Study Area
PROTECTED AREAS (PAs) in WESTERN GHATS
WG mountain range spreads over six states of India (Kerala,
Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, & Gujarat) with only
interruption is in Palakkad District (Palaghat Gap) of Kerala
State around 30 m is one of among 36 biodiversity hotspots in
the World with a spatial extent of 1,60,000km
2.
Realizing the significance of WG, The Ministry of Environment
and Forest of India constituted the Western Ghats Ecology Expert
Panel (WGEEP) to study the WG's status and demarcate the
Ecological Sensitive Zones to make a recommendation for
rejuvenation, conservation and protection. The panel recommended
that 64% of the WG to be treated as an Ecological Sensitive Zone
(ESZ). Subsequently, yet another High-Level Working Group (HLWG)
was formed by the Ministry that recommended 37% of the area of
WG is in ESZ.
WG has 68 protected areas, including 15 National Parks, 47
Wildlife Sanctuaries, & 6 Conservation Reserves. WG also
supported with 2 Biosphere Reserve, Nilgiri, and Agasthyamalai
Biosphere Reserve. Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve is on the
southern side of WG Ranges. Figure 2 illustrates the
distribution of PAs in WG.
Figure 2. The Protected Areas in WG
Protected areas in KERALA, Southern Western Ghats
Kerala, a state in South India located in the Malabar Coast
Region. It spreads over an area about 38,863 km
2.
Kerala has 5 National Parks, 17 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 1
Community Reserve. All the protected areas in Kerala, except 1
conservation reserve (Kadalundi Community Reserve) and 1
Wildlife Sanctuary (Magalvanam Bird Sanctuary) are part of WG.
Idukki District has the maximum number of protected areas (10),
including 5 National Park & 5 Sanctuaries. They are Anamudi
Shola National Park (Figure 3), Eravikulam National Park (Figure
4), Mathikethan Shola National Park (Figure 5), Pampadum Shola
National Park (Figure 6), Kurinjimala Wildlife Sanctuary (Figure
7), Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary (Figure 8), Idukki Wildlife
Sanctuary (Figure 9), Periyar National Park & Tiger Reserve
(Figure 10), Thattekadu Bird Sanctuary (Figure 11), etc.
⦁ Anamudi Shola National Park:
Anamudi Shola National
Park (Figure 3) of Kerala has a spatial extent of 7.5 sq.km
(Anamudi Shola National Park Management Plan, 2009 - 2018). It
was established as a National Park on 21st Nov 2003, one of
India’s largest shola forest eco-system with unique biodiversity
and climate which is not seen elsewhere. The location is in
between 10.16670N – 10.5N and 77.98330E – 77.5E, in Devikulam
Taluk of Idukki District, Kerala, South India, under Munnar
Wildlife Division. The park consists of three pristine shola
reserve forests : Mannavan Shola, Pullaradi shola, and Idivara
Shola (Anamudi Shola National Park Management Plan, 2009 -
2018). Mannavan Shola is the largest of them, containing nearly
20% (109 species) are endemic, and 25% (128species) are rare and
another 26 species are threatened. The park receives rainfall
ranging between 2000 – 2500mm and the climate is mostly cool
with an average temperature of 7.5 0C – 30 0C with December as
the coldest month and April, the warmest month. Elevation of the
park is from 2152 m – 2305 m.
Strobilanthes kunthiana
commenly called “Neelakurinji”, an endemic shrub, blossoms once
in 12 years and when blossoms the hill range appears blue. The
average height of forest is about 20 – 25 m, comprising Souther
subtropical hill forest; Southern montane wet temperate forest,
and moist deciduous forest. There are 62 species of trees, 174
species of herbs, and shrubs 39 species of climbers. There are
100 species of butterflies among which
Parantica
nilgiriensis, commonly called “Nilgiri Tiger” is one of the
endemic species, 232 of moths belonging to 36 different
families, and 76 species of birds are also being recorded
(Anamudi Shola National Park Management Plan, 2009 - 2018). The
park is protected because of the unique shola forests, their
rich biodiversity, and endemic and threatened species found
here. Muthuvans are the only tribal group in ASNP, settled in
Koodalar, Valsapatty, and Samiyarala and the highest
concentration is found in Anamudi hills. Mainly there are two
groups based on the difference in dialects, namely- Malayalam
Muthuvan and Pandi Muthuvan. Malayalam or Nadan Muthuvan is from
Adimal area and Tamil or Pandi Muthuvan is in Munnar and
Devikulam area. The colonies, namely Perumala, Puthur,
Kanthallur, and Kulichivayal, which is on the northern outskirts
of ASNP, are mainly inhabited by Tamil Muthuvans. As per the
Kanthallur Panchayath records, there are about 631 households in
these seven settlements (Ajesh et al., 2012).
⦁ Eravikualam National Park:
Eravikulam National Park
(ENP) is located in the highest ranges of Idukki district,
Kerala, between 10.08330 – 10.3330 N and 77 – 77.08330 E (Figure
4) (www.eravikulam.org). ENP was established in 1978 and have an
area of 97 km
2 and created for conservation for
Nilgiri Tahr,
ilgiritragus hylocrius, which is restricted only in the WG.
