Impact of Hunting on Population of Pheasants in the Western Indian Himalayas

Abstract

The present study tested the hypothesis that "game species are lost when forest areas are subjected to hunting and populations of already threatened species may become locally extinct from many forests of the Western Indian Himalaya". The study was designed to determine effects of vegetation structure and heterogeneity, and behaviour of animal species on their encounters in hunted and protected sites. The compared forest patches are similar in abundance of trees, herbs, and shrubs. Animal densities allowed the investigator to determine whether higher densities of pheasants in the protected areas are simply due to protection efforts accorded within this zone. The study provides scientific evidence that hunting seriously impacts populations of hunted species. The results show that cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichi), kaleej pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos), koklass pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha) and monal pheasant (Lophophorus impejanus) are seen more often in protected sites than in hunted sites. The locally common species are heavily impacted and at higher risk of local extinctions from forest patches in this landscape than the rare ones.