Context: The population of the eastern swamp deer has dipped in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Key Point

• The eastern swamp deer is endemic to Kaziranga and is not the primary prey of the park’s carnivores, primarily the tiger. 
• But its population is crucial for the ecological health of the tiger reserve.
• The encouraging sign is the animal has now moved to other areas such as Orang National Park and Laokhowa-Burachapori wildlife sanctuaries.

About Barasingha or Swamp deer

• Barasingha or Swamp deer is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent.
• The swamp deer differs from all other Indian deer species in that the antlers have more than three times.
• Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii) has 3 subspecies: Western Swamp Deer, Eastern Swamp Deer, Hard- ground Barasingha.
• Swamp deer is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh.

Eastern Swamp Deers

• Eastern Swamp Deers are endemic to Kaziranga Park.
• It is only found in Assam.
• Their population is concentrated in the central Kohora and Bagori ranges of Kaziranga. 

All species of Swamp Deer having same protection status

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule 1
CITES: Appendix 1
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

About Kaziranga National Park

• Location: It is located in the State of Assam and covers 42,996 Hectare (ha). It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain.

Legal Status

• It was declared as a National Park in 1974.
• It has been declared a tiger reserve since 2007. It has a total tiger reserve area of 1,030 sq km with a core area of 430 sq. km.

International Status

• It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
• It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.

Important Species Found

• It is the home of the world's most one-horned rhinos. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world and second highest number of Rhinos in Assam after Kaziranga National Park.
• Much of the focus of conservation efforts in Kaziranga are focused on the 'big four' species— Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic water buffalo.
• The 2018 census had yielded 2,413 rhinos and approximately 1,100 elephants.
• As per the figures of tiger census conducted in 2014, Kaziranga had an estimated 103 tigers, the third highest population in India after Jim Corbett National Park (215) in Uttarakhand and Bandipur National Park (120) in Karnataka.
• Kaziranga is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the Indian subcontinent.

Other Inhabitants of the National Park

• The Endangered Ganges Dolphin
• Vulnerable and rare species of Bengal Slow Loris
• Assamese Macaque
• Capped Langur
• Golden Langur
• and the Hoolock Gibbon (only ape found in India).