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Spanning nearly 350 sq. km in Kerala, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is contiguous with the protected areas of Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka on one side and Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu on another. Rich in biodiversity, the sanctuary is marked by moist deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests and plantations of teak, eucalyptus. etc. The region teems with wildlife, including more than 200 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, over 30 types of amphibians, fishes, butterflies and dragonflies. This includes many endangered, threatened and rare species too. The perennial water resources in the sanctuary add to the abundance of wildlife that are dependent on them, especially in summer. The sanctuary is part of a tiger reserve and has one of the highest recorded populations of the Asiatic elephant.

 

Wildlife

Cormorants, herons, egrets, bitterns, storks, eagles, kites, vultures, buzzards, lapwings, jacanas, pigeons, doves, parakeets, cuckoos, owls, coucals, nightjars, swifts, bulbuls, minivets, shrikes, treepies, drongos, mynas, orioles, swallows, woodpeckers, barbets, hornbills, bee-eaters, kingfishers, babblers, bulbuls, flycatchers, warblers, thrushes, nuthatches, wagtails, flowerpeckers, sunbirds and munias can be spotted here. Asiatic elephant, tiger, leopard, common langur, four-horned antelope, mouse deer, sambar, barking deer, porcupine, mongoose, small Indian civet, chital, common giant flying squirrel, gaur, pangolin, hare, sloth bear, slender loris, wild boar, jungle cat, leopard cat and Indian flying fox are among the mammals found in the region.

Perils for Wayanad

• Since plantation is dominant in the Wayanad region, so is the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Unfortunately, this has resulted in irreparable damage to the area's fragile ecosystem, resulting in toxic pollution of local water bodies, soil, air and groundwater. If the accounts of farmers in the region are anything to go by, the use of pesticides has led to the disappearing of wildlife prey such as foxes. Many farmers have said that foxes around the region have vanished.


• Increasing human-wildlife conflicts have been a matter of great concern in Wayanad. Raiding elephants and tigers have threatened human settlements within the boundaries of the sanctuary. According to media reports, at least half-a-dozen human lives were lost to tiger attacks in eight months spanning 2018-2019. In addition, cattle - crucial for the farmers - too have been lost.


• Worryingly, unlike the past. Wayanad seems to be prone to large scale landslides and landslips now. After the 2018 floods of Kerala, large parts of the areas deluged in Wayanad were cited as fragile, and a complete ban on mining, construction activities and use of land for non-forest purposes has been recommended.

 

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Covering more than 1,000 sq.km through the districts of Umaria and Katni in Madhya Pradesh, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve was the hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharaja of Rewa. It was a national park before it was brought under Project Tiger. A region with a high density of the royal, Bengal tiger, it makes for a balanced ecosystem with a good number of well-distributed herbivores. Hills, valleys, rivers, marshes and meadows dominate the region that supports a large variety of flora and fauna. Located in the Vindhya mountain range, it nurtures more than 30 species of mammals, 250 species of birds and 70 species of butterflies.

Wildlife

Pochards, geese, francolins, quails, nightjars, swifts, malkohas, bitterns, herons, egrets, ibises, thickness, plovers, lapwings, jacanas, sandpipers, redshanks, terns, buzzards, hornbills, beeeaters, parakeets, minivets, cuckooshrikes, woodshrikes, leafbirds, munias, pipits, buntings, larks, wagtails, prinias, warblers, strarlings, flycatchers, thrushes and bushchats are among the many species of birds that can be found here. The animals of Bandhavgarh include tigers, leopards, wild dogs, wild cats, gaurs, bears, hyenas, foxes, wolves, chitals, sambar, barking deer, blue bulls, and blackbuck.

Newcomers and new concerns

Madhya Pradesh has traditionally been a tiger country. However, newcomers from another species have gained a lot of attention – elephants. And for all the wrong reasons. In 2018, a herd of 40 elephants is said to have moved to the State from neighbouring Chhattisgarh. Today the group is active in and around three national parks of the State, including Bandhavgarh. A few villages near Bandhavgarh have been witnessing human-animal conflict because these elephants raid the crops in the villages and barge into houses, helping themselves to stored grains. In the process, elephants have even injured a few villagers. About 50 villages have been impacted by the elephant movement, according to forest officials. To avoid human-elephant by the elephant conflict, the animals are being tracked and have been fed too. Forest officials say deforestation and habitat degradation could be pushing elephants out of their original habitats into others, often resulting in such conflict.

Tourism at what cost?

In 2019, Madhya Pradesh was declared the “tiger State” of India with 526 big cats, the highest number for any state. Shortly after this came the news that the government had “decided to build helipads would be used for helicopters ferrying tourists.) The government felt that such a status should be put to good economic use for helping the tourism industry. However, several wildlife experts and conservationists argued that critical wildlife habitats “should not be disturbed” and that tiger reserves were meant to protect the animal not tourism. Anything that violates the guidelines to protect reserves will effect not just the apex predator but also several others. Since the government that proposed the construction of helipads fell and a new government has come to power the present status of the proposal is not very clear.

