First photographic record of the Northern Swamp Deer Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii in Upper Ganga River Ramsar Site, India

Authors

  • Aftab Alam Usmani Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3636-985X
  • Pichaimuthu Gangaiamaran Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
  • Ruchi Badola Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
  • Syed Ainul Hussain Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainability Science, Plot No. 40, Doon Officers Enclave, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248002, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3229-806X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10475.18.7.29336-29339

Keywords:

Alluvial grasslands, Barasingha, Gangetic floodplain, irrigation canals, Namami Gange, Lower Ganga Barrage, range extension, threatened, Uttar Pradesh, wildlife sanctuary

Abstract

The Swamp Deer is represented by three sub-species, viz., the northern subspecies Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii, the central Indian subspecies or hardground Barasingha R. d. branderi, and the eastern subspecies R. d. ranjitsinhi in India. The northern subpopulation is restricted to the Gangetic plains of India and the Terai grasslands of Nepal, which constitute more than 75% of the global population. Previous records of swamp deer along the Ganga River were limited to State Wildlife Barasingha Sanctuary. We recorded a small population of eight swamp deer (two males, three females, and three sub-adults) in a grassland patch along the Ganga River in Narora during the biodiversity survey of the Upper Ganga River Ramsar Site. This is the southernmost extension of the distribution range of swamp deer, around 70 km from the State Wildlife Barasingha Sanctuary.

References

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Published

26-07-2026

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 7 (2026)

Section

Short Communications

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Copyright (c) 2026 Aftab Alam Usmani, Pichaimuthu Gangaiamaran, Ruchi Badola, Syed Ainul Hussain

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