The region forms a unique habitat, a mosaic of terrain with
dominant grasslands with the steep rocky cliff. Primary
vegetation is in the southern tropical hill forest, southern
montane wet temperate forest, southern montane wet scrub, and
southern wet grassland. The maximum area is southern montane wet
grassland covered with small patches of montane wet temperate
forest, which is the Shola and is confined to the small area.
Eravikulam is a potential area for many perennial rivers and
major rivers. It serves as a catchment for many rivers such as
Kaveri (Cauvery), at east and river Periyar and Chalakkudy, at
West (Alembath, 2010). Monsoon climate dominates the area
throughout the year. The average rainfall is 2000-5000mm.
Temperature varies between -3oC to 29oC. ENP is divided into
three zones for the administrative and technical purpose. The
Core Zone covering an area of 65 sq.km, then the buffer zone
which is 32sq.km and finally 15sq.km of tourism zone which is at
Rajamala. Core zone can be reached by foot through the
Vaguvarrai tea estate of the Tata-Tea. Considering the faunal
population in ENP, there are 26 mammals, 133 birds, 85
butterflies and 22 amphibians. Wild dog (
Cuon alpines),
Leopard (
Panthera pardus), Tiger (
Panthera
tigris), Sambar (
Cervus unicolor), etc., are some
of the vital species apart from the flagship species, Nilgiri
tahr and more than 490 species of floral species (Perinchery,
2008).
Muthuvans are tribes settled in four areas of which the only
one is inside ENP, which is in Lakkomkudy on the southern
boundary. Parappayarkudy, Parakkudy, Nooradykudy are on the
fringes of the western boundary of ENP which is part of
Edamalakudy, Idukki, the first Tribal Panchayath in Kerala. The
tribal settlement at Lakkomkudy has an area of 44.088 ha with 46
families (population is 168). The rest of the settlement
contains 102 families having a population more than 380
(circle.forest.kerala.gov.in/wckottayam).
⦁ Mathikettan Shola National Park:
Mathikettan Shola
National Park (MSNP) is located in Poopara village of
Udumbanchola taluk in Idukki district in the high ranges of
South WG, Kerala (Figure 5). MSNP was established in the year
2003, covering an area of 12.8 km
2. The area comes
under Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR). It was recommended as a
national park by the state wildlife advisory board due to the
unique shola forest ecosystem, it is important as an elephant
corridor and also to preserve the forest from tangible and
intangible benefits. The Panniyar tributaries namely,
Uchinikuthipuzha, Mathikettan Puzha and Njandar streams,
originate from this forest.
Vegetation includes west coast tropical evergreen forests,
west coast semi-evergreen forests, and south Indian moist
deciduous and grassland. The climax vegetation is found at 600
to 1200 m in the west coast tropical evergreen forest. The soil
moisture content is more because of the leaf litter covering the
ground, which helps grow tree seedlings and herbaceous flora.
The floral community includes 63 species of trees, 63 species of
herbs and shrubs, 15 species of climbers etc.
Bhesa indica,
Calophyllum austro-indicum, Syzygium gardneri Chionanthus rami
flours, Litsea wightina, etc. are some of the dominant
species here. It is an abode for
Strobilanthes
Kantian's and is found in grasslands. MSNP is a home for a
wide variety of fauna, including threatened and endemic species.
The richness in fauna is due to the unique microclimate. Fauna
found here are at least 13 species of insect, 27 species of
birds, and 9 species of mammals. Lion-tailed macaque, an endemic
and threatened species of WG and Y.
Parantica
nilgiriensis, a threatened butterfly, and Muthuvan tribal
people are in this region.
⦁ Pambadum Shola National Park:
Pambadum Shola
National Park (PSNP), Vattavada Panchayat of Devikulam Taluk,
Idukki District, Kerala, is located on the eastern side of high
ranges of Southern WG, falls between the latitude 10.11667 -
10.1667 and longitude 77.233 -77.7833 (Figure 6). Altitude
ranges from 1600 m up to 2000 m. It is the smallest National
Park in Kerala which comes under Munnar Wildlife Division. PSNP
was declared as a national park in the year 2003, before 2003,
it was known as Shola Reserve (from 1901). PSNP covers an area
of 11.753 km
2, and temperature varies in between 280C
– 90C. Mostly 4 – 5 months will be dry months spanning between
December and March. PSNP receives both southwest and northeast
monsoon. PSNP is located in Tamil Nadu state, and due to that it
receives heavy rainfall during north-east monsoon. Humidity
varies from 55% to 70%. The most prominent vegetation found here
are the grasslands and shola forest. PSNP is having the highest
biodiversity unique to the shola vegetation. Fauna and flora
include several threatened and endemic species. There are about
9 species of mammals, 14 species of birds, 321 species of
Lepidoptera of which 89 species belong to the suborder
Rhopalocera (butterflies) and rest to Heterocera (moths).
Muthuvans tribes , 13 endemic butterfly species and rare species
like
Libythea lepita, Pantoporia ranga, Rohana pariasatis,
Zipoetis saintis and Jamides dalecto are found here. Flora
consists of 22 species of trees, 74 species of herbs and shrubs,
16 species of climbers.
⦁ Silent Valley National Park:
The Silent Valley
National Park (SVNP), one of the largest national parks in
Kerala, is located in Nilgiri Hills in Palakkad district, Kerala
(Figure 7). SVNP is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and
also known as Sairandhrivanam. The name Silent Valley came due
to the absence of Cicadas insect, abundant in a tropical forest.
