Seven Iconic Wild Animals Found In Jharkhand And Where To See Them

Jharkhand is often forgotten when it comes talking about wildlife and conservation but the state has great potential for the same as it continues to have rich tracts of wilderness across its territory. Mining, linear infrastructure, lack of public awareness and education about conservation, and a general lag in conservation efforts have resulted in the state not coming to the forefront of conservation. However, it continues to have rich natural resources that are in need of urgent strict protection. Here are seven iconic species of fauna that are found in Jharkhand:

Indian Elephant

An Indian elephant. Image credit: Yathin S Krishnappa via Wikimedia Commons.

Jharkhand is known to house one of the largest elephant populations in north India. Also, it records the highest human-elephant negative interaction cases in the state. Jharkhand is home to 17 elephant corridors where elephants move regularly. Due to habitat loss and degradation, these corridors tend to get fragmented, threatening the well-being of elephants. Mining is rampant in Jharkhand, especially coal mining, which, along with infrastructural projects, is a major cause of habitat loss of the state's elephants. The Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, around 10 km from Jamshedpur, is a forested habitat known to host a significant population of elephants and is a great place to observe them in the wild.

Lesser Adjutant Stork

Lesser adjutant storks nesting. Image credit: ঈশান জ্যোতি বৰা via Wikimedia Commons.

A well-known birder, Mithilesh Dutta Dwivedi, recently discovered a large breeding population of lesser-adjutant storks in the Bokaro District of Jharkhand. A total of 385 birds of this near-threatened species were reported in 14 locations in the district. Other stork species like woolly-necked stork, black-necked stork, painted stork, and Asian openbill stork have also been reported in the state. The lesser adjutant feeds on reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, etc. It builds platform nests on tall trees and usually remains solitary except for the breeding season. They prefer wetland habitats, but in their absence, they are also found in agricultural lands.

Indian Wolf

An Indian wolf. Image credit: Hari K. Patibanda via Flickr.com.

Jharkhand is home to the country's only protected area dedicated to wolves - the Mahuadanr Wolf Sanctuary. The sanctuary, part of the Betla National Park, was established in 1976. The wolf numbers in the protected area have gone through many ups and downs, and in 2020, there were 120 wolves in the sanctuary. The Indian wolf is an endangered species that is fast disappearing due to loss of habitat as it is primarily a grassland species, and such habitats are often treated as wastelands in the country. 

Asian Koel

Asian koel -male. Image credit: Lip Kee via Flickr.com.

"Heard but rarely seen" - the Asian koel is the state bird of Jharkhand, and why not? While this bird is quite common across India, Jharkhand has recognised it with this honour as it truly deserves it. The melodious call of the male has always been music to our ears and Jharkhand recognises this natural gift of the Asian koel by honouring it as the State Bird. The male and female koels are dimorphic and remain well hidden in trees. It is a delight to see them during courtship when the male tries to feed fruits to the female. They are largely frugivorous and also exhibit brood parasitism where they lay their eggs in nests of other birds like crows who raise the chicks. This bird can be heard in places in Jharkhand where greenery still survives including green pockets in the capital city of Ranchi. 

Indian Mouse Deer

A mouse deer. Image credit: PJeganathan via Wikimedia Commons.

In 2016, camera traps captured images of the extremely elusive mouse deer in the forests of the Palamu Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand. Also called the Indian chevrotain, this species is extremely small in size, hence the name. It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Unlike other ruminants, it has a three-chambered stomach instead of four. It prefers living in forested habitats with thick undergrowth and access to water resources. Instead of antlers, Indian mouse deer have large protruding canines as secondary sexual organs. Because of their small size, they have many predators and hence usually come out in the darkness for foraging and remain hidden in burrows in the undergrowth or hollow tree trunks during the rest of the day. They are primarily solitary in nature.

Indian Python

Indian rock python on a tree branch. Image credit: Pratik Jain via Wikimedia Commons.

The Indian python is a large, non-venomous snake that can grow as much as 9 feet in length. Although they move extremely slowly on land, they are quite agile swimmers. These pythons constrict their prey, suffocate it, and then consume it whole. Loss of habitat, poaching, and lack of conservation efforts threaten this snake which is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. In Jharkhand, there are chances of seeing the Indian python in the Palamu Tiger Reserve and other wilderness areas.

Striped Hyena

A striped hyena. Image credit: Mvshreeram via Wikimedia Commons.

Hyenas can be spotted in some of Jharkhand's protected areas like the Betla National Park and Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary. However, like other parts of its range, hyenas are losing ground in the state due to habitat loss, anthropogenic disturbance and persecution. The striped hyena is the only hyena species found in India and it is a nocturnal animal. It is an important scavenger that helps keep the ecosystem healthy by feeding on carcasses. They are monogamous, where both the male and female bring up the cubs together. They are social animals and less territorial. Often, hyena packs share habitats. They live in rock shelters, caves, burrows, etc.