Tiny dragons of Darjeeling: How a small community became the last hope for the Himalayan salamander
Towards the end of summer in the emerald-green tea estate of Margaret's Hope, the weather cannot make up its mind. One moment, drizzle comes soft and steady through the tall pine trees. Next, mist rolls in and swallows everything as the hills play hide-and-seek with the sky. A steep tarmac road drops from the main hill cart path through rows of tea bushes. At the bottom, about 11 kilometres north…
In the Darjeeling tea estate of Margaret's Hope, amidst the ever-changing summer weather, a small community is quietly preserving a crucial breeding ground for the Himalayan salamander. Known locally as gora or pani chepara, this tiny dragon-like creature, growing up to 20 centimeters in length, is listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.
Locals, including the estate's chief worker Ramesh Rai, have long been aware of the salamanders' importance, with generations of community members observing their life cycle tied to the monsoon rains. The salamander's eggs are laid in submerged vegetation, but if the rain stops early, the pool quickly dries up, leading to the death of the clutch.
In response, Ramesh and community members have taken action, building a nursery pond with a vegetated island to protect the salamanders from predators like carp, guppies, and invasive grasses.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
