The Eastern Ghats is amongst the most biodiverse regions in India. This discontinuous mountain range is spread predominantly across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka. A study conducted by ATREE found over 200 species of birds in the Eastern Ghats, which includes the endemic Jerdon’s Courser. The region also has healthy populations of elephants, gaur, blackbuck, leopards and wolves, alongside various small mammal species. Around 400 tigers are found in the region.
Unfortunately, only a very small portion of the Eastern Ghats landscape is classified as a protected area, making the region vulnerable to rapid land cover change. Other than rampant habitat loss, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade threatens the fauna of the region.
In this episode, I interview Dr. Vikram Aditya who has worked extensively on the conservation of the mammals of the Eastern Ghats. He is currently a Principal Scientist at the Centre for Wildlife Studies and spearheads their Wildlife Hunting and Trade program. Currently, the program operates solely in the Eastern Ghats, to study how hunting pressure and illegal wildlife trade is impacting wildlife in the region.
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