed courageous assistants to help her. The prospect of collecting samples amidst 13- to 15-foot-tall grass, where rhinos, Indian bison, and elephants could be lurking undetected, filled even the most able-bodied men with dread. Why not conduct research from elephant back? The local park officials gave Gita permission to use park-patrol elephants for her day-to-day observation. She found two brave assistants -- Montu Rai and Shyamal Urao, a 14-year old resident of the sanctuary. Each morning around 5:00 A.M., the three met their elephant drivers (“mahouts”), climbed atop the camp elephants, and lumbered forward, scanning the sea of grass for signs of life. Field Technique: Collecting Field Data and Samples Gita, Montu, and Shyamal began each day by recording herbivore abundance along the clearly marked transects in different types of habitat -- tall grasslands, short grasslands, and woodland. Morning work focused on recording the phenology (cyclic changes) of the grasslands, noting signs of fresh grazing, and counting pellets. Obtaining samples was challenging in rhino-inhabited grasslands. If fodder samples were collected, the team had to not only dry, store, and mark the samples, but keep them safe from goats, mold, and fungus until they could be transported to Gita’s lab. Different transects were monitored in late afternoon and early evening. After dusk, it was time to enter data and prepare for the next day’s tasks. Gita found the mahouts and field guards to be invaluable sources of information on both wildlife and field logistics. Expedition Results Gita felt that the expedition was successful because of the large database that has been assembled on the large herbivores residing in the sanctuary. The team documented tiger pugmarks (paw prints) along a riverbank in one of the marked transects, which was the first documentation of tiger presence in the park in five years -- an indication that the tigers’ prey base is recovering. When analysis of the fodder samples is complete, wildlife officials will have ecological data to better manage the sanctuary. Best of all, her team’s work has led to discussions with forest officials regarding enhanced monitoring techniques in the sanctuary, as well as future projects that might be undertaken jointly. About Gitanjali Banerjee Gitanjali Banerjee, a doctoral student at Columbia University in New York City, completed her master’s degree in Wildlife Science at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, India. Her master’s work concentrated on the relationship between nutritional quality of grasslands and habitat use patterns of the Indian rhino, the wild buffalo, the swamp deer, and the hog deer at India’s Kaziranga National Park, which holds the world’s largest population of wild one-horned rhinos. Her doctoral work continues to focus on conservation biology, management issues concerning small populations of rhinos and other endangered herbivores, and the development of creative, practical solutions to human-animal conflict.