Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Project have achieved unprecedented success in wildlife conservation. For the first time in the country, a satellite-tagged backed fish has been released into the wild. This initiative taken on the occasion of Endangered Species Day is expected to take the ongoing research and conservation process on river fishes in India to a new level.
This particular project will continuously monitor the movement, habitat use and behavior of frogs in the Brahmaputra ecosystem using state-of-the-art satellite technology. A very light weight transmitter is attached to the back of a healthy adult squirrel under the direct supervision of a team of skilled veterinarians and forest officials. With this device, researchers can now get all the information about where squirrels go and what kind of environment they live in from the comfort of their homes.
The scientific name of the fish in which the device is installed is Nilsonia gangetica. You can easily recognize this particular squirrel because of the arrow-like markings on the top of its head. Currently, the species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List and listed in the First Schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act of India. According to ecologists, the research findings will help develop stronger squirrel conservation plans in the future.
Assam plays an important role in fish conservation in India. About 21 species of frogs are found in the state and five of the eight species of soft-backed frogs in India are found in Kaziranga. This is why Kaziranga is considered one of the richest fish habitats in Asia. State Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sharma described this special achievement as a proud moment for Assam and described it as a historic step in the history of wildlife conservation in India.
