Wild asses don’t go thirsty in Patan

Palanpur: Asiatic lions living outside Gir sanctuary, mostly revenue areas, may be thirsting for water in the blazing summer. But wild asses, the specie have protection equal to lions, in north Gujarat don’t have to go far distances for water.
The forest department has made functional around 33 water troughs for the wild asses which regularly stray across Sami, Radhanpur and Santalpur talukas that are located close to the India wild ass sanctuary in Dasada. There are more than 500 wild asses seen regularly in the vast barren stretch of these talukas spread over nearly 12,000 hectares. The area comes under the Patan reserve forest.

Officials said seven out of the total 40 troughs were washed away in the devastating floods last year. The remaining were repaired and are now being filled with water through tankers regularly so that the wild asses don’t go thirsty.

The traditional water sources like well, step-well and village ponds are fast drying up in the district due to scorching summer. The water situation is as bad for these animals as for humans.

“We have made the troughs functional by filling them with water through tankers. The process of filling them will continue until the water sources subsist in the region. The water is poured twice a week or once a week depending on the demand and condition of the place, said RB Kharadi, deputy conservator of forest, Patan.

Kharadi said the department is constructing 15 more such troughs and six have been put up across the reserve forest while remaining nine will be functional within a fortnight. He said there 500 wild asses that are seen in Sami, Radhanpur and Santalpur talukas.

There are two traditional ponds in this forest area - Chilasar Talav near Subapura in the reserve forest and Vadilal pond located near Kodha village in Sami taluka. However, the water in both these water bodies is saline and animals drink it only out of compulsion. Besides, there is no major river in the region where the animals can quench their thirst.

The troughs have also turned out to an oasis for other animals like foxes, wolves, hyenas, deer, black bucks and large number of birds at a time when temperature in this desert touches as high as 50 degrees Celsius in peak summer.