Striped hyena reported from Corbett reserve

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 5

In a major boost to conservation efforts, striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) has been reported from Corbett Tiger Reserve.

According to Samir Sinha, Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve, the striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) was captured in camera traps along the southern boundary of the tiger reserve recently. It was also sighted a few days later by the Deputy Director of the Tiger Reserve Dr Saket Badola. With this, the total number of mammal species reported from Corbett Tiger Reserve has gone up to 56.

The striped hyena is a protected species, listed in Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and as Near Threatened by IUCN on the Red Data Book, with an estimated global population of less than 10,000 mature individuals. Hyenas play a very important role in the ecosystem as scavengers, feeding mainly on carcasses in various stages of decomposition. They are primarily nocturnal, living in small groups. The species is reported from North and East Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.