The wild cats are no where to be seen. And that day is not far away when hyenas will also meet the same fate.

Absence of wild cats in the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary has taken a toll on the hyena population in the park. There was a time when hyenas had made the sanctuary their home as they could gorge on plenty of half-eaten carcasses left behind by the leopards. But according to the 2003 animal census, there are only two hyenas in the sanctuary. This is a cause for worry and forest officials have been left scratching their heads trying to find a solution to the problem.

Foresters say since there are no leopards in the sanctuary, the hyenas are on the verge of extinction. Leopards, once found in large numbers in the sanctuary, cannot be seen any more. The 2003 Waterhole Census, conducted by the forest department, revealed that there are no leopards in the sanctuary. Only one leopard was reported to be found during the 1995 census, the forest officials said. “It is a distressing development as hyenas used to be found in good numbers in the sanctuary. While some leopards left the sanctuary long back, some have fallen prey to the tribals residing in villages that dot the park. The hyenas, who are scavengers of the forests, survive on the half-eaten carcasses left behind by the wild cats. But with the leopards gone they are dying of starvation,” said forest officials. The problem is grave. For the Ornithological Society of India (OSI) will also table its report on the reducing number of hyenas in the sanctuary during its annual meeting to be held later this year. Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary range officer Rajender Prasad Singh said: “The Waterhole Census brought to light some alarming facts about the condition of hyenas at the sanctuary. It did not specify the number hyenas left in the sanctuary. But the 2003 animal census placed the number at a dismal two,” he added.

Singh added that the two hyenas at the sanctuary are in bad shape. “If they are alive they must be feeding on small animals like rabbits. We have no report on their health condition. It is also likely that they have died of starvation. We have not spotted them for a long time,” he said.

Tribal villagers who are members of Domla Buru Samiti that conducts the annual Bishu festival also confirmed the foresters worst fears that the two hyenas have died. “We used to hunt hyenas during the annual Sendra festival in the 80s and early 90s. But now we don’t come across any of these animals,” said Chetla Haiburu, a resident of Makulakocha village under the foothills of Dalma.

A look at the census reports over the years makes it clear that the hyenas population started began reducing from 1996 onwards. There were six hyenas in 1996, two the following year, one in 2001 and two each in 2002 and 2003. No census could be conducted from 1998 to 2000. Prior to 1995, there were several hyenas in the sanctuary. According to forest officials, “The tribals used to spot them even on the periphery of the villages. They sometimes strayed into the farms. Since there were several leopards in the sanctuary, the hyenas had enough food for survival.”

The extinction threat is looming large on hyenas in the sanctuary, but the forest officials are still to initiate any positive steps to resolve the problem. “The two hyenas in the sanctuary are males so they cannot breed. But even if there was a female hyena it would not have served the purpose as the the animals are too weak and hungry to mate,” a forest official said. He added that the department is already grappling with the tusker menace in the villages dotting the National Highway-33. “We are unable to tame the elephants so where is the question of doing something for the waning hyena population in the sanctuary,” asked an official. However, the only silver lining to an otherwise gloomy situation is that hyenas have found themselves a home in the Hazaribagh jungle, which is filled with leopards. Perhaps a day will also come when hyenas will return to the Dalma sanctuary.

Jayesh Thakker