In 1914 Silent Valley area was declared as a reserved forest.
Due to the presence of a large population of the endangered
species
Macaca silenus, Lion-tailed Macaque, was
established as National Park in 1984. SVNP covers an area of
237.52 sq. km of natural rainforest and comes under the Project
Elephant area. 89.47 km
2 is the core zone, and 148 km
2
is a buffer zone. SVNP has two ranges, Silent Valley National
Park Range covering 89.52 sq.km core area & 54 sq. km buffer
area, and Bhavani Range covering 94 sq. km of buffer area. SNVP
lies between latitude 11o 2’ N and 11o 13’ N and longitudes 76o
24’ E and 76o 32’ E. Elevation ranges from 900 m to 2300 m above
MSL. Aginda peak is the highest peak, with an elevation of 2383
m. The soil here is generally loamy with undulating steep
escarpments and many hillocks terrain. The average minimum
temperature is 8 oC to 14 oC is, and the maximum temperature is
23 o C to 29 o C. SVNP is mainly covered with thick woody
vegetation of about 75-80% and about 20% grassland with a mosaic
of rocky patches and water bodies. It serves as an important
catchment area for Kunthipuzha (Bharathapuzha), Bhavani
(Cauvery), Kottapuzha (Chaliyar), and Olipuzha (Kadalundipuzha)
rivers. SVNP has a mosaic of varied habitats. There are about
315 faunal species belonging to Annelida, Arthropoda, Mollusca,
fishes, amphibia, reptilia, and mammals (Zoological Survey of
India), of which 39 species including 15 invertebrates are
endemic. A Large population of Lion Tailed Macaque populations
is confined to tropical wet evergreen forests. The national park
has about 211 bird species, 43 reptiles, 46 amphibians, 12
fishes, 145 butterfly species, 400 species of moth, and
endangered Nilgiri tahr (
Hemitragus hylocrius) in the
higher altitudes. Eleven tribal settlements are situated within
the buffer zone of SVNP. Kattunayakans, Kurumbas, Irulas, and
Mudugas are the tribal groups settled here. Kattunayakans (Kattu
Naiken) are settled in SVNP ranges, and Kurumbas, Irulas, and
Mudugas are in Bhavani Ranges. They are mainly engaged in common
crop cultivation like ragi, mustard, dal maize etc., and
collection of non-timber forest products (NTFP) such as honey,
medicinal plants etc from buffer area.
⦁ Parambikulam Tiger Reserve:
Parambikulam Tiger
Reserve (PkTR) was established in 2010 with 390.89
km
2 core area and 252.77 km
2 buffer area
(Figure 8). 285 km
2 of the area was declared as a
wildlife sanctuary in 1973. PkTR is located in Palakkad district
in Chittur taluk and Thrissur district in Mukundapuram taluk.
PkTR is mainly preserved for its tiger population. It is
adjacent to Eravikulam National Park, Chimmony Wildlife
Sanctuary, & Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, and
Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. PkTR is in Anamalai
and Nelliampathy Hills. PkTR lie in between 10° 20’ – 10° 26’ N
and 76° 35’- 76° 50’ E. Altitude ranges between 300 m and 1438
m. Karimala Gopuram is the highest peak (1438m). Forest forms
catchment to rivers and streams of the sanctuary. Parambikulam,
Sholayar and Thekkady are the major rivers. Parambikulam,
Thunacadavu and Peruvaripallam are the man-made reservoirs in
the sanctuary. Flora and fauna are rich in the reserve. PkTR got
mosaic vegetation of evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist dry etc.
More than 170 species of flora and species such as
Palaquium
ellipticum, Calophyllum polyanthum, Mesua ferrea, Adina
cordifolia, Artocarpus hirsutus, Bombax ceiba or Salmalia
malabarica etc. form the top canopy. Around 28 floral
species are endemic. Some patches of Teak (
Tectona
grandis) can also be found on the lower hills of the
reserve, which were planted during 1921 – 1983. PkTR has a rich
fauna with 39 mammals, 16 amphibians, 268 birds 61 reptiles 47
fishes, 1049 insects and 124 butterflies.
Macaca radiata,
Presbytis johni, Macaca silenus, Panthera tigris, Felis chaus,
Panthera pardus etc. are the major mammals.
Crocodylus
palustris, Melanochelys trijuga, lizards, snakes etc. are
some reptilian species. Dominant fishes are Mahseer, Cutla,
Rogu, Baral, Tilapia etc. Around 103 faunal species are endemic.
413 out of 1049 insect species are still unidentified. 11
settlements are in the buffer zone of PkTR. Muthuvan, Kadar,
Malayan, Malamalsar are the major tribal groups.
⦁ Periyar Tiger Reserve & National Park:
Periyar
Tiger Reserve (PTR) is a repository of endemic flora and fauna
spreading over an area of 925 sq km (Figure 9). In 1978 PTR was
declared as Tiger Reserve, which was a sanctuary since 1950, 305
sq km of the core area is declared as National Park in 1982. PTR
is located in Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of Southern WG
between 9o17'56.04” and 9o37'10.2” N and 76o56'12.12” and
77o25'5.52” E. PTR extends between altitude 1700 m to 1200 m.
