Mangrove eater that swims may be unique Kutch camel breed

Efforts to conserve the camels of Kutch have led to the revelation that they possibly come in two breeds,one of them said to be a swimming variety that feeds on mangrove leaves.

Villagers say they have always been aware of the distinctions between the Mithiwala unt of Kutchs interior regions and the Dhariawala unt or Khadai unt of the coasts.

It hasnt been proved genetically,but yes,there seem to be two kinds of camels, agrees P M Dargha,a veterinary officer in Bhuj. Efforts have been started to get them genetically mapped.

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Villagers have told conservationists that the Dhariawala unt can swim up to 2 or 3 km in the sea,says Jatin Patel,a scientist with Sahjeevan,which has aided government conservation efforts.

A government field officer says a camel eats up to 35 kg mangrove leaves a day; and villagers say it is the Dhariawala that prefers mangrove leaves to neem or khijado,which are the Mithiwalas favourite. The Mithiwala doesnt like mangrove leaves much; its feet keep slipping on the muddy patches. The Dhariawalas feet are firm, says Thavar Hanga,50,a former pastoral farmer in the coastal village of Tuna Wandh.

Now the Dhariawalas diet and,consequently,the unt are under threat. The problem is not so much with the total mangrove cover as with the mangroves actually accessible to the camel. Gujarat has increased its total mangrove cover over the years (see box) but most of the re-plantation has been in forest areas,usually off-limits to pastoral farmers.

The Kachchi camels population has been dwindling,though there are no separate specifics in the absence of official recognition for the two genetic strains. The 2007 (provisional) livestock census counted 8,575 camels,20 per cent below the 10,477 in 2003.

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Hanga estimates the Dhariawala population around where he lives: Karamsi Hira has 45,Lakhir Raja has 200,Waha Shamat has 90…. I think there would be about 1,000 Dhariawala Unts around here. Ten years ago there were probably 10,000.

The animal husbandry department is trying to conserve the Kachchhi camel,tagged threatened,by breeding them in farms. Scientists with the Anand Veterinary College now want the strains segregated. They recently submitted a proposal to the government to test their blood separately.

I was in Kutch to take blood samples of Kachchi camels when locals told me about this mangrove-eating variety, said D N Rank,professor of animal genetics,who could not collect samples immediately. Rank is now in talks with local breeders so sampling can be done.