Two-day long flora, fauna documentation begins in Mancherial

A two-day biodiversity survey began in Mancherial district to document its unique flora and fauna. Experts and forest officials are covering key habitats, with moth and butterfly surveys adding significance after rare species sightings in the Kawal landscape.

Mancherial: A two-day long exercise to document flora and fauna of the district began in the forests of MCC quarry in Gadpur village in Hajipur mandal mandal on Saturday. This is the first ever such initiative taken up by the department, Forest officials said.

District Forest Officer Shiv Aasheesh Singh said that ten top observers of the State were invited for documentation of flora and fauna of the district. Three teams comprising the observers and forest officials were pressed for documentation of wild and wild animals inhabiting Gandhari Khilla, three safari tracks and surrounding areas in the two days, he said.

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Officials said the district was endowed with a unique habitat containing certain tree and animal species. For instance, the region has a huge population of Anduga (Boswellia serrata) and Tapsi (Holoptelea integrifolia) trees, while the forest is inhabited by Indian Gaur or bison. The distinctive flora and fauna of the district need to be studied and documented for enhancing our understanding of the habitat, Singh said.

Similarly, a moth survey would be carried out by setting up screens at night in the forests of Luxettipet range. The activity assumed significance with a Monkey Puzzle butterfly (Rathindaamor) being sighted during a butterfly survey conducted in the Chennur region of the Kawal landscape for the first time in July.

On March 1 and 2, the Forest department in collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF)- hosted a first of its kind national-level event titled Kawal Bird Festival at Integrated District Officers Complex in Mancherial town, celebrating the avian diversity of the Kawal Tiger Reserve and Godavari landscape.