Population Status,Habitat Preference and Existing Threats to Hispid Hare (Caprolagus hispidus Pearson,1839) in Shuklaphant National Park, Kanchanpur, Nepal

Abstract

Hispid Hare is one of the endangered mammals distributed in the foothills of Indian subcontinents. The present study was carried out in the Shuklaphanta National Park (SNP) to explore the present status, preferred habitat and potential threats to Hispid Hare. In order to explore these aspects of the biology of the species, a total number of 97 strip transects were laid in the field. Indirect observations were carried out within the transects and a questionnaire survey was conducted to find the conservation attitude of the local people. The pellet survey method was carried out to observe the presence of the species in the field and through the pellet density, the population density of the species was estimated of the study area. The population density of Hispid Hare was 0.156 individuals/ha during the study period. The preferred habitat of the species was found to the one having Narenga porphyrcoma (61%)) followed by Impereta cylindrica (18%) and Sacchharum spontaneum (10%) on the basis of pellet presence in the respective dominant vegetation. In SNP, unplanned grassland fire was the major threat to the species followed by poaching, overgrazing, flood and habitat fragmentation. Further study needs be conducted in SNP to explore the reproductive behavior, survival threats as well as genetic study is necessary about Hispid Hare.