Skip to content

Eight Barasingha at Narora Extended the Known Ganga Range About 70 km South

Herd of northern swamp deer in grassland near Lower Ganga Barrage, Narora, India
Conservation · Population & status

A herd of eight northern barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) recorded near Narora in Uttar Pradesh has extended the documented southern range of the subspecies along the Ganga River. This northern form is associated with the Gangetic plains of India and the Terai grasslands of Nepal. The group comprised two adult males, three adult females and three subadults, and was photographed in a grassland patch within the Lower Ganga Barrage Reservoir during surveys of the Upper Ganga River Ramsar Site.

The researchers surveyed grasslands and riparian areas between Brijghat and Narora in 2021, combining searches on foot and from a boat with information from local farmers, cattle herders and fishers. Evidence of barasingha was found only in the Narora grassland patch, about one kilometre from the Lower Ganga Barrage. Local residents also reported that the deer are present year-round and that groups of up to 20 animals have been seen in the area. These local reports were not an independent population count.

The Narora record lies about 70 km by air south of the State Wildlife Barasingha Sanctuary, which had previously marked the documented southern limit of the subspecies along the Ganga. Combined with the known range from Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve to the sanctuary, the authors estimate that the documented distribution along the river now extends for approximately 170 km.

The Narora grassland lies outside a protected area. The authors report agricultural encroachment, intensive grazing, removal of aquatic vegetation, uncontrolled grassland burning and occasional poaching in the area, and describe the local barasingha occurrence as vulnerable to these pressures.

Sources and image credit

  1. Usmani, A. A., Gangaiamaran, P., Badola, R., & Hussain, S. A. (2026). First photographic record of the Northern Swamp Deer Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii in Upper Ganga River Ramsar Site, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 18(7), 29336–29339. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10475.18.7.29336-29339Primary open-access article published online and in print 26 July 2026. The authors documented eight northern barasingha near Narora, around 70 km south of the State Wildlife Barasingha Sanctuary, and estimated that the known distribution along the Ganga now extends for approximately 170 km.

Image: Herd of northern barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) in the grassland patch near Lower Ganga Barrage, Narora, Uttar Pradesh, India, documented during the study survey. Photo: Aftab Alam Usmani / Usmani et al. (2026), Journal of Threatened Taxa, Image 3. CC BY 4.0. Direct study image. · CC BY 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Population & status

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

Barasingha Rucervus duvaucelii Explore species

Independent research and conservation news archive

Did you find this information useful?

Wildlife Vagabond is independently built and maintained. Voluntary support helps cover source verification, hosting and continued work on research and conservation news.

Support Wildlife Vagabond

The news archive will remain freely available.