 

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One of the densest habitats of the greater one-horned rhinoceros in the world, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary spans about 40 sq.km. in Assam. It was declared a reserve forest in 1971 and a wildlife sanctuary 10 years later. The humid grasslands, along with woodlands and wetlands, make the region a perfect place for not just the one-homed rhino but several other birds and animals. The annual flooding of the Brahmaputra in the Sanctuary both clears unwanted waste and rejuvenates the vegetation there. However, its increasing severity of late has caused more damage than it has left room for regeneration. Likewise, the annual seasonal burning of grasslands have been crucial for the growth of new vegetation, but with a lack of proper monitoring this too is said to have been causing more damage than helping the habitat and its inhabitants.

Wildlife

Kites, eagles, vultures, harriers, kingfishers, geese, ducks, egrets, grebes, cormorants, pelicans, herons, darters, storks, doves, coucals, lapwings, bittens, treepies, orioles, shrikes, leafbirds, jacanas, shovelers, teals, coots, moorhens, sandpipers, greenshanks, terns, nightjars, swifts, starlings, and munias are among the several species of migrant and resident birds that can be spotted in the region. In addition to the one-homed rhinoceros, one can also spot leopards, wild boars, barking deer, wild buffaloes, leopard cats, fishing cats, jungle cats, jackals and Chinese pangolins in the Sanctuary. The place is also home to a large number of amphibian, reptile and fish species.

Migrating birds

In addition to its famed pachyderm, the Sanctuary is also noted for its migratory birds. Every winter, the region welcomes thousands of these winged visitors. As with many places, some years are good and some, not so. For instance, in 2012, at least 20,000 birds visited the Sanctuary while in 2015, the numbers were said to have come down.

The problem of plenty

As mentioned earlier, Pobitora has a high density of rhinos - about a hundred of them occupying the core areas of the Sanctuary. While the growing number of rhinos is certainly good news, all of them having to rub shoulders within a small space is not good at all. For one, the risk of spreading infection or disease within a group increases substantially, and could lead to mass deaths of the animals in just one big swipe. Also, they jostle for not just space but food too. This could lead to many of them straying into human habitation, resulting in tragedy on both sides. The gravest concern in the crowded region is how vulnerable these creatures are to poaching.

Poaching

While poaching is a near-universal problem, Pobitora faces a unique problem - floods. When the Sanctuary is flooded annually by the swelling Brahmaputra, it could lead to loss of animal life in many ways. The animal could face a watery grave, stray from its habitat and be injured on roads or be caught in a conflict with humans, or worse, be trapped by a poacher. Most parts of the Sanctuary remain inaccessible due to the floods, an opportunity poachers make best use of. This problem is being handled by placing frontline forest staff on 24x7 duty, as was evident this July, after the floods.

 

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The oldest national park in the country, Jim Corbett National Park covers an area of more than 500 sq km and is located in Uttarakhand. It was known as Hailey National Park before it was renamed in the 1950s after hunter-turned-conservationist James Edward Corbett (popularly known as Jim Corbett), who played a significant role in setting it up. The Park is part of the larger Tiger Reserve of the same name. Located on the Himalayan foothills, the Park has streams and rivers running through it, helping nurture the varied landscapes there from rugged forests to grasslands. This mosaic of vegetation has also served as a magnet for several species of birds and animals. The region is noted especially for its tiger and elephant population. In fact, Corbett has the highest number of tigers in the country – 213, according to the report of the fourth All India Tiger Estimation 2018 released on the eve of Global Tiger Day (July 29), 2020. Corbett hosts more than 550 species of birds, and has been declared an "Important Bird Area" by Birdlife International.

Wildlife

The birds found in the region include pelicans, darters, cormorants, grebes, storks, ibises, pochards, shelducks, hawks, grions, harriers, falcons, kestrels, francolins. partridges, quails, pheasants, crakes, swamphens, moorhens, watercocks, jacanas, lapwings, plovers, sandpipers, snipes, stints, redshanks, coucals, nightjars, hornbills, barbets, woodpeckers, martins, magpies, minivets, fantails, warblers, prinias, robins, tits, nuthatches, wagtails, weavers, and buntings. Apart from the Royal Bengal tiger and the Asiatic elephant, one may spot the gharial, sloth bear, Himalayan black bear, hog deer, sambar, marsh crocodile, rhesus macaque, mongoose, otter, jackal, pangolin, python and the cobra too.

Hello, rhinos!

