Striped hyenas help keep India clean, but remain misunderstood
Increasing awareness of the ecological value of striped hyenas will help mitigate the cultural beliefs keeping striped hyenas at the brink
The Indian striped hyena, a misunderstood creature, plays a crucial role in maintaining clean landscapes and water sources. Despite an estimated population of 1,000 to 3,000 in India, there is no official count and no unified conservation plan. In West Bengal, awareness drives aim to dispel negative beliefs, while Tamil Nadu allocated funds for conservation.
However, inadequate data hinders the establishment of safe havens. The hyena's shy nature and feeding on carrion, essential for public health, make mapping its population challenging. Increasing awareness of their ecological value and reframing cultural narratives are key to their conservation.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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