Circadian variations in foraging and resting/standing activity patterns of stray street cattle of urban Sambalpur, Odisha, India

摘要

In Indian cities, you are likely to find cows/cattle on the streets eating castoffs from kitchens, restaurants and vegetable markets. They contribute to strewn trash, spread of disease, traffic congestion, and occurrence of road accidents. In this study, we examined circadian variations in foraging and resting/standing activities of stray cattle on the streets. We also estimated the population of these cattle, using the Lincoln index. We used single Cosinor rhythmometry to analyze time series data on different variables. It was discovered that the maximum number of street cattle rested on the streets around 21.7 h with a spread of about 9 h starting at 17.2 h in the evening. These cattle were found to be engaged in foraging activities with a peak located at 9.4 h in the late morning hours. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on circadian rhythms in the foraging, and resting/standing behavior of stray street cattle. We recommend that more intensive investigation should be carried out to understand the underlying causes of this problem and to find out an effective solution, which would be beneficial both to the street cattle and the citizens of cities inflicted with cattle menace.