Himalayan Ibex

A recent study by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has proved that Himalayan Ibex is a distinct species from the Siberian Ibex.

Key points:

•  The paper, ‘Genetic evidence for allopatric speciation of the Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) in India,’ has recently been published in Endangered Species Research, an international peer-reviewed journal.
• The researchers, under a project funded through the National Mission on Himalayan Studies implemented by the Ministry of Environment, undertook field surveys and collected faecal samples from Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
• The genetic analysis provided the first evidence to claim that Himalayan Ibex is genetically different from all other ranges of Siberian Ibex.

About Siberian Ibex:

•  Siberian Ibex is a species of wild goat and is distributed in diverse habitats, ranging from cold deserts, rocky outcrops, steep terrain, high-land flats and mountain ridges to low mountains and foothills.
• From Mongolia, its distribution extends towards Altai, Hangai, Gobi-Altai, the Hurukh mountain ranges as well as the Sayan Mountains near Russia.
• In Asia, Ibex is distributed in the Montane habitats, ranging in elevations from 500 m to 6,700 m in countries like India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Southern Siberia and China.
•  In India, the Himalayan Ibex is distributed mainly in the trans-Himalayan ranges of the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh up to the river Sutlej.

 Significance:

•  This study may prove to be the breakthrough in the global understanding of the Ibex distribution and evolution.
•  This study will grab the attention of the global experts so that the species can be evaluated under IUCN.
•  The study reveals that Siberian ibex is a polytypic species, plausibly formed by lumping of at least 2 species and or 3 to 4 sub-species.
• The identification of Indian Tajikistan Ibek as a distinct species will prioritize the conservation of the species at the global level.

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI):

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) was founded on 1 July 1916 by Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as a premier organisation in zoological research and studies to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the country.
• It originated as a Zoological Section of the Indian Museum in Kolkata.
• Initially, the ZSI had eight regional centres across India. Currently, there are 16 regional centres spread across the country.
• The headquarters are in Kolkata.
• It has been declared as a designated repository for the National Zoological Collection as per Section 39 of the National Biodiversity Act, 2002.

Source- The Hindu