Koya Tribe Help Conserve Indian Bison

• Context (TH): The Koyas of Papikonda Hills switched from Bison horns to palm leaves for their traditional flute, Permakore, as a conservation measure for the Indian Bison of Eastern ghats.

Indian Bison (Bos gaurus)

• Indian bison (or Gaur) is the largest among the wild cattle and the bovids (mammals with cloven hoofs and unbranched hollow horns).
• The domesticated form of the gaur is called Gayal or Mithun.
• Distribution: It is native to South, Southeast, and East Asia. In India, it is found in parts of the Himalayan foothills, NE India, Eastern Ghats, and Western Ghats.
• It is an attraction of Wayanad, Nagarhole, Mudumalai, and Bandipur national parks.
• Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura is India’s only natural breeding centre for bison.
• Habitat: It is found in evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests.
• Threats: Habitat loss, hunting, invasive species and diseases.
• Conservation status: IUCN: VU | CITES: Appendix I | WPA: Schedule I

Koya Tribe

• Koya tribe is found in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
• Traditionally, Koyas were soldiers of the palegars (feudal lords) and practised podu cultivation.
• Today, Koyas are mainly settled cultivators and artisans.

Papikonda Hills

• The Papikondalu hills of Andhra Pradesh are also known as the ‘Bison Hill range’.
• In 1978, a section of the hill range was declared a sanctuary, with the Indian Bison as its megafauna.
• The Papikonda National Park was declared in 2008.
• The Polavaram irrigation project and clearing forest for Podu cultivation threatens the park.