GENERAL BEHAVIOUR AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF SPOTTED DEER [Axis axis, Erxleben, 1777] AT MRIGASTHALI (DEER PARK), KATHMANDU, NEPAL.
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Central Department of Zoology
Abstract
The Mrigasthali deer park, situated in the Pashupati World Heritage Site, at a distance on
5km, northeast of Kathmandu, Gaushala. The general behavior and management practices
of the most attractive mammal spotted deer (Axis axis) at Mrigasthali deer park,
Kathmandu, was studied by direct observation, survey, focal and scan sampling,
questionnaire, interviews and discussion method to meet the objectives of the study. The
field work was conducted between March 2014 to January 2015 to explore the general
behaviour with diurnal activities and management practices in Mrigasthali.
The social organization of the spotted deer were loose aggregation which could be
changed by climatic, food and disturbances factor. The most common herds were mixed
herds followed by female-fawn herd and breeding herds. The male herds, isolated
male/female herds were occasionally seen. Spotted deer are true grazers and seasonal
browser. They preferred supplementary food given by caretaker on feeding. Long range
of vision, high capacity of escape and greater sensitivity and alertness towards danger
were major defense measures from their predators. The adult and dominant male showed
dominancy towards both territorial and sexual behaviour.
The feeding was peaked up in the evening, they took rest under trees-shade during the
mid-day of April. Feeding was the most common diurnal activity followed by walking,
resting, alert and other activities like chasing, sparring, mounting, suckling etc.
The management practices of spotted deer done in the Mrigasthali were fencing, water
hole construction, plantation and non-palatable species removal. Therefore, provision of
artificial water holes, expand area, increase plantation, effective implementation of
facilities provided by PADT are the main recommendation of this study for the better
management of the spotted deer in Mrigasthali. This study shows that by knowing general
behavior of any species, management of the species can be enhanced