Temperature ranges from a minimum of 15oC in December to a
maximum of 31oC during April and May. PTR is the abode of
numerous endemic and threatened species with a great diversity
of flora and fauna. PTR forms 10% of the total forest area in
the State, and consists 41% of flowering plants of Kerala. Of
4801 species, 1985 are flowering plants, 519 species (about 26%)
are endemic to WG, and 149 species are under various threatened
categories. More than 350 species of plants in PTR are listed as
medicinal plants. PTR, which comes under Anamalai Hill Range,
has 94 species which is exclusively endemic to this region and
25 species are endemic to Anamalai Ranges. PTR forms a home to
several endangered faunal like tiger, leopard, elephant, gaur,
sambar, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri langur, Nilgiri tahr,
Nilgiri marten, etc. PTR has 66 species of mammals, of which 7
are endemic to the WG, 323 species of birds (14 are endemic to
WG), 48 species of reptiles (17 are endemic to WG), 29 species
of amphibians (12 are endemic to WG), 45 species of fishes (16
are endemic to WG including 7 endemics to Periyar) and 167
species of butterflies (20 are endemic to WG). Tribal
settlements are found in the buffer region. Malampandaram,
Mannan, Paliyan, Urali, Mala Arayan, Ulladar are the tribal
group in PTR.
⦁ Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary:
Aralam Wildlife
Sanctuary (AWLS) is located in the northern part of Kerala, in
the Kannur district (Figure 10). AWLS falls in between 110 54’ -
11 0 59’ latitude and 750 47’ & 75057’ East. AWLS was declared
as a wildlife sanctuary in 1984 and covered an extent of 55
km
2. The sanctuary receives 4000mm average rainfall,
temperature ranges between 11oC to 40oC, humidity is around 60 –
100% . AWLS falls in the WG and has high biodiversity richness,
economic benefits, cultural values, and a vital watershed. The
Forest of AWLS is contagious adjacent to Brahmagiri Wildlife
Sanctuary in Karnataka and Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary in
Kerala. About 30 endemic floral species and 45 endemic faunal
species are present here. Kurichiar and Paniyar are the tribal
groups in this region.
⦁ Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary:
Chimmony Wildlife
Sanctuary (CmWLS) is situated in Mukundapuram Taluk, Chalakudy
Forest Division of Thrissur district in Kerala State, between
10024’ to 10029’N and 76025’ to 76030’E (Figure 11). It comes in
the Western slopes of the Nelliampathi forest of WG. The park
was established in 1984, with an area of 90 km
2.
CmWLS is contiguous with Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary on East
and Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary in the West, forming a
continuous protected area of 210 km
2. Elevation
ranges from 1126m to 2500m above MSL. The highest point of the
sanctuary lies at the Ponmudi ranges (928m) and Mangattu Komban
(855m). Kurumali River and Mupliam River are the two watersheds
of the park. Across the Chimmony River, there is the Chimmony
Dam. CmWLS is eminent for it rich biodiversity. Park harbors 39
species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 14 species
of amphibians, and 31 species of fish. There are 192 avian
species reported from CmWLS and 5 WG endemic birds are found
here. The grey-headed bulbul (
Pycnonotus priocephalus),
Indian rufous babbler (
Turdoides subrufus),
white-bellied blue-flycatcher (
Cyornis pallipes) etc
are some of the endemic avian species. Some of the other avian
species are Indian edible-nest swiftlet (
Collocalia
unicolor), Malabar trogon (
Harpactes fasciatus),
Malabar whistling-thrush (
Myiophonus horsfieldii) and
Loten's sunbird (
Nectarinia lotenia). Recent studies
reveal the existence of lesser fish eagle (
Ichthyophaga
humilis) in this park, which was known to be found in the
only Himalayas. The park consists Tiger (
Panthera
tigris), Asian elephant (
Elephas maximus) and wild
dog (
Cuon alpinus). The endemic primate species like
lion-tailed macaque (
Macaca silenus), Nilgiri
langur (
Trachypithecus johnii) and slender loris (
Loris
lydekkerianus) which are found in this park make this park
a biodiversity-rich area. The tribal community named Malaya is
settled within the limits of the sanctuary.
