Landscape, livestock mobility, and traditional management of Belahi cattle in the Shivalik foothills pastoral system.

Abstract

Belahi cattle constitute a distinct indigenous cattle population maintained primarily by the Gujjar/Gurjar pastoralist community in Haryana, India. The aim of this study was to document pastoral management practices relevant to the conservation and sustainable utilization of Belahi cattle within their native breeding tract. Data were collected through structured surveys and field observations across different ecological zones of the Shivalik foothills, an ecotonal region between the Himalayan ecosystem and the Indo-Gangetic plains. Transhumant pastoralism was practiced by 60% of respondents, followed by village-based (26%) and sedentary pastoralism (14%). Feeding relied predominantly on extensive grazing (79%), with minimal stall feeding. Herds typically comprised 40-45 animals, were strongly female-biased, and maintained either a single breeding bull or depended on community Belahi bulls during migration. Pure Belahi herds constituted 70% of the population and were predominantly associated with transhumant systems, piedmont zones, and river banks, whereas mixed cattle were more common in sedentary and village-based systems. Highly significant associations were observed between herd purity and ecological location, mobility pattern, feeding management, and community affiliation (χ², p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis (MCA with hierarchical clustering) confirmed this pattern and identified three distinct farm management typologies, including a previously undetected sedentary hill-zone groups. Seasonal mobility functioned as an adaptive strategy to optimize forage and water use, while lactation showed strong seasonality, peaking during summer and monsoon months. The estimated effective population size was 71 with an inbreeding rate of 0.7%, placing the population in the vulnerable category. Looking in to the highly efficient management system, there are several better implications for animal health, productivity, sustainable management and animal welfare. Assessment of bull's genomic relatedness to herd may help in avoiding accumulation of further inbreeding in the population and development of healthy Belahi herds. Progressive loss of grazing resources, market constraints, and limited institutional support were identified as major challenges to the sustainability of the production system. The results underscore the ecological, cultural, and livelihood importance of Belahi cattle and provide critical baseline information for conservation and breeding interventions.