India, Nov. 23 -- The team from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, conducting the Rapid Assessment for Biodiversity at the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) does not have to contend with tigers or mega-herbivores. Plus, the smaller size of the SWS makes it easier to assess than sprawling national parks where 200 camera traps are installed in one forest block. Only 36 camera traps have been deployed by WII across 2,600 hectares of SWS. Mega-herbivores have proven dicey for wildlife scientists "poking their noses" into the deep bush and poring over pugmarks, scent marks and scats in all earnestness!. Their experiences from Corbett and Kaziranga national parks reveal that tigers could be gentlemanly and retiring in sudden face-offs while rhinos, elephants and bears were an unpredictable ball game, oft impelling studious scientists to show a clean pair of heels. At SWS, the threat is minimal due to "gentlemanly leopards", who dwell hermit-like in the vast monastery of the bush. Russell's vipers, though abundant, are dormant in winter. However, a huge, loner male Wild boar wielding irascible tushes may not feel sufficiently inspired to extend courtesies to roving guests, who decide to research his resting spot. On Friday, this writer accompanied two WII sub-units over 12 km of bush, grasses and undulating trails in the Nepli beat of SWS. At dawn, Nonita Rana, project associate - I, assisted by Chandigarh forest guard, Subir, undertook a 'point count' of birds to assess different habitats. The highlights were the migratory species: Eurasian griffons (15-plus), a Steppe eagle and a Siberian rubythroat. In the afternoon, a line transect for assessing mammalian abundance was carried out by Dr Vivek Ranjan, principal project associate, assisted by forest guard Vivek and chowkidar Ratlam Singh....