⦁ Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary:
Chinnar Wildlife
Sanctuary (CWLS) with a spatial extent of 94 sq km, lies between
10° 15’ to 10° 21’ N 77° 05’ to 77° 16’ E (Figure 12) and is
located in the Eastern (rain shadow) part of WG, in Idukki,
Kerala. CWLS comes under Anamudi Elephant Reserve and is
declared as a sanctuary in 1984. CWLS is adjacent to Eravikulam
National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park, Kurinjimala Wildlife
Sanctuary in Kerala. Mostly consist of grassland, wet grassland,
South WG montane rain forests, and shola forests at high
elevation. At mid-elevation, it consists of dry deciduous forest
and at lower elevations thorny scrub forests. CWLS has
significance for its rich reptilian diversity, thorny shrub
forest, and its rich diversity of medicinal plants. White bison
is present at Manjampatti. Grizzled Giant Squirrel, the large
tree squirrel in the genus
Ratufa found in the hill
forests of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is the flagship species of
CWLS. Geologically, the terrain is undulating with hills of
varying heights of altitude ranging from 400 m at Chinnar to
2372 m at Nandalamala. Varayattumalai (1845 m), Thengamalai
(1422 m), Vellakkalmalai (1883 m), Jambumalai (1395 m),
Aralipara (1494 m), Karumalai, Anakkunnu and Jellimalai are some
of the other major hills in CWLS. Sanctuary also functions as
prominent catchments of an East flowing river, particularly the
immediate catchment of Amaravathi reservoir in Tamil Nadu. CWLS
falls in the rain shadow region and hence has a prolonged
hot/dry season with the lesser rainy days. The plain regions are
hotter, while higher altitudes are cooler. CWLS harbours a
diverse flora and fauna; 34 species of mammals, 245 species of
birds like Yellow Throated Bulbul, 52 species of reptiles, 42
species of fishes, 22 amphibian species, and 156 butterfly
species. Panther, tiger, spotted deer, Indian elephants, gaur,
sambar deer, common langur, tufted grey langur, bonnet macaque,
hanuman langur, threatened species like Nilgiri tahr, vulnerable
species like rusty spotted cats, gizzled giant squirrels etc are
some of the mammalian species from this sanctuary. Among 52
reptilian species, 29 are snakes. It provides a habitat for Star
Tortoise, Marsh Crocodile, and a large population of vulnerable
Mugger Crocodiles. Chinnar and Pambar River contain Garra
mullya minnows, river-carp baril, giant danio, and the
endangered hill stream game fish Deccan mahseer. 101 spider
species have been found recently from this park. Being part of
WG, the region is endowed with the rich floristic diversity of
965 species of flowering plants.
Albizzia lathamii, a
critically endangered tree species, and Marayoor sandalwood are
found in this sanctuary. It is the only protected area in Kerala
with Hill Pulaya tribal community.
⦁ Chulannur Peafowl Sanctuary:
The area was
established as a Sanctuary in 2007 based on the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972 under section 18 (Figure 13) and is
located in the districts of Thrissur and Palakkad. The terrain
is undulating with small hillocks with patches of rocky
outgrowth irregularly, and the average altitude is 120 m.
Sanctuary receives an average rainfall of 2200 mm from both
southwest and northeast monsoon. Deciduous forests in this
sanctuary are habitats for flagship species, Indian Peafowl
(
Pavo cristatus), and Peafowl was declared as National
Bird of India in 1963 (Ranjith and Jose, 2016). The sanctuary
has 79 bird species and 337 tree species (Chulannur Peafowl
Sanctuary Management Plan).
⦁ Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary:
Idukki Wildlife
Sanctuary (IWLS) is a part of Nagarampara Reserve and is spread
across over Thodupuzha and Udumpanchola taluks of Idukki
district, the second-largest district in Kerala (Figure 14). .
The sanctuary is a fragment part of high range forest separated
from the main vegetation area extending between Munnar Hills,
which covers Eravikulam National Parks, Shola National Parks,
Kurinjimala Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar Tiger Reserve and
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. With the undulating terrains
covering with hills, Idukki contains the most naturally
beautiful landscapes of Kerala. IWLS covers a total extent of
105.364 km
2 and is a part of WG and about 33
km
2 consists of water reservoirs. IWLS is a catchment
of the Periyar River. The sanctuary consists of two sections:
(i) Idukki section, part of Nagarampara Range, and (ii)
Kizhukanam Section, part of Ayyappankovil Range. Idukki Hydro
Electric Project is situated in this sanctuary and arch shaped
dam is one of a kind in India and the largest in Asia. The
forest surrounding the reservoir forms the habitat for diverse
living organisms. IWLS is an isolated patch of forest which was
formed due to the fragmentation of forests with the
developmental activities . IWLS is a part of Anamudi Elephant
Reserve and the region has 172 species of aves, 72 species of
butterflies, 55 species of reptiles, 28 species of mammals, 30
fish species, and 28 species of amphibians. There are 429 plant
species belonging to 87 families and 37 species are endemic to
Southern WG. IWLS contains 12 human hill settlements inside the
sanctuary thay depend on sanctuary for firewood, grazing, etc.
(Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary, Management Plan).
⦁ Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary:
Kottiyoor Wildlife
Sanctuary (KWLS), with a spatial extent of 30.38 km
2
was declared as the 23rd sanctuary by the Government of Kerala
in the year 2011 is located in the eastern hilly region of
Kannur district of Kerala State (Figure 15) and is a part of WG
and is an extension of Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kannur
district, Kerala. KWLS is situated in the boundary of Kerala
state and is adjacent to Bandipur National Park, a Tiger Reserve
in Karnataka (www.forest.kerala.gov.in/).
⦁ Kurinjimala Wildlife Sanctuary:
Kurinjimala
Wildlife Sanctuary (KmWLS) located in eastern slope Vattavada
village in Devikulam Taluk, Idukki district and shares boundary
with Tamilnadu in Kodaikanal. KmWLS (Figure 16) is surrounded by
protected areas on four directions, i.e., Chinnar Wildlife
Sanctuary on the north, Manjappetty National Park on the
north-west, Pampadum Shola National Park to the south, Palani
Hill National Park on the East. Sanctuary covers an area of
about 30 km
2 in the Southern WG and was established
in October 2006 for conservation of Neelakurinji (
Strobilanthus
kunthianus) an endangered species found in the Shola forest
the WG above 1800 m. The beauty of this shrubby plant is that it
flowers once in 12 years, turning the entire valley bluish. The
name Nilgiri Hills came due to this bluish flower and the name
‘Nilgiri Hills’ literally means the Blue Mountains. Around 250
various species of this plant are present across the globe, of
which at least 46 are found in India. Flowering time varies from
an annual to 16-year blooming cycle for each species. KmWLS is
also an abode to species like elephant, gaur, Nilgiri tahr deer,
tiger, leopard, etc. (Kurinjimala Sanctuary Management Plan).
