ECO-TALK
Biodiversity in the backyard
|
Just as the country's wild biodiversity has atrophied, our domestic animals and birds have also been disappearing. But the reasons are different.
|
A herd of Kodivelli goats.
I WAS on a charpoy in a farm by the riverside, when this handsome rooster strode in to my view. The long spur on its leg indicated that it belonged to that variety, locally called asali, used in cockfights I have watched as a child. It struck me that I had not seen a farm chicken in years. Its place has been taken over by imported strains, uniform in looks, in short, birds meant for the table. That is the story of most of our indigenous domestic stock. Just as the country's wild biodiversity has atrophied, our domestic animals and birds have also been disappearing. But the reasons here are different, and do not concern a loss of habitat.
The Indian subcontinent, known for its abundance of wild biodiversity, is equally rich in the varieties of domestic livestock. Ethologists look upon this area as a major centre of animal domestication. Nowhere is this so striking as in the bovine population. Extensive grasslands, good pasturage and a tradition of professional herdsmen helped the process of evolution of many distinct breeds of cattle. There were grazier communities like the Rabaris of Gujarat who moved long distances with their herds of cattle. The British were quick to notice the distinct indigenous varieties and divided them broadly into two categories — draught and dairy.
All the Indian breeds have certain common characteristics; they are hardy, resistant to diseases, can withstand harsh ecological conditions and subsist on a low level of nutrition. Nearly 26 breeds of cattle have been listed as Indian and this include well-known breeds such as the Gir, the Sahiwall, the Kankrej, the Ongole, the Holikar and the Kangeyam.
Vanishing wealth ... the asali rooster.
Gujarat is home to some of the prize native breeds. The Kankrej breed, with its long horns, is identified with the bull featured in the Harappan seal. Even as these stocks stood discounted in India, their merit was realised in South America and a large number of heads were imported, mainly into Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia, where the climate suited them. Now, with advanced technology, frozen semen of certain breeds is exported to these countries from India.
I came across a magazine devoted exclusively to the Indian breeds of cattle that are raised in South America. Though the Government has been neglecting cattle of indigenous extraction, some of the princely states took care of specific breeds. The Raja of Jasdan cared for the Gir bulls through his International Gir Breeding Centre and the Kutchi or the Kathiawari horses were bred by the Raja of Gondal.
Unfortunately, we do not have a proper livestock census in our country and so many other highly localised breeds may go undocumented. Only a few years ago, veterinarians identified an indigenous breed of goat in Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu. Referred to as Kodivelli breed, it is being revived in the Hosur cattle farm. Similarly, the Chegu goat of Himachal Pradesh and the Jaffrabadi sheep are very distinct Indian breeds. Nearly 20 distinct breeds of goats have been identified in India, in addition to the 42 varieties of sheep. Many of them will be gone in a few years. To care for native stock, we need authentic data, which is now lacking. We have not thought of any methodologies to save them.
We have at least three varieties of horses in India — the Kutchi, Marwari and the Manipuri. It is the last variety, which was responsible for the development of polo, in Manipur. The game then spread to the rest of the world. The Kutchi horses are very much in use, in Gujarat. The horses you see thundering across the screen in our films — remember the horse-borne bandits (P.S. Veerappa) in the film "Ali Baba and 40 Thieves" — are all Kutchi horses. If none else, our film industry will continue to patronise these horses.
The identifying mark of this breed is the tips of the ears that almost touch each other. In the museum at Bhuj in Kutch is a large steel canon that bears an inscription by Tipu. He had presented this weapon to the king of Bhuj in return for the horses sent to Mangalore, by the sea. Tipu relied heavily on his cavalry and set up a large stud farm, now known as Hosur cattle farm.
We also have our own breeds of camel, like the Malvi breed of Madhya Pradesh. I once witnessed a horse show in Jasdan in which Indian breeds of horses put up an impressive performance. There was even a dancing horse from Marwar. There is an attempt to revive this breed, considered specially suited for show events.
India has one of the oldest canine cultures that have given rise to a variety of distinct breeds of dogs, of varied sizes and types. The dog was domesticated in the subcontinent towards the end of the Mesolithic period. Different geographical areas in India are home to different breeds to suit the climate of that place. So we have the Tibetan mastiff in the Himalayas, the Rampur hound in Punjab and the Rajapalayam in Tamil Nadu.
Like their European cousins, Indian breeds also have geographical names. During the colonial period, fascination with foreign breeds worked against the interests of indigenous breeds and they suffered neglect. Kennel clubs did not recognise them. It is only in recent years, that certain Indian breeds — the Rampur hound, the Mudhol — have been recognised and breed standards have been laid down. Indian dogs are all oriented to outdoor activity and were used in hunting. Some breeds, such as the Himalayan sheep dog, were trained in herding. Most others were used in guard duty and hunting. We have a record of at least one breed being used for military purposes. The Rajapalayam dog was used during the Carnatic wars to attack the British cavalry in their stables. Kombai dogs defended the fort of the Marudhu brothers, who ruled from Kalayarkovil and fought the East India Company forces. One good sign is that more and more Indian dogs are shown these days. In the dog shows in Delhi, the Tibetan mastiff, the Lhasa Apso and the Rampur hound are, very often, the stars.
The Gir bull.
The disappearance of native breeds has been faster after India gained independence. From 1960, cross breeding with exotic cattle breeds was done in order to increase milk productivity. In the process, indigenous stock got depleted and neglected. And what is more, there is declining yield from successive generations of hybrid cattle.
Nowhere is the loss of native strains so apparent as in poultry. The ancestor of all poultry is the Red Jungle Fowl of North Indian forests. Of the 17 varieties we had, many have disappeared, particularly in the last three decades, such as the Naked neck, once common in our villages. Modern poultry farms went in for exotic hybrids. However, the circle seems to be complete now. The superiority of the country chicken as a table bird and of its eggs is now being realised. Gourmet restaurants have started advertising the fact that they serve country chicken.
Text and pictures by
S. THEODORE BASKARAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Magazine
