Striped Hyena spotted in Corbett National Park after 5 years, authorities call it a `good sign`

New Delhi: A striped hyena was spotted in Corbett National Park after over five years. The Corbette national park authorities revealed that a camera in Kalagarh jungle recorded a visual of a hyena in March 2021, following which the authorities decided to come up with a plan to save the ‘near threatened’ species. 

The national park authorities have decided to put up cameras in the area to count the number of hyenas present in the region. According to reports, the last time a hyena was spotted in Corbett National Park was back in 2017.

The Director of the Corbett National Park, Rahul Singh called this incident a good sign. “After a long time a striped hyena has been spotted in the region and we are trying to determine the reason behind this occurrence,” Singh said. 

The national park authorities have decided to plant cameras at different locations in the reserve to find the exact number of hyena present in the region, following which a detailed plan will be formulated to save this 'near threatened' species. 

Hyenas are a mammal of the Carnivora order and Hyaenidae family. They are like wild dogs who compete with other species. They are commonly found in unforgiving landscapes of India, Central Asia, North Africa, East Africa and West Asia. Over 42 years back, striped hyenas were a common sight in the wild.

In India striped Hyena are mostly found in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The striped hyenas of India have been staring at an uncertain future from a long time. 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorised striped hyenas as ‘Near Threatened’ species on a global scale.