⦁ Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary:
Malabar Wildlife
Sanctuary spreads over the WG, covering an area of about 74.215
km
2located in Chakkittappara and Koorachundu revenue
villages of Quilandy Taluk between 11075’ and 110 76 ‘North and
between 760 20’ and 750 38’ East (Figure 17). It. Sanctuary is a
part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and also Wayanad Elephant
Reserve. The forest serves as a catchment to the nearby
water-bodies like Kuttiady River, the largest river in Kozhikode
district. Onipuzha, Alerimuzhi thodu or Alampara thodu,
Kadantharapuzha, Muthuveedu puzha are the drains that join to
Kuttiady River. Temperature varies from 160C to 380C, February
being the coolest and April being the warmest month, and
humidity ranges from 60 to 100%. MWLS receives both southwest
and northeast monsoons. The monsoon starts from June and stays
up to November. December to March generally is the dry month.
Sanctuary consists of a diverse variety of vegetation types,
namely, West-coast Tropical Evergreen, West-coast
Semi-evergreen, Southern Moist Mixed Deciduous, Southern
Hill-top Evergreen Forests, Grasslands, and Marshy grasslands
(Vayals). There are 680 species of flowering plants, including
226 species endemic to southern WG (about 30%) and 69 species
are under the threatened category. Some of the species present
include species that are treated as extinct like
Meteoromyrtus
wynaadensis, Syzygium stocksii, Eugenia argentea, Syzygium
floccosum, Atuna indica, Coffea crassifolia, Garcinia
malabarica, Humboldtia brunonis var. rakthapushpa. Atuna indica,
Eugenia argentea and Humboldtia brunonis var. rakthapushpa
are found only in this sanctuary. It has rich medicinal plants
with over 200 species, and there are 50 ferns, including 3 tree
ferns. There are 41 species of mammals, 179 species of birds, 36
species of reptiles, 38 species of amphibians, 52 species of
fishes, 143 butterfly species and 51 dragonfly species. Among
these, 6 mammalian species, 8 reptilian species, 26 species of
amphibians, 21 fish species, 8 butterfly species and 11
dragonfly species are endemic to WG. Of the total bird species,
5 are globally threatened species, 6 are range-restricted, and
10 are endemic.
Philautus ponmudi, P. anili, P.
tuberohumerus, P. neurostegona, P. ochlandrae, P. akroparallagi
and P. chromasynhysi are the new species of amphibians
reported recently. The endangered fish species Tor khudree
(Mahseer) are present in Kakkayam hill streams
(forest.kerala.gov.in).
⦁ Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary:
Neyyar Wildlife
Sanctuary (NWLS) is located between 8017’ and 8053’N and 76040’
and 77017’E in Trivandrum district, Kerala state (Figure 18),
covering about 128 km
2 in the southern corner of WG,
and part of Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve. In 1971 the spatial
extent of the sanctuary was widened with the inclusion of Neyyar
Reservoir. It is one of the two sanctuaries which are under
Thiruvanathapuram Wildlife Division, Kerala. Peppara Wildlife
Sanctuary and Agasthyavanam Biological Park is also under the
control of Thiruvanathapuram Wildlife Division. Agasthyavanam
having an area of 23 km
2 area is sandwiched between
the two Wildlife Sanctuaries in Thiruvanathapuram. Sanctuary
lies within the catchment area of Neyyar River, which originates
from the highest peak in the Sanctuary, Agasthyarkoodam (1868
m). NWLS receives both southwest and northeast monsoon with an
average rainfall of 2800 mm and a mean temperature of 16 0C to
35 0C. The sanctuary is divided into three zones; Core Zone,
Buffer Zone and Eco-tourism Zone. Ananirathi, Venkulamedu,
Pulivizhunthanchuna, Varayattumudi, Meenmutty, Theerthakkara,
Kaduvappara, Athirumala regions come under the core zone of the
sanctuary, which is about 68 km
2 or 60% of the total
area. In the buffer area, there are human settlements and is
extended up to 40 km
2 in the western part of the
sanctuary. Areas of Valliyar, Mullayar, Utharamkayam etc. are
part of this zone. About 20 km
2 areas near the water
reservoir and nearby forest land are treated as eco-tourism zone
(Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan (2012 - 13 to 2021 -
22). The sanctuary has rich diversity of flora and fauna with
1000 species of flowering plants, in which nearly 12% are
endemic to the region and many are threatened species. Almost
125 species of orchid are also reported from here. ‘Arogyapacha’
(
Trichopus zeylanicus) with anti-fatigue property is
reported from this region. Fauna consists of 43 species of
mammals, 217 species of birds, 46 species of reptiles, 13
species of amphibians, 27 species of fishes, 109 species of
butterflies. Lion Tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Langur, and Nilgiri
Tahr which are the WG endemic species of this region. Neyyar is
famous for Crocodile Park (42 Mugger Crocodiles and Research
Centre named Agasthya Crocodile Park and Research Centre was
established in May 2007. There is also a deer rehabilitation
center (Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan (2012 - 13 to
2021 -22) and 18 tribal settlements inside the sanctuary at
Ayyavilakam, thenmala, chakkappara, vlavetty, kaippamplavila
etc. (circle.forest.gov.in).