Though famed for its tigers, Corbett is all set to welcome a new kind of inhabitant - Assam's famed one-horned rhinoceros. In November 2019, the Uttarakhand Wildlife Advisory Board approved a proposal for rhino translocation on an experimental basis. As part of the proposal, more than one dozen rhinos from the Kaziranga National Park will find a home in Uttarakhand's most popular National Park. It is said that the region is conducive for the mammals, and is also less plagued by human-animal conflict. Reports suggest that Corbett was perhaps a natural habitat of the pachyderms since a male rhino was sighted towards the end of the 18th Century. What inspired the proposal could be the similar translocation and eventual success of nearly half-a-dozen rhinos from Assam's Pobitora to Uttar Pradesh's Dudhwa National Park way back in 1984.

Popularity is a threat...

• The Park has for long received a large number of visitors. While tourism is integral to the development of any natural habitat it cannot be at the cost of the region itself. The huge number of visitors, infrastructure development around the Park to host these visitors, the clearing of land to set up activities for the tourists, the dumping of garbage into the river flowing through the Park etc. are among the greatest threats to the Park With increasing number of visitors, the chances of human animal conflicts too increase. drawing attention to the need to find a healthy balance between tourism and income generation for the region.

• This February, more than a month before the COVD-19 pandemic gripped the country, a photograph shot inside the Corbett Tiger Reserve went viral on social media It showed two tigers playing with what appears to be a plastic object. Indicative of how much plastic has invaded eco-sensitive regions, conservationists termed it a tragedy and called for public awareness and sensitivity. Ironically, plastic is banned in the Reserve.

• In 2016, Uttarakhand experienced one of its worst forest fires in recent times. Among several other areas Corbett too suffered. It was reported that about 200 hectares of forests were reduced to ashes. Though animal deaths were not reported forest fires can push escaping animals into human habitation leading to conflicts. Worse, several adult and young animals could perish or be injured significantly reducing the chances of new generations of animals to survive and grow, and leaving existing populations vulnerable.

 

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Located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, in the far western Himalaya one can find the Great Himalayan National Park. Initially constituted in 1984, the park was formally notified as a national park in 1999. The park is spread over an area of 1171 sq km at an altitude between 1500 and 6000 metres

The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area is characterised by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. It protects the monsoon-affected forests and alpine meadows of the Himalayan front ranges and is part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot.

The site is known as a biodiversity hotspot as it includes twenty five forest types along with a rich assemblage of fauna species, several of which are threatened. The national park lies at the junction of two major biogeographic realms - the Palearctic and Indomalayan. The park includes the Upper Mountain glacial and snow melt water source origins of the Jiwa Nal, Sainj, Thirthan and Parvati rivers which are all tributaries of the River Beas. The park also has several catchments of water supplies which are vital to millions of downstream users.

Flora and Fauna

Due to its diverse climatic conditions, the Great Himalayan National Park is home to many uncommon endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna. The number of plant species in the park is around 840, consisting of 26% of the total flora of Himachal Pradesh. One can find 794 flowering plant species (58% of which are endemic to the Western Himalayas). 11 gymnosperm species (pines, conifers and cypresses) and 27 fem species in the park. Apart from these, one can find spruces and horse chestnuts in the valleys.

When it comes to the fauna in the park, there are more than 375 faunal species. Thus far, 31 mammal species, 209 bird species, 12 reptile species, nine amphibian species and 125 insect species have been identified in the park. At the higher altitudes of the park, one can find animals such as blue sheep, snow leopard. Himalayan brown bear. Himalayan tahr, and musk deer.

The park is home to four globally threatened species of mammals, three globally threatened bird species, and a large number of medicinal plants.

Most of the fauna in the park is given protection under the high priority protection category of Schedule of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. 1972. The government of Himachal Pradesh has also banned hunting in the state since the last few years.

 

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So far as natural habitats o, Manas is unusual - it is a wildlife sanctuary national park biosphere hotspot a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Project Tiger and Project Elephant reserve. Located in Assam. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is spread across 390 sq.km. The sanctuary is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park of neighbouring country Bhutan. Located on Himalayan foothills, the sanctuary is fed both by monsoon rains and the Manas River it spans. The fertile Manas region is marked by riverine tracts rigged mountains, forested hills, tropical evergreen forests, mixed moist and dry deciduous forests and alluvial grasslands it nurtures about 60 mammal species over 40 reptile species and 500 species of birds. These include many globally threatened species too.

The danger tag

Pride of Assam, the Manas Wild Sanctuary became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. But that joy was to be short lived in only seven years (1992), the sanctuary was places in the “danger” list by UNESCO due to several reasons budding poaching, general infrastructure degradation and the ethnic strife that dominated the region. And that tag was not easy to shake. It took several years of concerted effort from local activists and the government to in prove the conditions in the sanctuary Thong did take a while, the efforts eventually did pay off - in 2011, the region was struck off the danger let. Sadly a study in 2018 showed that Manas was one of the over 100 UNESCO World Heritage sites severely damaged by human activity The study also showed it had the most intense increase in human pressure.

