Anamalai Tiger Reserve

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Anaimalai Tiger Reserve
Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Uday Kiran Elephants quarrel.jpg
Asian elephants in Anamalai Tiger Reserve
India Tamil Nadu location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Location Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates 10°25′01″N77°03′24″E / 10.4170°N 77.0567°E / 10.4170; 77.0567
Established1976 [1] [2]
Governing bodyTamil Nadu Forest Department
www.forests.tn.gov.in

Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, earlier known as Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park and as Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected area in the Anaimalai Hills of Pollachi and Valparai taluks of Coimbatore District and Udumalaipettai taluk in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu, India. The Tamil Nadu Environment and Forests Department by a notification dated 27 June 2007, [3] declared an extent of 958.59 km2 that encompassed the erstwhile IGWLS&NP or Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, as Anaimalai Tiger Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Reserve presently includes a core area of 958.59 km2 and buffer/peripheral area of 521.28 km2 forming a total area of 1479.87 km2. [4]

Contents

Etymology

The park is named after former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi who visited the park on 7 October 1961. The main tourist facilities are located in the northeast corner of the park at "Topslip", so named because of the local 19th century practice of sliding timber logs down the hills from here. [5]

History

Anamalai Tiger Reserve
Boundary of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve

By the mid-1800s, large tracts of Valparai plateau in the Anamalais were under intense tea or coffee plantations after deforestation of the natural forests. By 1866 two-thirds of the plantations were owned by Europeans and the remaining by Indians from coastal towns. Since most native inhabitants either refused to work or were inefficient workers, labour for plantations was brought from the plains of Tamil Nadu to clear forests and grow coffee.

Some parts of the forest however were reserved for timber including large areas around Top Slip. This part of the Western Ghats, under the Madras Presidency were exploited extensively for teak which was supplied to the Bombay Dockyard for shipbuilding and later for railroad ties. [6]

In 1855, this area came under sustainable forest management for teak plantations by the pioneering efforts Douglas Hamilton and H. F. Cleghorn of the new Tamil Nadu Forest Department. In the early 1900s, protection of the Karian shola was also ensured. [7]

The area was notified as Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974. of its unique habitats at 3 places – Karian Shola, Grass hills, Manjampatti Valley were notified as a National Park in 1989. The 108 square kilometres (42 sq mi) National Park is the core area of the 958 square kilometres (370 sq mi) Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. [1] IGWS was declared a Project Tiger tiger reserve in 2008.

The Park and the Sanctuary is under consideration by UNESCO as part of The Western Ghats World Heritage Site. [8] The Sanctuary and the Palni Hills in Dindigul District form the Aanaimalai Conservation Area. [9]

IGWS&NP, Grass Hills area, Konalar Hut
10deg19'22''N 77deg04'17''E / 10.32278degN 77.07139degE / 10.32278; 77.07139 Indira Gandhi NP.jpg
IGWS&NP, Grass Hills area, Konalar Hut 10°19′22″N77°04′17″E / 10.32278°N 77.07139°E / 10.32278; 77.07139

The Steering Committee of Project Tiger granted approval in principle to inclusion of Indira Gandhi WLS and NP under Project Tiger in 2005. [10] IGWS was declared a Project Tiger sanctuary in 2008. [11] Continuance of 'Project Tiger' in Anamalai Tiger Reserve for FY 2010/11, at the cost of 23,547,000 was approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority on 31 August 2010. [12]

This tiger reserve, together with the several other contiguous protected forest and grassland habitats, is the core of the Parambikulum-Indira Gandhi tiger habitat landscape complex, with tiger occupancy area of about 3,253 km2 (1,256 sq mi) and an estimated metapopulation of 42 tigers. [7]

Geography

Jambu Malai Jambu Malai 2.JPG
Jambu Malai

Mean annual rainfall is between 500 mm (20 in) in the south western fringes and 4,500 millimetres (180 in) on the north east. This Sanctuary is an important watershed for the agricultural economy and power supply in other parts of Tamil Nadu. Major reservoirs like Parambikulam Reservoir, Aliyar Reservoir, Thirumurthi Reservoir, Upper Aliyar Reservoir, Kadambarai, Sholayar Dam and Amaravathi Dam are fed by the perennial rivers which originate from the Sanctuary. [1]

