GPS survey for elephant sanctuary in Idukki

Giji K Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, 14 May 2019

The Forest Department has completed the Global Positioning System (GPS) survey for setting up the first elephant sanctuary in the State. The survey has covered the Anayirangal and Chinnakanal areas in the Munnar region.
The region has witnessed man-animal conflicts claiming over 30 lives since 2010. The number 301 colony of tribespeople in Chinnakanal, where a farmer was killed by wild elephants on Sunday, will also form part of the sanctuary.
The Chief Wildlife Warden had earlier sought a detailed project report from Munnar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) on the proposed sanctuary and the wild jumbo related issues in Chinnakanal and Anayirangal.
Over 6 sq km (600 ha) area will form part of the proposed sanctuary covering the areas of Number 301 Colony, Enpathekkar and another Scheduled Tribe Colony, a Forest Department official told The Hindu on Monday.
About 386 ha of land leased out to the Hindustan Newsprint Ltd. by the Forest Department and another 290 ha of forest land would be used for the sanctuary, he said.

Reasons

Habitat disturbance and human intrusion were stated to be the reasons for wild animals entering the residential areas.
When the number 301 Colony was created in 2003 to house the landless tribespeople, there was criticism that it was done without considering the report of the Forest Department which had said that the area formed part of an elephant corridor.
The main areas that came under frequent wild elephants’ attacks were in Anayirangal, Munnar, Chinnakanal, Sinkukandam and number 301 colony.
The Forest Department has estimated that 38 wild elephants are stranded in the area and some of them are causing loss to human life and property.

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Bat survey in Kerala discovers seven new species

Giji K. Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, May 10 2019

A bat survey conducted in the Munnar Wildlife Division has found seven new species for the first time.
The survey, conducted in two phases in the protected area in April, could spot 20 species belonging to six families including 11 species in general categories. These include 17 insectivorous bats and three fruit bats.
Hipposideros galeritus (Cantor's Leaf-nosed bat), Hipposideros pomona (Anderson's Leaf-nosed bat), Myotis peytoni (Peyton's Whiskered Myotis) and Harpiocephalus harpia (Lesser Hairy-winged bat) were some of the rare bats identified during the survey.
The survey was conducted using advanced bat monitoring and detecting devices, besides traditional methods. Insectivorous bats were identified based on their unique echolocation calls. The devices were installed in various locations inside the Eravikulam, Mathikettan Shola, Anamudi Shola, Pampadum Shola national parks and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
The survey also highlighted the need for long-term monitoring of bats to understand the impact of climate and vegetation changes on bats and other wildlife in Munnar landscape, said Munnar Wildlife Warden R. Lakshmi. This was the first bat survey in Munnar and it underscored the need for protection of the biodiversity, she said.
M.K. Sameer, P.M. Prabhu and S. Sandeep, the assistant wildlife wardens of the Shola, Chinnar and Eravikulam National Parks respectively, supported the survey.
According to Sreehari Raman, who headed the survey team, climate change has been named one of the greatest long-term threats to most species globally. To understand the current status of species that have a restricted distributional range in the mid-high elevation areas of the Western Ghats, regions such as Munnar have to be studied for the long-term conservation of bats and other wild fauna, he said.
Salish Menachery, Rajan Pilakandi, Rajeeve Balakrishnan and Swetha also participated in the survey.

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Fire ravages Kurinji sanctuary, Pampadum Shola

Giji K Raman, Idukki

The Hindu, April 2 2019

The wildfires that started at Anchunadu and Vattavada four days ago reached the proposed Kurinji sanctuary and Pampadum Shola National Park on Tuesday, causing large-scale destruction.
Sources in the Forest Department said large plantations of grantis and eucalyptus were destroyed in the fires and if an emergency intervention was not made, it would engulf the entire Pampadum Shola National Park and the proposed Kurinji sanctuary.
According to an official of the Munnar forest division, a team of over 250 members comprising local people and staff of the Forest Department were working hard to douse the fire.

In all directions

He said the fires were spreading at different directions, making the counter-measures ineffective. They created a firewall by felling trees, but that too proved ineffective as the fires spread to large areas in different directions, he said.
Though official estimates said that only 100 acres of land was destroyed in the fires, unofficial estimates said that over 500 acres of forestland was destroyed.
The wildfire engulfed the areas of Kadavari and 65th block (Kurinji Sanctuary), Pampadum Shola and Vattavada on Tuesday.
A Forest Department official said that the fires were man-made and were done in the Kurinji sanctuary with ulterior motives. Last year also, wildfires were reported inside the sanctuary prior to the blossoming of neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana).
It was done by the land mafia so as to avoid the inclusion of the area in the proposed Kurinji sanctuary, he said adding the fires would destroy neelakurinji seeds.

Heritage site

The Pampadum Shola is a protected biodiversity spot and is known for its unique flora and fauna.
The Western Ghats Anamalai sub-cluster, including the park, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as world heritage site.
Unless an immediate intervention was made, there was a threat of the fire destroying the flora and fauna of the Pampadum Shola.
The shola had completely dried-up areas of grasslands, the official added.

