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Colourful carpets

The undulating terrain of Eravikulam is marked by rolling grasslands, hillocks and shola forests. It is dominated by a stunning range of balsams and orchids. The region is also one of the best places to catch the neelakurinji in all its glory. A plant endemic to the Western Ghats the neelakurinji blooms once every 12 years to cover the region in carpets of a purplish blue pink colour. The most recent blooming of this flower happened here in 2018. Considered one of the rarest flowers due to its limited flowering window, the neelakurinji is said to have neither any fragrance nor medicinal value.

Bloom in doom?

Scientifically called Strobilanthes kunthianus, the neelakurinji was first documented in 1838, and has bloomed as many as 16 times since. They were once abundant. But now, just like the Nilgiri tahr, they have disappeared from much of their earlier range on the Western Ghats. At the heart of this problem is loss of habitat. Hilly grasslands are the homes of these plants. But according to the National Geographic "plantations of eucalyptus and acacia. Agriculture, and most recently, tourism have "stripped the grasslands in which kurinji grows. A study from 2018 "looked at satellite imagery in one part of the Western Ghats from the past 40 years and found that grasslands shrank 66 percent. It also showed that as grasslands decreased so did timber plantations increase.

With global warming and climate change already altering or destroying habitats and their inhabitants, additional human-induced destruction, deforestation and development activities around ecologically fragile and significant areas only add to existing problems.

Located in the Idukki district of Kerala and covering an area of nearly 100 sq.km., the Eravikulam National Park got its status in 1978 for its ecological faunal, geomorphological and zoological significance". Overlooking the Park is Anamudi, one of south India's highest peaks. Interspersed with grasslands and sholas, the region receives ample rainfall during the monsoons, making it an ideal habitat for wildlife. The Park is also synonymous with the endangered Nilgiri tahr and the blooming of the neelakurinji.

Bad news

Though the State animal of Tamil Nadu, the largest population of Nilgiri tahr is now found in neighbouring State Kerala's Eravikulam National Park. While these ungulates were once spread across several regions of the Western Ghats, today they are found only in a few fragmented areas of these two States. And there's more bad news for this population climate change. A study in 2018 analysed as many as 10 tahr habitats and different climate scenarios for three time periods - 2030s, 2050s and 2080s. The peer reviewed study published in the journal "Ecological Engineering" conducted there would be a drastic loss of tahr habitat in all three scenarios - a maximum of more than 60% in each time period. While population in areas such as Eravikulam may not face great threats, the concerns are more for the smaller and isolated populations in other areas.

...and some good news!

As the nation was braving the COVID-induced lockdown in April, there was some encouraging news coming in from Eravikulam. A survey held by the Forest Department that month showed that the number of Nilgiri tahr in the region had increased by 155 - newborns! With that the total count of the ungulates stood at 723. Around the same time last year, the numbers were 526 (with 91 newborns). Newspaper reports attribute the increase in newborns to the decline in human interference in forest areas". It's the mating season for the stars now, and with no human interference still the numbers of newborns are expected to go up in the next season too.

 

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Part of Project Tiger, both Pench and Kanha are national parks located in Madhya Pradesh. Apart of Pench extends into neighbouring Maharashtra. Together they span over 2,500 sq.km., dominated by moist peninsular sal forests, tropical moist mixed deciduous mixed forest, an abundance of bamboo and trees such as teak and jamun, and green carpets of grassy patches and shrub. The combined regions teem with wildlife – they are a haven for over 1,000 species of plants, animals, and at least 300 species of resident and migrant birds.

Wildlife

A large number of bird species, including ducks, geese, shelducks, pochards, quails, grebes, nightjars, swifts, crakes, storks, herons, ibises, thickknees, plovers, lapwings, jacanas, sandpipers, redshanks, buttonquails, vultures, buzzards, harriers, hornbills, falcons, parakeets, minivets, orioles, cuckooshrikes, pipits, wagtails, buntings, prinias, nuthatches, starlings, flycatchers, thrushes, and wheatears, can be spotted here. Apart from their impressive population of tigers, the regions also nurture leopards, barasingha, mouse deer, barking deer, chital, sambar, bear, black buck, blue bull, chousingha (four-horned antelope), langur, etc.

Kanha: Room for improvement

Considered one of the better managed national parks, Kanha does have a lot of room for improvement. According to a study by the Indian Institute of Forest Management in 2019, one of the areas that need attention is the inadequate number of guards at night, as it opens up potential for poaching. In addition, there appears to be a need for wider and higher use of technology in monitoring the forest areas of the park. It is also said that some regions of the park lack proper fencing, which again unwittingly aids in poaching. It is noted for its work on tigers and the swamp deer species called barasingha. However, there are a lot of other species too that call the forests their home. The study says that other vulnerable species such as black buck and mouse deer need more attention too, and this can be done since the park has the means to do it. Finally, since there are a lot of villagers surrounding the park, human-animal conflicts do occur. Efforts must be taken to resolve this, though usually villagers seem kinder to carnivores attacking their livestock than to herbivores destroying their crops.