The sanctuary has six administrative ranges;

IGWLS is adjacent to Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary to the west. The core area of Manjampatti Valley is a 110 km2 (42 sq mi)with a drainage basin at the eastern end of the park. Manjampatti Valley is contiguous with Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary to the south and the proposed Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park to the east. The National park enters Ernakulam district and Idukki district of Kerala (the Pooyamkutty forest), from the tribal settlement of Edamalakudy, Idukki. Elevation ranges between 340 m (1,120 ft) and 2,513 m (8,245 ft).

Flora

Dry deciduous forest in Anamalai Tiger Reserve Anamalai TR - panoramio.jpg
Dry deciduous forest in Anamalai Tiger Reserve
Moist deciduous forest Safari @ Anamalai Tiger Reserve - panoramio (3).jpg
Moist deciduous forest

The park is home to a wide variety of flora typical of the southern Western Ghats. There are over 2000 plant species, of which about 400 species are of prime medicinal value. The diverse topography and rainfall gradient allow a wide variety of vegetation comprising a mix of natural and human-made habitats. The former includes tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and East Deccan dry evergreen forests, montane shola-grassland, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest, Deccan thorn scrub forests and marshes.[ citation needed ]

South Western Ghats montane rain forests occur at higher elevations and are interspersed with montane grasslands, forming the shola-grassland complex. Much of the original forest now contains introduced teak plantations. Bamboo stands and reed beds occur in the natural forests. Tree cover is provided by Hopea parviflora , Mesua ferrea , Calophyllum tomentosum , Vateria indica , Cullenia excelsa and Mangifera indica , Machilus macrantha, Alstonia scholaris , Evodia meliaefolia, Ailanthus and Bombax ceiba and Eucalyptus grandis . The area is home to Podocarpus wallichianus, a rare south Indian species of conifer. [1]

Fauna

Leopard in Anamalai Leopard in Anaimalai Tiger Reserve JEG2388 (cropped).jpg
Leopard in Anamalai
Young lion-tailed macaque Lion-tailed Macaque DSC8107.jpg
Young lion-tailed macaque
Gaur and white-throated kingfisher Gaur and WTKingfisher.JPG
Gaur and white-throated kingfisher

Threatened species of mammals in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve include Bengal tiger, Indian elephant, Indian leopard, dhole, Nilgiri tahr and lion-tailed macaque, Indian brown mongoose, gaur, Malabar spiny dormouse, Nilgiri langur, rusty-spotted cat, sambar deer, sloth bear and smooth-coated otter, Indian giant squirrel, Indian leopard and Indian pangolin.

Animals of least concern here include: golden jackal, leopard cat, jungle cat, chital, Indian muntjac, Indian spotted chevrotain, wild boar, gray langur, bonnet macaque, Asian palm civet, small Indian civet, Indian grey mongoose, striped-necked mongoose, ruddy mongoose, grey slender loris, Indian giant squirrel, Indian crested porcupine, Indian pangolin, Indian porcupine and Indian palm squirrel.

Over 250 species of birds have been identified in the park. Some of the most important groups are cormorants, ducks, teal, darter, partridge, quail, jungle fowl, spurfowl, Indian peafowl, parakeets, hornbills, Asian barbets, drongos, orioles, shrikes, warblers, Old World flycatchers, woodpeckers, leafbird, trogons, kingfishers, storks, egrets, Lesser fish eagles, hawk eagles, harriers, falcons, kites, owls and nightjars. It is also home to the near-threatened great Indian hornbill.

It is home to 15 of 16 species of birds endemic to the Western Ghats.