⦁ Peechi –Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary:
Peechi-Vazhani
Wildlife Sanctuary (PVWLS) is located at 760 15’-760 27’E, and
10030’-10042’ N (Figure 19), covering about 125 km
2,
Peechi, Thrissur district, of Kerala, India, and the sanctuary
was established in 1958. It consists of Palapilli – Neliyampathi
forest ranges and Peechi Dam. PVWLS forms a continuous forest
with Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary on the east and Palakkad Forest
Division on the north. The terrain is undulating, and altitude
ranges from 100 to 914 m above sea level. The area has a warm,
humid climate. Temperature varies from 200C - 350C. Humidity is
mostly more than 55% and reaches 100% during monsoon. The
average rainfall is between 2000 – 4000 mm from both southwest
and northeast monsoon (Mathew et.al., 2005). Vegetation includes
evergreen forest, semi-evergreen forest, and deciduous forest.
Some of the common species are
Xylia xylocarpa, Terminalia
bellerica, Terminalia tomentosa, Garuga pinnata, Cinnamum spp.
Bridelia retusa, Grewia tiliaefolia, Haldina cordifolia
etc. The lower canopy species like Ixora spp., Lantana camara
and Clerodendrum spp. are found as undergrowth. Also, the Forest
Department has converted a noticeable portion of the forest into
teak and eucalyptus. Major animals include tiger, elephant,
gaur, sambar, beer etc. (Mathew, et al.,2005).
⦁ Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary:
Peppara Wildlife
Sanctuary (PWLS) with a spatial extent 53 km
2 is
located at 80 34' and 80 41'N and 770 6' and 770 14' E (Figure
20)in Nedumangad Taluk of Thiruvanathapuram District, Kerala and
was declared as a national park in 1983. It lies in between.
Previously the area was part of the Paruthippally Range of
Thiruvanathapuram Forest Division. Peppara Dam (5.82
km
2 water spread area) is within the sanctuary. The
dam was built to fulfill the water requirement of
Thiruvanathapuram city and suburban areas. Sanctuary is
surrounded by Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary in the southeast,
Agasthyavanam Biological Park in the West and Paruthipally
River, on the eastern side is the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger
Reserve of Tamilnadu (circle.forest.gov.in). PWLS has mainly 2
zones; Core and buffer zone. Core zone with restrictions of
human interference is located on the eastern side of the
sanctuary extending to 30 km
2 i.e. about 60% of the
total area of the sanctuary. Chemmunjimottai, Koviltherimalai,
Athirumala, Nachiyarmottai, Kannan kunnu, Kadirumudimalai etc.
The buffer zone is on the western side of PWLS, covering about
23 km
2 area, which is about 40% of the park's total
area. There is a tourist zone which is merged with the buffer
zone. The undulating terrain ranges from 100m to 1717 m (the
third highest peak Chummunjimotta). Vast populations of wild
gaurs are present in Pandipath, which is a plateau region,
located between Peppara and Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
of Tamilnadu (Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan).
Peppara is rich in floral and faunal biodiversity forms a part
of the Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve in the WG. The region
consists of vegetation of West coast tropical evergreen forest,
Southern hilltop tropical evergreen forest, West Coast
semi-evergreen forest, Southern moist mixed deciduous forest,
Myristica swamp forest, Sub-montane hill valley swamp forest,
and Riparian forests, etc. Common tree species are
Terminalia
paniculata, T. bellerica, Pterocarpus marsupium, Palaquium
ellipticum, Mesua ferrea, Hopea parviflora, Bombax ceiba,
Syzygium cumini, Lagerstroemia microcarpa, Albizia procera,
Alstonia scholaris, etc. The Southern moist mixed deciduous
forest forms the major vegetation in PWLS. The sanctuary is one
among the seven Medicinal Plant Conservation Area (MPCA) in
Kerala (circle.forest.gov.in) as the region has diverse and vast
varieties of medicinal plants (in 173 ha). PWLS consists 43
species of mammals, 233 species of birds, 46 species of
reptiles, 13 species of amphibians, 27 species of fishes, 97
species of butterflies. Major mammals include Tiger, Leopard,
Sloth Bear, Elephant, Sambar deer, Gaur, etc. WG endemic species
like Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri Langur and Nilgiri Marten
increases the faunistic richness of this sanctuary. Filament
barb, Tilopia, Silver fish, Cat fish, Eel etc. are the fish
variety present here. 13 tribal settlements (Chemmankala,
Vlavil, Podiyakala, Mukkothivayal, etc.) are established inside
the sanctuary (Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary Management Plan).
⦁ Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary:
Shendurney Wildlife
Sanctuary (ShWLS), with an area of 171 km
2, is
located at 8044’ - 9014’ N and 76059’ - 77016’E (Figure 21), in
Pathanapuram Taluk of Kollam District, Kerala State under
Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve and was established in 1984.
ShWLS got its name from a tree which is locally called
“Chenkurinji”,
Gluta travancorica an endemic tree. The
area is under the administration of Thenmala Forest Division
before it was under Thiruvananthapuram Wildlife Division.
