Large number of Kerala animals, plants in Red List

 From Myristica malabarica, a tree found in swamp forests, to birds such as painted stork and black-headed ibis and mammals such as Malabar civet and Nilgiri tahr, a large number of plants and animals endemic to Kerala are there in the latest Red List of Threatened Species brought out by the IUCN, formerly the World Conservation Union.The list "provides taxonomic, conservation status and distribution information on plants and animals that have been globally evaluated using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria."The list is drawn up to determine the "relative risk of extinction" and to "catalogue and highlight those plants and animals that are facing a higher risk of global extinction."The list includes 35 mammals of Kerala, including the critically endangered Malabar civet, said P.O. Nameer, South Asian coordinator of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of the IUCN. Of the mammals in Kerala, 12 are endangered, 15 vulnerable and seven near-threatened, Dr. Nameer said.Myristica malabarica found in swampy forests near Kulathupuzha in Kollam district is listed as vulnerable, whereas Syzygium travancoricum, a tree numbering fewer than 200, is critically endangered. Birds such as rufous-breasted laughingthrush and lesser adjutant are in endangered category, whereas 10 others are in vulnerable and 11 in near-threatened categories, said Dr. Nameer, who is the State coordinator for Asian Waterbird Census. It is mostly the wetland birds that are fighting for survival in Kerala and no system is in place to protect them, he said.The endangered animals in the State include fishing cat, elephant, wild dog, lion-tailed macaque and tiger, whereas the vulnerable ones include sloth bear, brown mongoose, small-clawed otter, smooth-coated otter, dusky-striped squirrel and black-footed gray langur.Rattus ranjiniae, a rat variety, was moved from vulnerable to endangered category in the 2008 list. The rat, according to the Red List, is known to be identified from three "severely fragmented locations at Alleppey [Alappuzha], Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram."Nilgiri tahr continued in the endangered list, as its number was fewer than 2,500 and declining."Thought tahr is well protected in sanctuaries and national parks, the situation in the Western Ghats in general is not bright," said Mohan Alambat, species assessor for Caprinae Specialist Group of IUCN.The condition of the species in areas outside the protected areas is bad. Poaching continues to be the major threat for the species, said Mr. Alambat. Though the Western Ghats squirrel is in the least concern category, IUCN has sounded caution about the declining number of the squirrel.

The Hindu, 13^th October 2008