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Grizzled giant squirrel scores a century in Chinnar sanctuary

Giji K. Raman, Idukki

The Hindu, March 11, 2019 

 

The number of Grizzled giant squirrel has crossed one hundred in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, its only natural habitat in the State.
The latest survey conducted from February 12 to 14 recorded the direct presence of 76 Grizzled giant squirrel and including those indirectly noticed using scientific methods, its number has crossed one hundred.
Assistant Wildlife Warden P.M. Prabhu told The Hindu on Friday that the rise in number of Grizzled giant squirrel in the sanctuary was significant as the presence of the tree squirrel in the country was around 500.
Other habitats
Its presence is also noticed in the Srivilliputhur Wildlife Sanctuary under the Theni forest division in Tamil Nadu, Thiruvannamalai division, Anamala Tiger Reserve, Hosur forest division and the Kaveri Wildlife Sanctuary. Elsewhere, Grizzled giant squirrel, known by the scientific name Ratufa macroura, is mainly confined to the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka.
The Chinnar sanctuary is known as its natural habitat, providing unique features for its breeding and growing. Its habitat is mainly spread on the banks of the Chinnar and Pampar riverine and along the streams joining the rivers. The largest concentration is reported near the riverine of Chinnar.
Its presence is seen mainly on Arjun tree, Indian almond, Palamaram ( Alstonia scholaris ), Java plum tree, Pongame oil tree and tamarind which are largely distributed along the riverine.
The survey was conducted in Chinnar, Champakad, Chunkam, Alampatty-Thoovanam, Vazhathura, and Karimutty as different blocks and in 21 transectlines based on riverbanks, streams and waterlogged areas.
Last year’s figure
In the survey held last year, the direct presence of only 68 Grizzled giant squirrel was noticed and there were apprehensions whether the number was on the decline in the sanctuary.
Grizzled giant squirrel is smaller compared to the common Malabar giant squirrel.

 

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Jackal spotted for the first time in PTR

Giji K. Raman, IDUKKI
The Hindu, January 17, 2019

The presence of a jackal was reported for the first time in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) recently. Patric David, a researcher at the Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation (PTCF), noticed the animal near a penstock pipe carrying water from the Mullaperiyar dam to Tamil Nadu on January 9. It was later photographed by naturalist Rajkumar. After scrutiny of the photograph and the descriptions of its behaviour, it was confirmed by wildlife experts P.S. Easa and Vivek Menon as the golden jackal. It is believed that the animal might have entered the forest from the eastern side of the Western Ghats.

Usual habitat

Mr. Easa who has been conducting animal research at the PTR from 1990, said this was the first sighting of jackal (Canis aureus) in the area.
The photograph is the first evidence of its presence. Jackals are mostly found in open areas with thorny shrubs. Researchers at the PTR said that the animal might have either entered the PTR in search of the remains of carnivorous animals such as tiger or leopard or reached the area after being separated from its group.
Compared to the eastern side of the Western Ghats, which is in the rain shadow area, the PTR is green and has fewer geographical features preferred by the Canis aureus species. It is notified as an animal in the category of ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. Native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia and South Asia, its presence is widespread in areas where food is abundant. It is also seen in groups near tributaries or lakes and is rarely found in foothills and low mountains.

Tribes’ version

However, a tribal leader at Mannakudy settlement near PTR said their ancestors had seen jackals scavenging from burial sites. As jackals mostly move during night, their presence is not easily noticed. An official at the PTR said there were no records yet of the presence of jackal in the area.

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Cold spell worries for Eravikulam park

Giji K. Raman, Idukki
The Hindu, January, 13, 2019 

The cold wave that began on January 1 has not only affected tea plantations in Munnar but also the grasslands of the Eravikulam National Park (ENP), the natural habitat of the Nilgiri tahr.
The upper reaches of Munnar have been experiencing temperatures below 00 C since the start of the month, which is unusual, and mercury dropped to -40 C after a decade in the region. Munnar Wildlife Warden Lakshmi R. told The Hindu on Saturday that vast areas of grasslands in the ENP had dried up.
She said it was a matter of concern as the area would turn fire-prone well before the drought season. She said Pampadumchola was experiencing sub-zero temperature continuously and mercury dropped to -40 C there.

Widespread damage

“Normally, temperature will rise after one or two days and the damage to the flora will be limited. However, this time the damage is widespread,” she said adding a field study would be conducted to analyse the effect of climate change in the region. Rajamala, one of the main areas where neelakurinji blossomed last year after 12 years, was inside the ENP. The August floods had damaged buds and flowers and its effect would also be studied, she added.
The germination period of neelakurinji had just started and it was being analysed to learn the effect of the floods on the flora. The changes in climate conditions were clearly evident in the Western Ghats as its eastern side formed part of rain shadow areas.
Ms. Lakshmi said controlled burning had already been done on 600 hectares of grasslands and new tender grass appeared with the winter season. It might not immediately cause any shortage of fodder for the fauna, including the Nilgiri tahr, she said. However, a drought situation much before the advent of the summer season raised concerns of wildfires. If the situation continued, fodder could be in short supply too, she added.
The changes in the climatic conditions and its effect on the flora and fauna would be studied and recorded for management purposes, she added.

 

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