Sanctuary is encompassed by reserve forest of Thenmala,
Thiruvanathapuram, Punalur Forest Divisions, and Thirunelveli
Forest Division of Tamilnadu on all four sides. Thenmala Dam is
covered by the forest of ShWLS. Sanctuary is demarcated into
three zones core, buffer, and tourism. The core zone is strictly
prohibited from human interference and covers an area around
75.5 km
2 which is around 44% of the total sanctuary
area. Pandimotta, Alwarkurichi, Umayar, Aruliyar, Narathar,
Dharbhakulam etc. areas come under core zone. The buffer zone is
between the core and tourism zone, with an area of 47.13 km
2
which is about 27.6%. The tourism zone consists of 48.35 km
2,
about 28.20% of the total sanctuary. This zone consists of the
west coast semi-evergreen forest, reed brakes, southern
secondary moist mixed deciduous forests, small patches of
grasslands, and a major reservoir. Tropical evergreen and
semi-evergreen forest cover is the major forest type and endemic
species are
Gluta travancorica, Cynometra bourdilonii and
Palaquium bourdilonii. The sanctuary consists of endemic
species such as Lion Tailed Macaque, Nilgiri langur, Slender
loris, Nilgiri Marten, etc., and threatened taxa,tiger and
elephant (Management Plan f Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary
2012-13 to 2021-2022).
⦁ Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary:
Thattekkad Bird
Sanctuary falls between 1007’ – 1100’N and 76040’ - 76045’ E
(Figure 22) and is located in Kothamanglam Taluk, Ernakulam
District in Kerala State. It was established in 1983 with an
area of 25.16 km
2 in the northern bank of the Periyar
River. Sanctuary is surrounded by Kuttampuzha and Neriyamangalam
Ranges and the two rivers namely the Periyar and the Edamalaya.
Dr. Salim Ali reported 167 bird species (16 species endemic)in
1933. Recent studies show that there are 284 species. Great
Eared Nightjar (
Eurostopodus macrotis bourdilloni) has
been spotted in this sanctuary which is recorded from Tamilnadu
only. More than birds, there are 222 species of butterflies (15
endemic to the WG), 52 species of fish of which 23 are endemic
to the WG (i.e., around 50%) and 4 endemic to Kerala, 39 species
of Mammals of which 2 endemic to WG, 34 species of reptiles, 17
amphibian species (11 endemic to WG). It is an abode to rare
species like Three Toed Forest Kingfisher, Ceylon Frogmouth,
Crimson Throated Barbet, Bee Eater, Sunbird, Shrike, Fairy Blue
Bird, Grey Headed Fishing Eagle, Black Winged Kite, Night Heron,
Grey Heron, Malabar Trogon, Shama and Malabar Grey Hornbill. 728
floral species belonging to 109 families are reported from here,
of which 125 are endemic to Southern WG and 4 found only in
Kerala (Management Plan Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary 2012-2013 to
2021-2022).
⦁ Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary:
Wayanad came from two
local words – ‘Vayal’ means ‘swamp’ and ‘Nadu’ means ‘place’.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWLS), with a spatial extent of
344.44 km
2 comprises of two discontinuous forest
patches of 77.67 km
2 (WS-I) and 266.77 km
2
(WS-II). WS-I located in Mananthavady Taluk of Wayanad District
lies between the geographical extremes 11050’ – 11059’N & 76002
– 7607’E (Figure 23). WS-II falls between 11035’N – 11049’N &
76013’E – 76027’E (Figure 4.22) and is located in the Sulthan
Bathery Taluk of Wayanad District. . WWLS was declared as a
sanctuary in 1973, a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and a
vital component of the Elephant Reserve of South India. It is
administered by Wayanad Wildlife Division. The sanctuary is part
of the Wayanad Plateau (3000 km
2), consisting of
three biologically distinct regions–the main WG Mountains, the
Nilgiri Hills, and the Deccan Plateau. Plateau is confined to
most of its Kerala area and shares with Karnataka and Tamilnadu.
The Plateau rises steeply from the coastal plain of Kerala and
moves eastward, merging with the Deccan Plateau. The plateau is
a contiguous network of protected areas in Karnataka (Nagarhole
and Bandipur Tiger Reserve) on the eastern side and Tamilnadu
(Mudumalai Tiger Reserve) on the northern side. These four
protected areas form a contiguous stretch of forest having an
area of 2184 km
2. The sanctuary has been delineated
with two zones mainly for management purposes – Core Zone of 111
km
2 area along the interstate forest boundaries and
is free from human interference, 233 km
2 of buffer
area and tourism zone. WWLS has 45 species of mammals (2 species
are endemic and 9 are threatened species), 227 species of birds
(6 are endemic species and 6 threatened species), 50 species of
reptiles, 35 species of amphibians (8 are endemic species), 80
species of fishes which haves 49 endemic species and 16
threatened species) and 143 butterflies. The sanctuary also has
four-horned Antelope and the World’s largest population of
Asiatic Elephants. Red-headed and white-backed vultures, once
common in Kerala are now restricted to Wayanad Plateau. Forest
serves as catchments for the tributaries of Kabani River.
Nagarhole-Bandipur Mudumalai-Wayanad forest patch serves as an
important habitat for the tiger. Human settlements are found in
Tholpetty Range, Kurichiar Range, Sulthan Bathery Range,
Muthanga Range.
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