Pench: The problem of plenty

In Pench, the very forests that inspired the classic “Jungle Book”, the good news is the bad news. A few years ago, there were reports that pointed to an increase in the tiger population at Pench. While this was heartening news, it also meant that the exact same area (or even less!) will be shared by more number of tigers, animals known for their territorial integrity. This is a problem because the Pench forests are not contiguous with its neighbouring region Kanha where the tigers could move into. In the face of severe space crunch, animals could end up killing each other in territorial fights, stray into human habitation leading to human-animal conflict or the animal could fall into the hands of poachers. Also, the management of Pench is complicated by the fact that it is spread across two States. Each State is said to be functioning differently, though it is just one contiguous forest. Remember, humans create boundaries, not Nature? For instance, when issues such as poaching or human-animal conflict come up, the system to resolve these could be complex due to the issue of boundary and State-based action.

 

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The region which is now Blackbuck National Park once belonged to the Maharaja of Bhavnagar; it was his hunting ground where he hunted down blackbucks with his famous hunting cheetahs. The place had a grassland ecosystem that supported herds of blackbucks and antelopes. This region was later made a national park.

Blackbuck National Park is famous for its success stories of conservation of the blackbuck, wolf and lesser florican. The lesser florican is an endangered species endemic to India. Today, the largest population of lesser floricans resides in this Park. The population of wolf and triped hyena is also increasing.

Among birds, sandgrouse and larks are seen in fair numbers. The harrier roast found at the park is one of the largest in the world.

 

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Keoladeo National Park famous around the world for its bird life, both resident and migratory. During winter, large flocks of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia migrate for nesting including the Siberian crane. Over 230 species of birds are known to be the Park’s residents. This region was earlier known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.

Keoladeo is a man-made and man-managed wetland. It is one of the richest bird areas in the world. The Park used to be a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Bharatpur, a tradition dating back to 1850. Duck shoots were organized yearly in honour of the British viceroys back then. Though the Maharajah retained shooting rights until 1972, the last big shoot happened in 1964. The area was designated as a bird sanctuary on 13 March, 1976 and was later declared as a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

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Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park was created on 24 May, 1983 under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. It aimed at protecting marine life such as corals and nesting sea turtles that are common in this area.

Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is located in Wandoor in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and is made up of 17 islands and the open sea creeks running through the area. There are 2 major island groups in the park; the Labyrinth Islands and the Twin Islands. Twin Islands is an important area of sea turtles. The islands belong to the Rutland Archipelago and are located between Rutland Island and South Andaman Island.

Some of the islands in the Park are more isolated or protected from the effects of weather in the Bay of Bengal. Tarmugli is the largest island in the Park; it is covered with thick mangrove vegetation, sand covered beaches and sheet rocks.

 

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Filled with vast stretches of equatorial forest and grasslands, Intanki is one of the finest wildlife protected areas of Nagaland. It became a national park in 1993.

The thick rain forests in the Park offer a perfect habitat for all types of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects. Intanki is full of animals like Hoolock gibbon, golden langur, palm civets, tiger, black stork, sloth bear, wild dogs, flying squirrel, monitor lizard, and python.

It also has a large bird population; the birdlife here ranges from pheasants to hornbills and white-breasted kingfishers.

Intanki is also known as Ntangki National Park. The name Ntangki is derived from the Zeme dialect of the Zeliangrong tribe.

 

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In spite of their name, clouded leopards are not actually leopards. They are small version of the big car family, noted for their commendable ability to climb trees and jump to amazing heights. The dark blotchy patches with a unique pattern on its skin distinguish the clouded leopard from others in the cat family. Clouded Leopard National Park in Tripura is famous for its captive clouded leopard enclosures. Clouded leopards are also found in other national parks in the north-east.

Clouded Leopard National Park is a woodland with an artificial lake. It is a part of Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary. The spectacled langur, an endemic species of Tripura is abundant here. Other mammals like leopard, jungle fowl, barking deer and wild pigs are also found in the Park.

 

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Located near the Nilgiri Hills, Mudumalai National Park protects a range of plant and animal life including the Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, gaur, Indian leopard, and the critically endangered Indian white-rumped vulture and long-billed vulture.

Mudumalai is divided into five ranges- Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota. The Park borders Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. Just like Bandipur, Mudumalai too lies between the Mysore-Ooty road, flooded with tourist traffic. There is a night travel ban here too in order to safeguard the elephant corridor.

