Eco Report of the area - IIT Mandi

of mammals provided by Zoological Survey of India (Director, 2005) for Himachal, and that, by
Jayapal and Ramesh (2009) for Rupi-Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary (Kinnaur District) do not include
this species of wild cat its occurrence in Kataula has to be treated with caution.
Small bats were observed during the study. One species of Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus sp) was seen
flying over cultivation at dusk. The abandoned Animal Husbandry Department’s buildings showed
signs of the presence of one or more species of fruit bats. It is likely that the Short-nosed Fruit Bat
(Cynopterus sphinx) and the Fulvous Fruit Bat (Rousettus leschenaultia) occur on the Campus.
The local forester reported the presence of the Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus) in and around
Kataula.
During the study, the Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii) was observed on the Campus. A
sizeable population of the Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) was observed regularly. One road
kill of the House Rat (Rattus rattus) was the only sign of the presence of rodents on the Campus.
The local forester however reported the occurrence of the Northern Palm Squirrel (Funambulus
pennanti). He also mentioned that he had seen the Indian Porcupine (Hystrix indica) in and around
Kataula.
There were signs of the presence of the Wild Pig (Sus scrofa) in many parts of the Campus and
the villagers also confirmed its presence in the landscape. Other than these the local residents
reported the Indian Hare (Lepus nigricollis), Otter (Lutra sp) and Civets. The specific identity of
these animals has to be confirmed.
Land Use and Infrastructure Development
Land use an infrastructure development on the 531 acre Campus should be guided by ecosystem
principles (see Hamilton and McMillan, 2004) and the fragility of the mountain and riparian
ecosystems that sustain the landscape and its people. Throughout the landscape, including the
surrounding areas (such as Kullu, Mandi and Parashar Lake that were visited during the March
2010 study) altitude, slope and aspect play a major role in creating diverse micro-environmental
regimes. It is evident that the forest types, despite the degraded nature, are still limited by the
topography to the extent that there is a marked difference between the slopes that receive sunlight
during the morning and the slopes that enjoy morning shade. This pattern is apparently very
consistent and will have a major bearing on the Campus’ ecology and micro-climate. Topography
playing a major role in the phenology of plants and animals was evident during the study; for
33