Amphibians and Reptiles include many rare and endemic forms. Some endemic amphibians are the ancient and elusive purple frog, toad skinned frog, thin-legged leaping frog and forest torrent frog, Gadgil's torrent frogs, Anaimalai flying frog, bush frogs and caecilian such as the Uraeotyphlus. Reptiles include the Indian rock python, king cobras, Bengal monitors, Malabar pit vipers, Large-scaled green pit vipers, Nilgiri keelbacks, some 20 species of curious little shield tail snakes, large-scaled forest lizards, Nilgiri forest lizard, flying lizards, Ristella skinks forest cane turtles, and Travancore tortoises.

315 species of butterflies belonging to five families have been identified in the Anaimalai Hills. 44 are endemic to the Western Ghats. [13]

Tribal Communities

The Reserve has significant anthropological diversity with more than 4600 Adivasi people from six tribes of indigenous people living in 34 settlements. The tribes are the Kadars, Malasars, Pulaiyars, Mudugars and the Eravallan (Eravalar). [14] [15]

In 1997, annual celebration of Elephant Pongal at Top Slip was begun. For Pongal, several decorated elephants stand in front of the Pongal pot to mark the commencement of the celebration. The elephants are fed chakkarai pongal, banana and sugarcane while lined up behind a barricade, so tourists can have a close look. In 2011, Elephant Pongal was celebrated on 18 January. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Ghats</span> Mountain range along the western coast of India

The Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri mountain range, is a mountain range that covers an area of 160,000 km2 (62,000 sq mi) in a stretch of 1,600 km (990 mi) parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, traversing the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India. It contains a very large proportion of the country's flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to this region. The Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas. They influence Indian monsoon weather patterns by intercepting the rain-laden monsoon winds that sweep in from the south-west during late summer. The range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain called the Western Coastal Plains along the Arabian Sea. A total of 39 areas in the Western Ghats, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests, were designated as world heritage sites in 2012 – twenty in Kerala, ten in Karnataka, six in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Western Ghats montane rain forests</span> Ecoregion in South India

The South Western Ghats montane rain forests is an ecoregion in South India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at elevations from 1,000 to 2,695 m. Annual rainfall in this ecoregion exceeds 2,800 mm (110 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in India

The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve</span> International biosphere reserve of India

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats in South India. It is the largest protected forest area in India, spreading across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It includes the protected areas Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu; Nagarhole National Park, Bandipur National Park, both in Karnataka; Silent Valley National Park, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anaimalai Hills</span> Mountain range in India

The Anamala or Anaimalai, also known as the Elephant Mountains, are a range of mountains in the southern Western Ghats of central Kerala and span the border of western Tamil Nadu in Southern India. The name anamala is derived from the Malayalam word aana and the Tamil word yaanai, meaning elephant, or from tribal languages. Mala or Malai means 'mountain', and thus literally translatable as 'Elephant mountain'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Periyar National Park</span> Protected area in Kerala

Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (PNP) is a protected area located in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, India. It is notable as an elephant reserve and a tiger reserve. The protected area encompasses 925 km2 (357 sq mi), of which 305 km2 (118 sq mi) of the core zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982. The park is a repository of rare, endemic, and endangered flora and fauna and forms the major watershed of two important rivers of Kerala: the Periyar and the Pamba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valparai</span> Town in Tamil Nadu, India

Valparai is a Taluk and hill station in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of Anamalai Tiger Reserve. It is located 3,474 feet (1,059 m) above sea level on the Anaimalai Hills range of the Western Ghats. There are a total of 56 estates here. The game of football is very popular here. State level competitions are held every year. The foothill starts exactly from Monkey Falls which is at a distance of 38 kilometres (24 mi) to Valparai. The route to Valparai from the foothills consists of 40 hairpin bends. The Kerala state border town of Malakkappara is at a distance of 27 kilometres from Valparai. While major portions of the land are owned by private tea companies, large forest areas continue to be out of bounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manjampatti Valley</span>

Manjampatti Valley is a 110.9 km2 (42.8 sq mi) protected area in the eastern end of Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (IGWS&NP) in Tirupur District, Tamil Nadu, South India. It is a pristine drainage basin of shola and montane rainforest with high biodiversity recently threatened by illegal land clearing and cultivation.

The Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park is a proposed protected area in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu India. The park will be an upgrade and expansion of the 736.87 km2(PRO) Palani (Kodaikanal) Wildlife Sanctuary which was to be established in 2008. The park includes about 36% of the 2,068 square kilometres (798 sq mi) in the Palani Hills. The park is located between latitude 10°7'–10°28' N and longitude 77°16'–77°46' E. Central location is 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) east northeast of Silver Cascade Waterfall and 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) E X NE of Kodaikanal Lake.

The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is a biosphere reserve in India established in 2001, located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and includes 3,500.36 km2 (1,351.50 sq mi) of which 1828 km2 is in Kerala and 1672.36 km2 is in Tamil Nadu. It encompasses the following wildlife sanctuaries: Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, and Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in South India

Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is located 18 km north of Marayoor on State Highway 17 in the Marayoor and Kanthalloor panchayats of Devikulam taluk in the Idukki district of Kerala state in South India. It is one of 18 wildlife sanctuaries among the protected areas of Kerala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parambikulam Tiger Reserve</span> Protected area lying in Palakkad district and Thrissur district of Kerala state

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, which also includes the erstwhile Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 643.66 square kilometres (248.5 sq mi) protected area lying in Palakkad district and Thrissur district of Kerala state, South India. The Wildlife Sanctuary, which had an area of 285 square kilometres (110 sq mi) was established in part in 1973 and 1984. It is in the Sungam range of hills between the Anaimalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills. Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as part of the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve on 19 February 2010. Including the buffer zone, the tiger reserve has a span of 643.66 km2. The Western Ghats, Anamalai Sub-Cluster, including all of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, has been declared by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee as a World Heritage Site. The Tiger Reserve is the home of four different tribes of indigenous peoples including the Kadar, Malasar, Muduvar and Mala Malasar settled in six colonies. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve implements the Project Tiger scheme along with various other programs of the Government of India and the Government of Kerala. The operational aspects of administering a tiger reserve is as per the scheme laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. People from tribal colonies inside the reserve are engaged as guides for treks and safaris, and are provided employment through various eco-tourism initiatives. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is among the top-ten best managed Tiger Reserve in India. The tiger reserve hosts many capacity building training programmes conducted by Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation in association with various organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Tamil Nadu</span>

There are more than 2000 species of fauna that can be found in Tamil Nadu. This rich wildlife is attributed to the diverse relief features as well as favorable climate and vegetation in the Indian state. Recognizing the state's role in preserving the current environment, the state government has established several wildlife and bird sanctuaries as well as national parks, which entail stringent protective measures. Tamil Nadu is also included in the International Network of Biosphere Reserves, which facilitates international recognition and additional funding. There are five national parks and 17 sanctuaries that serve as homes to the wildlife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of South India</span> Overview of the geography of South India

The Geography of South India comprises the diverse topological and climatic patterns of South India. South India is a peninsula in the shape of a vast inverted triangle, bounded on the west by the Arabian Sea, on the east by the Bay of Bengal and on the north by the Vindhya and Satpura ranges.

Karian Shola National Park is a protected area in the Western Ghats, India, nominated as a national park in 1989. The Western Ghats are a chain of mountains running down the west of India parallel with the coast some 30 to 50 km inland. They are not true mountains, but the edge of a fault that resulted about 150 million years ago as the subcontinent of India split from Gondwanaland. They are older than the Himalayan mountain range and are clothed in ancient forests. They influence the weather in India as they intercept the incoming monsoon storm systems. The greatest rainfall occurs between June and September during the southwest monsoon, with lesser amounts falling in the northeast monsoon between October and November. The Western Ghats are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are considered to be one of the eight most important "hotspots" of biological diversity in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve</span> Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, India

Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve is a protected area and tiger reserve in the Eastern Ghats in the Erode District of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a tiger population of 83 individuals and a leopard population of 111 individuals according to the 2019 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Tamil Nadu</span> Overview of and topical guide to Tamil Nadu

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tamil Nadu:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mysore-Ooty Road</span>

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References

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