Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary (18145)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 31.4772, Longitude: 76.9280
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 762 to 1260
Area of KBA (km2): 37.66949
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This small sanctuary in Mandi district has been in the news due to the state government’s plan to establish a large cement factory about 500 m from the boundary. Bandli was a Reserve Forest till 1962, when it was first notified as a Sanctuary. After the enactment of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, final notification took place in 1974. It is located about 7 km from Sundarnagar town. The Sanctuary was declared mainly to protect Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichii, which had been exterminated from many nearby areas due to hunting. The Sanctuary is under heavy pressure due to its proximity to villages and towns. Singh et al. (1990) identified only two major forest types: Himalayan Subtropical Pine Forest and Ban Oak Forest.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: This sanctuary helps to protect a small surviving population of Cheer Pheasant. No detailed study on avifauna has been conducted, except for surveys of pheasants. This IBA comes under Western Himalayas Endemic Bird Area (EBA-128) and Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest (BirdLife International, undated). However, as we do not have the checklist of birds of this site, we do not know how many Restricted Range and Biome Restricted assemblages are found in this IBA. Besides studies on the globally threatened Cheer Pheasant to know its status and distribution in this site, detailed studies on the general avifauna are also required. It is a Data Deficient site. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Leopard Panthera pardus is quite common and a major cause of concern to livestock owners. Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus is also found, but it confines itself to forest and grassland areas. Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak and Goral Nemorhaedus goral are the major natural prey of Leopard. Himalayan Yellowthroated Marten Martes flavigula are the major predators of Cheer Pheasant and other smaller prey. Common Langur Semnopithecus entellus and Rhesus Macaque Macaca mulatta are the non-human primates in the IBA.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Poaching; Human settlement; Forest fires; Denotification; Cement factory project. Besides poaching, livestock grazing and forest fires plague most of the sanctuaries of northern India. Bandli Sanctuary is under threat of denotification by the Himachal Government, which intends constructing a large cement factory very close to the Sanctuary border. Earlier in 1992, the proposal to set up a cement plant was rejected by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) as the proposed mining site would have disturbed the Sanctuary. In 2001, the State Government revived the plan with a proposal to denotify half the Sanctuary to facilitate the project. The residents have been opposing the cement plant proposal since 1992, and have now formed several environmental protection groups to save the Sanctuary. It has been pointed out that a large number of people in Mandi are likely to be adversely affected by the pollution from the cement plant. There are fears that water channels will dry up or become polluted, water mills will be rendered useless and cropping patterns and yields would be affected. The tourism industry is also opposing the cement plant project in such sylvan surroundings.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (commercial use) | Only in the future |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Energy production & mining | Mining & quarrying | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: BirdLife International (undated) Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Asia: Project briefing book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K., unpublished. Singh, S., Kothari, A. and Pande, P. (Eds) (1990) Directory of national parks and sanctuaries in Himachal Pradesh: management status and profiles. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. Pp 164.