Saturday, February 6, 2010











WILD BORE (Sus Serofa): This is large, heavily built animal, with a grayish black body coot and a mane of thick black hairs running over it. A very noisy feeder, it lives in small groups of a single family. Adult male boars tend to be solitary. ‘Omnivorous’ (Organism eating both plants and animals) in diet, it is noted for its courage and determination. They are known to breed throughout the year. The gestation period is four months, with 4-6 young born at a time. The snow makes a nest of grass and leaves It is no easy task to hunt Wild Boars.

WILD RABBITS Rabbits are ground dwellers that live in environments ranging from desert to tropical forest and wetland. Their natural geographic range encompasses the middle latitudes of the Western Hemisphere. In the Eastern Hemisphere rabbits are found in Europe, portions of Central and Southern Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Sumatra, and Japan. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) has been introduced to many locations around the world, and all breeds of domestic rabbit originate from the European. Nearly half of the world's rabbit species are in danger of extinction; many are among the most vulnerable of all mammals.


RCUPINE Panchakot is a natural home for porcupines. Not long ago, Panchakot and Santuri area was abundantly populated by porcupines. During 80s and 90s due to massive deforestation and hunting, the number of porcupine and rabbits had drastically decreased. Thanks to consciousness of local people and social forestation, the forest is growing again and the population of the animals is again increasing. But now porcupines are at the verge of extinct.

DEER: The name 'Deer' is given to the ruminant mammals belonging to the family Cervidae. They are one of the most beautiful creatures on this earth and extend to approximately 34 species.
The forest department Government of West Bengal has already freed a lot of deer in this place.





WOLF (HURAL): The Baranti wolf has a very short, dense coat that is typically reddish, tawny, or buff coloured. It reaches 60-95 centimetres (24-37 inches) in height, and typically weighs 20-40 kilograms , making it smaller than the gray wolf. Breeding generally occurs in October, after the rains – early compared to the gray wolf. Wolves in Baranti used to thrive on wild prey but humans have largely extirpated the prey through hunting. Now wolves are forced to feed on livestock which brings them close to people, particularly to the many unattended small goats , calf on the loose.
FOX : The Baranti Fox (Purulia) is mainly crepuscular in its habits. During the heat of the day, they hide under vegetation or in subterranean dens that they dig. The dens are large and complex with multiple chambers and escape routes. They are sometimes seen basking at a vantage point around sunrise or sunset. In captivity, the lifespan is about 6 to 8 years.

PALM SQUIRREL: The Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) also known as Three-Striped Palm Squirrel, is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. Palm squirrels are about the size of rats with a bushy tail which is slightly shorter than their body. Their back is a grizzled grey-brown colour with five conspicuous white stripes, three of which run from head to tail. The two outer stripes run from the forelegs to the hind legs only.










Mongoose: The word mongoose is derived from the Marathi name mangus, perhaps ultimately from Dravidian (cf. Telugu mungeesa), Kannada mungisi . The form of the English name (since 1698) was altered to its -goose ending by folk-etymology. It has no etymological connection with the word goose. The plural form is mongooses, or, rarely, mongeese. It has also been spelled mungoose. In Bengal it is known as beji .
Mongooses live in southern
Asia, Africa, and southern Europe, as well as some Caribbean and Hawaiian islands, where they are introduced species.
There are more than thirty
species, ranging from 1–4 feet (0.30–1.2 m) in length. Mongoose range in weight from the squirrel-sized Common Dwarf Mongoose, at 280 g (9.9 oz), to the cat-sized White-tailed Mongoose, at 4 kg (8.8 lb).
Some species lead predominantly solitary lives, seeking out food only for themselves, while others travel in groups, sharing food among group members. There are hundreds of mongoose living in Baranti Hill area.
If you have entered Baranti, you are probably interested in birds. Your interest may be limited to trying to put a name to the bird you casually see in the garden, forest or in the Lake. Or you maybe are, or are about to be, one of the growing number of people who watch birds regularly. Would you like to become involved in an enjoyable and challenging outdoor pastime? It is inexpensive and can be done anywhere and at anytime. If all this sounds good to you, then welcome to birdwatching, or "birding" as it is often called. Getting stated is easy, and once started, it provides a lifetime of joy and fascination.
One of the best places to start birdwatching is Baranti Hill area or Baranti Lake area. You will see various type of Birds. You will soon want to see more and different birds. But identifying them can be difficult at first, so here are a few tips to help you along: