14 Nov 2024        10:01:15 am

Environmental Ecology

Gaur

Tags : Gaur

Topic: Biodiversity

Why in the news?

• Gaur attacks Konda Reddi tribal woman in Rampa Agency. The attack reportedly occurred three days ago while the victim was involved in farm work in a protected forest area; victim suffered minor injuries and is out of danger 

Source: The Hindu 

About Gaur:

• It is also known as Indian Bison.
• It is the largest and tallest in the family of wild cattle.
• It is indigenous to the South and Southeast parts of Asia.
• Habitat:
  • It is primarily found in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests along with moist deciduous forests with open grasslands.
  • It prefers hilly-terrains below an altitude of 1,500-1,800 m. with large and undisturbed forest tracts and abundant water.
• The adult male weighs around 600 kg to 1500 kg. and the adult female weighs about 400 kg to 1000 kg.
• It has a convex shape on the forehead.
• The limbs are very strong and sturdy.
• Both males and females possess horns. The horns are pale green or yellowish brown in color and are not pointed upward but possess a slightly inward curvature.
• It possesses a typically short tail.
• It is a social animal. It generally lives in a group size of about 30 to 40. 
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • Wild Life Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I 
  • CITES: Appendix I.

Konda Reddi Tribe:

• Konda Reddis is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group inhabiting the banks of the river Godavari and also in the hilly forest tracts of Godavari and Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh.
• Their mother tongue is Telugu in its purest and chaste form, with a unique accent.
• The family is patriarchal and patrilocal. 
• Monogamy is a rule, but polygamous families are also found.
  • Marriage by negotiations, by love and elopement, by service, by capture, and by exchange are socially accepted ways of acquiring mates. 
• The primary religion practiced by the Konda Reddi is Folk Hinduism, characterized by local traditions and cults of local deities worshiped at the community level.
• Political Organization:
  • They have their own institution of social control called ‘Kula Panchayat’.
  • Each village has a traditional headman called ‘Pedda Kapu’.
  • The office of the headman is hereditary, and the headman is also the Pujari (priest) of the village deities.
• Livelihood:
  • They are primarily shifting cultivators and largely depend on flora and fauna of forest for their livelihood.
  • They collect and sell non timber forest produce like tamarind, adda leaves, myrobolan, broom sticks, etc., to supplement their meagre income. 
  • They largely cultivate jowar, which is their staple food.

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