Bhubaneswar, May 29: The inhabitants of a forest in Nayagarh district have been protecting not only the trees, but also the squirrels.

The villagers’ care has led to increase in the squirrels' population. This is evident once one enters the forests of Brahmanakumbi and Dimiribadi at Ranpur block.

Communication is easy. One could take a bus from Baramunda in Bhubaneswar or hire a taxi from the capital city.

Both the villages under the Maal reserve forest have remained almost ignored till date as a potential wildlife habitat. However, a recent survey, conducted by ecologist Prasad Dash of Vasundhara, in some of the forest patches has revealed presence of a healthy population of animals such as, Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), palm civet, grey squirrel, common Indian civet, leopards, Indian bison, barking deer and Sambar.

The association of the traditional Brahmin and the Kondh families with the two forest pockets narrates the visitor as to how a small community could be instrumental in conserving a large forest area.

History of Brahmanakumbi

Two hundred years ago, a single Brahmin family used to stay at the village and hence it got the name of Brahmanakumbi. The family had to leave the place due to the presence of a large number of wildlife in the vicinity. Immediately, a Kondh family requested the local king to give them the same land so that they could build a village there. The king agreed and allowed them to stay there and cultivate the land. Since then, the Kondhs have been staying in the area. At present, there are 11 households with a population of 82 people who have become the true custodians of an approximate forest area of 600 hectares. The forest is an abode of many rare, endangered and threatened plants and animals.

Dimiribadi

As the name specifies, Dimiribadi got its nomenclature due to the presence of a large number of 'dimiri' trees (ficus recimosa/ficus glomerata), whose presence indicates a high water table and a good canopy cover. A total of six households with a population of around 40 people are the custodians of around 1,000 hectares of forests here.

The tropical semi-evergreen forests of both the villages under the reserve forest provide a perfect ambience and abode for many rare and threatened flora and fauna. The tropical dry deciduous and tropical moist deciduous forests are also distributed in several patches across the area.

Rare plants

Owing to the presence of a close canopy, tall and dense trees, the area provides ample place for associated plants and animals.

Several rare orchids such as, cymbidium bicolor, pomatocalpa deciphens, cymbidium aloeifolium, dendrobium moschatum, acampe rigida and arides multiflora, are found in large numbers. These epiphytes add beauty to the forests.

The place is also well known for its medicinal plants. Availability of the Ashok tree (saraca ashoka) in plenty is an indicator that other medicinal plants are also available in the forests. Apart from Ashok, trees such as, orixylum indicum (fanafana), steriospermum suaveolens (padel), gymnosperms such as, cycas sphaerica (adanga) and gnetum ula, and herbs such as, rauvolfia serpentine and dracena ternifolia, are also common here. For decades, these plants have been used by the local people to treat several diseases and ailments such as, rheumatism, jaundice, cough, cold, fever, headache, weight loss, sunstroke, stomach disorder, piles and joint pain.

Animal diversity

Like plants, the place is also rich in animal diversity. It has mammals from the tiny pygmy shrew to the huge elephant. The perennial water sources and dense forest provide habitat and food for the animals. The forest is a paradise for the threatened Malabar giant squirrel with abundant food and suitable habitat. Apart from the squirrel, locally called Nepali 'musa' (mouse), local communities say there are two other squirrels called ratufa bicolor and grey squirrel that are found there.

'Since there is no animal poaching, their population has been growing remarkably in the past few years. In comparison to other parts of the state, where there is large-scale poaching of this animal, the people of Brahmanakumbi and Dimiribadi have set an example by not killing a single squirrel,' said Dash.

Sighting of birds

Apart from mammals, the place is famous for bird watching. It is home to peacock which is easy to spot. 'Pariah kite, Brahmani kite, crested serpent eagle, forest owlets, eagle owl, hill myna, rose ringed parakeet, blossom headed parakeet, lesser crystal, cuckoo shrike and rufus tree pie are very common,' said wildlife expert Pratyush Mohapatra.

Water sources

Three perennial water sources exist in the forest areas of these two villages, namely the Bhetabara dam, Salia 'nala' and the Dimiribadi 'bandha', which provide habitat for many aquatic birds, water for the wild animals throughout the year and a scenic place for the visitors. According to the local communities, migratory birds such as, open billed stork, white ibis, black-tailed godwits, northern pintails, painted storks and shaddock, also come from Chilika to Bhetabara.

There is a temple named Khilamunda in the dense forest, 5km from Brahmanikumbi and 13km from Ranpur town.

Interaction with nature

The most beautiful thing to see in the area is the Malabar giant squirrel. You can observe the animal very closely and feel the plant-animal chemistry by watching the squirrel eating fruits in summer without bothering about the presence of human beings below the tree.

Challenges

Irrespective of the wild resources, there are several challenges emerging recently which could create a negative impact on the forest ecosystem unless managed immediately. Recently, there was large-scale tree-felling in these areas and within 15 days, truckloads of economically important trees were smuggled out of the forest. Trees such as, asana, arjuna, sal, rai, nembura, dhara and kumbhi, were cut down from the forests areas where people have been involved in their protection for several years. This has not only placed a question mark on forest conservation and management practices, but also questioned the lack of awareness and protection mechanism of the forest department.

Forest department officials, however, termed the exercise as 'scientific management practices approved by the ministry of environment and forests for better forest management'.