Food and feeding patterns of great Indian one-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) has been studied in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Altogether 75 species of grasses, 27 species of herbs-shrubs, 27 species of trees, and 9 species of aquatic plants species were identified as a food-plant species of Indian Rhino in the study area. Of the total 75 species of grasses, 48 species had a relative dominance of <1.0. The Saccharum spontaneum was ranked as the highest relative dominance food-plant among grasses (relative dominance value, 8.45%), while the Cyperus pilosus ranked the lowest (relative dominance value, 0.08%). Among 27 herbs-shrubs species, three had a relative dominance of <1.0. The Diplazium esculentum was ranked the highest relative dominance food plants among herbs-shrubs food plants (relative dominance value, 13.83%), while the Solanum viarum was ranked the lowest (relative dominance value, 0.66%). All tree species had a relative dominance of >1.0. The Dalbergia sissoo ranked the highest among all trees (relative dominance value, 7.94%), while the Anthocephalus cadamba ranked the lowest (value, 1.19%). Grasses constituted 86.66% of the total annual diet of Rhino, while the aquatic and woodland species constituted only 13.34% of the total annual diet. Altogether 71 plants species were identified as the Rhino food plants at Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Of which, grasses constituted the highest (42 species), followed by woodland species (trees, herbs-shrubs), (20 species) and aquatic plants (9 species). The grass species Hemarthria compressa contributed a highest of 11.63%, while the aquatic plant Polygonum hydropiper was the least of 0.01% in total annual diet. Out of total 42 food-plant species, 20 grass species had no selectivity. The Hemarthria compressa was the top ranking grass species that has been selected as food by the Indian Rhino. Altogether, 36 food-plants (24 grasses, 9 woodland species, and 3 aquatic species) were identified as the staple food that constituted 83.64% of the total annual diet. Study showed that ten top ranking food plants constituted 56.44% and 20 top ranking food plants constituted 72.19% of the total annual diet. Thus, the grass species alone have enough to provide food for Indian Rhino in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Soil licking and crop depredation by the Indian Rhino were common in the fringe villages in study area. 1. Introduction Food is the primary requirement of an animal to survive and maintain its good health. Hence, the animal must acquire food that contains enough nutrients to fulfill
References
[1]
P. O. Mary, G. S. Solanki, D. Limbo, and K. Upadhya, “Observation of feeding and territorial behaviour of Rhinoceros unicornis in Kaziranga National Park,” Tigerpaper, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 25–28, 1998.
[2]
C. J. Krebs, Ecology: The Experimental Analysis of Distribution and Abundance, Harper and Row, New York, NY, USA, 1985.
[3]
R. E. Ricklefs, The Economy of Nature, W. H. Freeman & Company, New York, NY, USA, 5th edition, 2001.
[4]
W. A. Laurie, The Ecology and Behaviour of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros, Ph.D. dissertation, University of Cambridge, 1978.
[5]
W. A. Laurie, “Behaviourial ecology of the greater one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis),” Journal of Zoology, vol. 196, pp. 307–341, 1982.
[6]
R. J. Deka, N. K. Sarma, and K. K. Baruah, “Nutritional evaluation of the principal forages / feed consumed by Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and Assam State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, Assam,” Zoos' Print Journal, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 1043–1045, 2003.
[7]
A. Bairagee and J. Kalita, “Imperata cylindrica (Linn.) Raeusch in the grasslands of Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India,” Zoos' Print Journal, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 1432–1434, 2004.
[8]
K. C. Patar, Behavioural Patterns of the One Horned Indian Rhinoceros: Observations in Kaziranga National Park, Spectrum Publications, Guwahati, India, 2005.
[9]
R. L. Brahmachary, B. Mallik, and B. C. Rakshit, “An attempt to determine the food habits of the Indian Rhinoceros,” Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, vol. 67, pp. 588–560, 1969.
[10]
R. L. Brahmachary, B. Mallik, and B. C. Rakshit, “Further attempts to determine the food habits of the Indian Rhinoceros at Kaziranga,” Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, vol. 71, no. 2, pp. 295–298, 1971.
[11]
B. K. Bhattacharyya, Studies on certain aspects of the biology of the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), Ph.D. thesis, Gauhati University, 1991.
[12]
D. Ghosh, Studies on the Eco-Status of the Indian Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis with special reference to altered habitat due to human interference in Jaldapara Sanctuary, West Bengal, Ph.D. thesis, University of Ranchi, India, 1991.
[13]
B. C. Hazarika and P. K. Saikia, “Man Rhino Conflicts in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Assam. Abstract,” in National Seminar on Biodiversity Conservation and Future Concern, Gauhati University, 2005.
[14]
G. Banerjee, Habitat use by Rhinos and other sympatric species in Kaziranga National Park, M.S. dissertation, Wildlife Institute of India, 2001.
[15]
E. Dinerstein, “Seed dispersal by greater one-horned rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis and the flora of Rhinoceros latrines,” Mammalia, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 355–362, 1991.
[16]
B. N. Talukdar and P. Sharma, Orang-Check List of the Birds of Orang Wildlife Sanctuary, Self Publication, 2nd edition, 1995.
[17]
T. R. E. Southwood and P. A. Henderson, Ecological Methods, Blackwell Science, London, UK, 3rd edition, 2000.
[18]
J. Altmann, “Observational study of behavior: sampling methods,” Behaviour, vol. 49, no. 3-4, pp. 227–267, 1974.
[19]
S. R. Jnawali, Population Ecology of Greater One Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) with particular emphasis on habitat preference, food ecology and ranging behaviour of a reintroduced population in Royal Bardia National Park in Lowland Nepal, Doctor Scientiarum thesis, Agricultural University of Norway, 1995.
[20]
J. I. Fjellstad and G. Steinheim, Diet and habitat use of Greater Indian one horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) and Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) during the dry season in Babai Valley, Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal, M.S. thesis, Agricultural Unversity of Norway, 1996.
[21]
R. Sukumar, The Asian Elephant: Ecology and Management, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1989.
[22]
S. C. Dey, “Depredation by Wildlife in fringe areas in North Bengal with special reference to elephant damage,” Indian Forester, vol. 117, no. 10, pp. 901–908, 1991.
[23]
S. R. Jnawali, Park-people conflict: Interaction between Greater One horned Rhinoceros and people adjacent to the Royal Chitwan national Park in Sauraha area, M.S. thesis, Agricultaural University of Norway, 1988.
[24]
E. P. Gee, Wildlife of India, Coliins, London, UK, 1964.
[25]
A. K. Dutta, Unicornis, Konark Publishers, New Delhi, India, 1991.