The extensive growth of invasive species, such as lantana poses a threat to the fauna of Mudumalai; this hinders the natural regeneration process of the forests.

 

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Mangrove forests criss-crossed with numerous creeks and mud flats where the salt water crocodiles and turtles move around freely is unique to Bhitarkanika National Park. In fact, Bhitarkanika is one of the largest mangrove eco systems in India.

Bhitarkanika harbours the largest number of saltwater crocodiles population in the Indian sub-continent. It has a special position in the turtle map of the world; Bhitarkanika is one of the world’s largest nesting and breeding grounds of Olive Ridley sea turtles. It is a haven of migratory birds as well.

Bhitarkanika is a cat paradise; it shelters healthy populations of leopard cats, fishing cats and jungle cats. Apart from the cats, it is also home to porcupine, dolphin, salt water crocodile, python, king cobra, water monitor lizards, terrapin and marine turtle.

 

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Tadoba is characterized by dry deciduous forests. Every year, forest fires affect this region, burning down somewhere between 2 per cent and 16 per cent of the Park. Tadoba is the oldest and largest national park in Maharashtra. The name of the Park is derived from the name of a tribal God ‘Tadoba’ or ‘Taru’.

The Tadoba National Park is divided into three separate forest ranges- Tadoba north range, Kolsa south range, and Morhurli range. Teak is the most prominent tree species in the Park. Ain, bija, dhauda, hald, salai, semal, tendu, beheda, Mahua madhuca, bamboo and black plum are the other common trees found in the Park.

The animals of Tadoba include tigers, Indian leopards, sloth bears, gaur, nilagi, striped hyena, small Indian civet, sambar, spotted deer and barking deer.

 

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Khangchendzonga National Par secured a position in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2016. The Park was put under the ‘Mixed Heritage’ category. This means that the Park is noted not only for its rich biodiversity, but also for its cultural significance.

Located in Sikkim, Khangchendzonga hosts Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak. This region is regarded sacred by the Sikkimese. It is also the abode of ancient Buddhist traditions associated with the mountain deity on Mount Khangchendzonga.

Khangchendzonga has a vibrant wildlife; it is home to many rare and endemic varieties of plants and animals. It is home to many medicinal plants and herbs as well.

 

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The Great Himalayan National Park lies at the junction of two of the world’s major faunal realms- the Indomalayan and the Palaearctic. It shelters a range of species that are compactly packed in the considerably small area they occupy.

Twenty-five types of forests in the Park host a rich variety of uncommon, endemic and endangered fauna, some of which are threatened. Therefore, the Great Himalayan National Park is a high priority conservation zone.

The Park is characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. The number of plant species in the Park is estimated to be 25,000. This composes 10 per cent of the world’s known species and 50 per cent of India’s endemic flora.

 

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The Sunderbans is named after the Sundari trees which are found in abundance in this area. The Sunderbans is a deltaic region spread across India and Bangladesh. It is home to the largest halophytic mangrove forest in the world. Two great Indian rivers, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra converge in the Bengal basin to form the Sunderbans delta.

The eco-geography of this area is totally dependent on the tidal effects of two flow tides and two ebb tides. Hundreds of islands form within a day as the tides deposit slit in several beds. Many of them disappear along with the tidal action.

The Sunderbans is known for Bengal tigers, Leopard cats, Ridley sea turtle, wild boar, jungle cat and foxes are also found here. Irrawaddy dolphins too are found here in abundance.

 

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Located at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill range, Ranthambhore was once a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Jaipur. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1957. In 1974, Ranthambore became a part of Project Tiger and in 1981. It was designated as a National Park.

Ranthambhore is famous for Bengal tigers; it is one of the best spots in India to observe tigers in their natural habitat. Tigers can be spotted during broad daylight and have been known to even hunt in full view of visitors.

This is due to their lack of fear of human presence in vehicles.

Other than tigers, one can also spot the Indian leopard, nilgai, wild boar, sambar, striped hyena, sloth bear, southern plains gray langur, rhesus macaque and mugger crocodile.

 

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The Jungle Book is an unforgettable classic. Kids around the world love Mowgli and his friends. Kanha in Madhya Pradesh is the land of Jungle Book.

Kanha National Park is famous for its open grassy meadows and the wide diversity of wildlife it holds. It is globally famous for saving the barasingha. Years ago, the barasingha was faced with the threat of extinction. Desperate measures taken by the authorities including the fencing-off of some animals helped save them.

The wildlife attractions of the Park include bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha and jungle cat. Kanha also shelters a huge population of birds such as storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacocks, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos and papihas.

 

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