‘Good rainfall may help improve deer, tiger population’

However, experts opined, there was a pressing need for long-term studies on the wildlife population in Tamil Nadu.

Sighting of spotted deer with calves has now become common in Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam tiger reserves. “The recent rains have made the grasslands active and we are pinning hopes that the population may surge by around five per cent,” said a senior Forest department official in Coimbatore region.

If the trend continues, the prey base in the four tiger reserves in Tamil Nadu would go up, which could mean these reserves would have more tigers in the next synchronised census, the official added.

“Rainfall is a major factor that regulates and balances the breeding dynamics. Rains and the altitude of the region also determine the breeding season of several wild mammals. We can conclude the population increase only through a long-term scientific study,” explained Ganesh Raghunathan, programme manager, National Conservation Foundation.

According to the official, deer are now found close to the roads as the vehicle movements were restricted due to COVID lockdown. “However, things will change once when the tourist movement picks up,” the official noted, adding that the rivers originating from Nilgiris were in a spate.

Ganesh said deer with calves was a common sight during monsoon season, but added that mortality rate goes up when it rains heavily and the grasslands become inundated.

For example, the landslides and heavy flooding in Kerala forests have created an adverse effect on wildlife, he noted, recalling the photo of the carcass of an elephant floating in a river that was shared widely on social media.

There are adequate studies about rainfall and wildlife breeding in African forests.

Though baseline studies are available in India, there still is a need for more long-term studies on the effect of climatic change on wildlife population. Observing and documenting daily weather was different from long-term climate change study, Ganesh added.