Lack of grazing grounds could halt rise in Toda buffalo population in the Nilgiris

TAMIL NADU Lack of grazing grounds could halt rise in Toda buffalo population in the Nilgiris Rohan Premkumar UDHAGAMANDALAM, April 25, 2019 00:00 IST Updated: April 25, 2019 04:20 IST Share Article PRINT A A A Vanishing grasslands :Toda buffaloes grazing at Thalaikundah near Udhagamandalam.M . SathyamoorthyM_ Sathyamoorthy Vanishing grasslands :Toda buffaloes grazing at Thalaikundah near Udhagamandalam.M . SathyamoorthyM_ Sathyamoorthy Wattle and pine trees have spread over much of the grasslands The population of the Toda buffalo at Muthanadu Mund near Udhagamandalam, which saw a slight rebound in the last few years, is being limited due to a lack of grazing grounds for the herd, local Toda residents said. Members of the tribe residing in the village, which is known as the “Motherland of the Todas” due to its importance in Toda culture, told The Hindu that the population of the buffaloes had seen a slight increase over the last few years to around 70 heads, from an all-time low of around 40 in the same hamlet a few years ago. Though there are no exact figures, the population of the Toda buffalo in the Nilgiris is estimated to not exceed a few thousand animals. Immunisation campaigns Thikis Kuttan, a Toda elder residing in the Muthanadu Mund, said that better immunisation campaigns for the cattle had resulted in a slight rebound in the population of the buffaloes over the last few years. “Earlier, we used to witness deaths every season, but that has reduced somewhat, and the population is mostly threatened by carnivores preying on the younger animals,” said another herdsman from the community. Though the stabilising population is a cause for cautious optimism among members of the community, they said that the lack of grazing grounds for the buffaloes could limit their recovery in the coming years, as wattle and pine trees have spread over much of the grasslands. “The buffaloes lost a lot of weight over the first few months of this year, as the extreme heat had dried out most of the vegetation, and they were unable to find any fodder,” Mr. Thikis Kuttan said. Lack of grazing area for the buffaloes was leading them to have to rely on the areas surrounding the Kamaraj Sagar dam during the summer, where the animals can find grass, he added. ‘Restore grasslands’ Tarun Chhabra, an expert on Toda culture, said that the population of Toda buffaloes was continuing to decrease across most parts of the Nilgiris, and that a lack of grazing area was a contributing factor to their continued disappearance across the landscape of the upper Nilgiris. “As there is established forest policy these days about the need to restore Shola forests and grasslands, the Forest Department should start with the removal of invasive flora surrounding Toda hamlets,” said Mr. Chhabra. https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/lack-of-grazing-grounds-could-halt-rise-in-toda-buffalo-population-in-the-nilgiris/article26938858.ece