Threatened Jurassic Newt gets new lease of life

Kolkata, Apr 22 (UNI) The Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS) has embarked on a project for the conservation of Himalayan Salamander, a rare and endangered amphibian species.

The tiny amphibian, falling within Schedule II of the Wildlife Acts, is fast disappearing from the Eastern HImalayas as well as from countries like Thailand, Nepal, Myanmar and China.

According to Dr S Chakraborty, the chief scientist of the NEWS project, it had successfully bred salamanders in captivity for the first time.

The Salamander breeding project, located at Namthing Pokhiri in Darjeeling, has 21 hatchlings in an aquarium with the favourable environmental condition.

Dr Chakraborty said the Himalayan Salamander is regarded as a living fossil as zoologists believe that they evolved during the Jurassic period.

But unlike most of its relatives, who became extinct, this Himalayan amphibian continues to defy the odds by adopting itself to unfavourable external pressure.

The Salamander breeding project is funded by the US Consulate in Kolkata.

In North Bengal, the Salamander is considered one of the most endangered species as it is the only member of the chordate amphibian in India, especially found in Mirik, Kurseong, Tung besides Hamthing Pokhri and other parts of Darjeeling.

A team of wildlife experts, sponsored by the Environment and Forest Ministry, had carried out an extensive survey titled ''Estimation of Population of some Endangered Animals In West Bengal'' and identified the major threats to the reptile's habitat.

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