Population Status, Distribution and Habitat Use of Barking Deer (Muntiacus muntjak) in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Abstract

This study aimed to determine population status, distribution and habitat use of barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak, Zimmermann) in the Sikre VDC forest of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park in Kathmandu. Direct count and line transect methods were used to collect data on determination of population, distribution, while pellets, hoofmark and barking calls were also taken on account to complete them. The variance-to-mean ratio was used to determine distribution pattern while relative preference index (RPI) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the habitat preference. Statistical tools such as 𝑥²– test and two way ANOVA were used for data analysis. A total of seven individuals (four males and three females), 138 pellet group 94 footprints of barking deer were recorded during the study. The density of the barking deer was 1.4 individual per square kilometer. Out of seven individuals observed in the study area 57.14% were males including male infant, 42.85% were females (Table 1). Among all sex and age groups, male to female sex ratio was computed at 0.57:0.42 that is four males and three females. The result showed the clumped distribution pattern of barking deer (S 2 /X = 2.80>1) and similarly clumped and uneven distribution of fecal pellets (S 2 /X = 94.53>1) and (𝑥² = 283.61> 𝑥²0.05 at 3 d.f). Among four different habitat types, upper mixed hardwood forest were most preferred by the barking deer (RPI = 1.17) but the lower mixed hardwood forest was avoided. There was no significant difference in distribution of pellets groups in different habitat types (F=0.812<F0.05 at (3,9) d.f) but there was significant difference in distribution of different category of pellets (F=7.54>F0.05 at (3,9) d.f) by them. Major human disturbances in forest include firewood extraction, fodder collection and livestock grazing. Livestock keeping and alcohol making were the main alternative sources of income generation. Average amount of firewood consumption was about six to ten kilogram per day for each household. This study showed that human disturbances seemed the main cause for destruction and fragmentation of wildlife habitat of the study area.