Affidavit filed by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam on feral horses in Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (DSNP), 08/05/2025
Affidavit filed by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Assam in the matter of news item titled "the last feral horses in India" appearing in Mongabay, November 5, 2024. The matter relates to the critically endangered status of feral horses in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park as well as of smuggling of these horses.
The report to the NGT stated that the feral horses are presently found in the sand bar and grassland of core areas such as Lanka, Tapu, Laika Chapari of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (DSNP) and buffer areas such as Baghini Chapari, Surkhe Chapori, Shivguri, Paglam of DSNP. The feral horses are generally found confined in the core area during dry and lean season for fresh grasslands as well as for water. These horses actually prefer open spaces with tall grasses which gives them grazing opportunities.
The buffer and core areas of DSNP are mostly marshy, swampy and with numerous water channels, wetlands which rejuvenate during annual flooding. The feral horses in the long run adapted to the riverine environment and they can navigate through flood plains, riverine sandbars and water channels.
Field observation suggests shrinkage of habitat of feral horses as well as other wild animals and this is mainly caused by annual flood, occurring within and surrounding the landscape of DSNP. This eventually causes havoc by way of submergence of grasslands and forest vegetation, heavy siltation with sand, silt and debris, by way of erosion, annual shifting of flood plains and sand bars. Thus, the loss of area of DSNP is due to erosion which is a natural calamity and this directly reduces the habitat of the wild animals as well as feral horses.
As per field observation and information obtained from the forest staff and fringe communities inhabiting around the DSNP/DSBR, there are about 175-250 feral horses residing in the core and buffer areas of DSNP. Poaching of feral horses has never been reported till date.
Further, the feral horses are not listed as scheduled species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, several challenges are faced by the field officials and staff in the matter of conservation and protection of feral horses. Therefore, if feral horses are included in the schedule, it will be helpful in conservation and protection of the feral horses.
Besides the literature for conservation of feral horses - population, their habitat preferences are not available like other wildlife species. Organizations like Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun can undertake such studies which would be useful for proper management of feral horses.