12 species of animals extinct in Jammu & Kashmir: Study

Press Trust of India / Jammu January 13, 2013, 21:55

As many as 12 native species of animals, bred as livestock by the Gujjars and Bakkerwals, have turned extinct in the last four decades, said a study conducted by an organisation of Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gujjars-Bakerwals have suffered the most with the extinction of the species of goats and sheep, which has been attributed to the introduction of high-yielding breed of foreign animals, Secretary Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF) Javaid Rahi said.
He said the Gujjars and the Bakerwals in the Himalayan belt have lost almost all the native species of sheep since 1968 and at present they have only the high-yielding variety of the Australian Merino species of sheep that was introduced by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research.
"We urged the state government to take immediate measures by constituting a special team to save the existing rarest of rare species of livestock of Gujjars and Bakerwals," he added.
It was revealed in the study that among the traditional species of sheep including Ghidord Phamphri, Punchi Bakerwali, Bani, and Karnahi have been lost while the goat species of Gurziya, Belori, Lamdi and Goodri are also extinct.
In the horse breeds, Yarkandi (Bakerwali), Nukra and Bharssi horse species are already extinct.
Describing the trend as unfortunate, the study reveals that the planners while introducing cross-breeds among the livestock did not plan to preserve the native and indigenous species of the livestock of the Gujjars and the Bakerwals in the region.
The study further mentions that goat species of Kaghani, Lubdi and Kilan face extinction while Jaskardi type, Kaliani and other rare species of horses are also on the verge of extinction.