Ungulates and forest balance
Ungulate Crisis in India: Ungulates—which include deer, pigs, antelopes, and bison—are not just prey animals. They are vital to the health of ecosystems. These hoofed mammals graze across forest floors, helping with seed dispersion, maintaining vegetation balance, and even improving soil quality through natural movement and dung. When their numbers dwindle, it affects not just them, but the entire forest food chain.
A healthy population of these animals ensures enough food for predators like tigers. Without them, tiger survival becomes a struggle.
Tiger food supply at risk
A detailed report by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Institute of India used data from the 2022 All-India Tiger Estimation. The report highlighted uneven distributions of prey across different parts of India.
Species like chital, sambar, and gaur are essential to tigers’ diets. While some regions show strong numbers, eastern-central states like Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh are facing significant prey shortages.
Why ungulates are disappearing?
There isn’t just one reason for the decline. Habitat loss, caused by expanding infrastructure projects, is pushing ungulates out. Subsistence hunting, especially in tribal regions, adds more pressure. Some areas are also impacted by left-wing extremism, which makes it harder to carry out conservation efforts.
Species under pressure
Among all, chital is still the most commonly found species. It adapts well to changing conditions. Sambar deer populations are holding up in central India and the Western Ghats. However, hog deer and barasingha are in serious trouble. Their habitats have shrunk drastically, and they now live only in small, isolated zones—making it harder for their numbers to bounce back.
Did you know? The barasingha, or swamp deer, is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh and once neared extinction. Conservation efforts in Kanha National Park saved it.
Tigers face the fallout
Fewer ungulates mean tigers don’t find enough food inside forests. As a result, they may leave reserves, enter villages, and prey on livestock. This often leads to human-wildlife conflict. Angry locals sometimes kill tigers in retaliation, which worsens the conservation crisis.
What can be done now?
The report suggests breeding programs to grow ungulate populations, especially inside protected enclosures. Improving habitat quality and ensuring wildlife corridors remain open are also key. Lastly, authorities need to work on reducing conflicts between humans and wildlife through community awareness and better fencing around villages.
Static Usthadian Current Affairs Table
Ungulate Crisis in India:
| Topic | Details |
| Most common ungulate | Chital (Axis axis) |
| Key tiger prey species | Sambar, Chital, Gaur |
| Report conducted by | National Tiger Conservation Authority & Wildlife Institute of India |
| Data source | All-India Tiger Estimation 2022 |
| Critically threatened species | Hog deer, Barasingha |
| State with strong sambar population | Madhya Pradesh, Western Ghats |
| State animal of Madhya Pradesh | Barasingha (Swamp Deer) |
| Reason for ungulate decline | Habitat loss, hunting, extremism |
| Conflict cause | Tigers moving out of reserves |
| Solution suggested | Breeding programs, habitat improvement |