Wildlife

Apart from the tiger and the Asian elephant the sanctuary hosts the greater one-horned rhino, swamp deer, pygmy hog, hispid hare, golden langur, clouded leopard, Assam roofed turtle, sloth bear and wild water buffalo. The bird species found here include pochards, francolins, nightjar, coucals, crakes, thickknees, plovers, jacanas, sandpipers, buttonquails, kites, buzzards, eagles, vultures, harriers, hornbills, woodpeckers, barbet, bee-eaters, kestrels, falconets, falcons, parakeets, pipits, buntings, tits, martins, starlings, garganey, mallards, common teals, little grebes, Bengal floricans and greater Adjutants. In addition Manas displays high plant diversity with at least 80 tree species 45 shrubs 35 under 170 herbs and 35 climbers. Among these, the many varieties of orchids ferns and grasses make for vital forage for the hooved mammals roaming the region

Threat

After poaching one of the main areas of concerns about the region has been invasive species. This is not an animal but two plant varieties from South America According to a 2019 study conducted by four researchers. the impact of the plant species Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha - cannot be ignore The study says they are found in the Terai grasslands of the region and have been growing and expanding at an alarming rate over the years of these species continue to grow at the current rate the study said that over 15 of the total Manas area and 30 of the areca nuts are likely to come under the invasion This would mean significant reduction in the habitats of animals such as the Asiatic wild buffalo, one horned rhino, swamp deer and hog deer, and the eventual decline in their population.

 

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Kamataka's Nagarhole National Park officially Rajiv Gandhi National Park, spans the two districts of Mysuru and Kodagu together over an area of nearly 650 sq. km. Nagarhole is part of the 2,000-sq.km. Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which also includes Kamataka's Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Kerala's Wayanad Sanctuary and Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai National Park Nagarhole and Bandipur - both tiger reserves - together account for a high number of not just tigers but also elephants. Named after the river flowing in the area, Nagarhole is full moist deciduous forests comprising rosewood and teakwood, among other species. The landscape also includes dry deciduous forests and swamps, making the region a haven for many species of birds, animals and reptiles. With a good balance between predators and prey, the area is also an example of a healthy ecosystem.

Wildlife

Nagarhole hosts more than 250 species of birds, including barbets, bush chats, buzzards, ducks, eagles, finchlarks, flowerpeckers, flycatchers, hawks, ibises, treepies, hornbills, kingfishers, kites, lapwings, larks, orioles, nuthatches, owls, parakeets, partridges, pipits, quails, sandpipers, shrikes, storks, swifts, teals, tits, vultures, wagtails, warblers and woodpeckers. In addition to the tiger and the elephant, one can also find the leopard, black panther, Indian wild dog, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, spotted deer. sambar, gaur, pangolin, common langur, porcupine, bonnet macaque, civet cat, mongoose, Malabar giant squirrel, wild boar, Russell's viper, Indian rock python, mugger, monitor lizard etc.

Threats and concerns

• Nagarhole like its neighbouring areas such as Bandipur, is prone to forest fires. However, in 2012, the region suffered one of its worst forest fires in recent years, leaving behind trails of large-scale destruction in its wake. In 2017, a drought that had exacerbated the severity of the heat and dry conditions, and gusty winds, raised fears of a repeat of 2012. However, the timely deployment of watchers thwarted this.

• The growth of lantana in the region is a cause for concert - it is an invasive creeper believed to be brought in from South America by the British as a decorative plant. But it chokes off native species of plants that many animals feed on.

• According to a data in 2018, the Nagarhole-Bandipur regions together accounted for 10,000 instances of human-animal conflict over a period of three years. This amounted to as many as nine instances every day, on an average.

 • Poaching of birds and mammals is one of the severe problems of the region. Another equally worrisome act is the continuous exploitation of forest products. leading to the deficits in food sources for the animals.

The Kabini migration

The words animal migration usually make us think of the great wildebeest migration that occurs in Africa annually. But there's an interesting migration happening in our own backyard - the elephant migration. Nagarhole hosts one of the highest populations of the Asian elephants in the world. Add to this the populations in neighbouring regions as well, and the number swells to many hundreds. Every summer when water and grass in their regions dry up, herds of these gentle giants take up the annual ritual of moving towards the Kabini backwaters and the most fertile regions around it. (There are up to 140 water holes in Nagarahole alone, in addition a few streams.) In 2017 though, the story was different - media reports said that following a severe drought the backwaters could not draw in the usual numbers of elephants. However, things changed in two years. Due to rains as late as November in 2019 and with most of the regular water holes still having water, forest officials had predicted that the pachyderms would start their yearly summer march in 2020 slightly later than usual!

 

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