Ramnagar (Uttarakhand): Hyenas seem to have gone extinct in the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand as it has not been spotted here since 2016.
A study has been undertaken at the national park in this regard and the hidden camera traps are being examined. Wildlife lovers believe that about 50 years ago, hyenas used to be present in large numbers here but their numbers started declining gradually and currently it seems to have become extinct.
According to wildlife lovers, till 2016, hyenas were seen in areas namely Marchula forest, Dhela, Morghatti and Pakharo. In 2015, a tourist saw a hyena in Pawalgarh in Corbett Landscape and Dechauri range of Ramnagar forest division.
Corbett Park deputy director Digant Nayak said that hyenas were found in the Terai areas some time ago but now their number has become negligible. However, hyenas have been spotted in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
Nayak said a hyena was spotted inside Corbett National Park by a tourist in 2016. "Every year camera traps are installed in the forests of Corbett National Park for counting tigers but after 2016, no hyena has been captured on any of the cameras. In such a situation, it is believed that hyenas have become extinct in Corbett Park," he said.
Hyenas usually feed on dead animals but also hunt antelopes and small animals. They become active after sunset foraging for food. The lifespan of a hyena is around 25 years.
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