Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (18209)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.3113, Longitude: 77.4538
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 125 to 1514
Area of KBA (km2): 581.15056
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: As the name indicates, this Sanctuary is situated on the banks of the River Cauvery, which flows through the major part of this protected area. The River Cauvery demarcates the northern and eastern boundary of the Sanctuary. To the east and northeast, the Sanctuary is bordered by Tamil Nadu state. Deciduous and riverine forests cover much of the area, especially the eastern parts. The Sanctuary has riverine and dry deciduous forests, and some patches of scrub forest. Along the river, trees such as Terminalia arjuna and Syzygium cumini dominate the vegetation. Tamarindus indica, Hardwickia binnata, Acacia amara, Feronia sp., Ficus sp. and species of Acacia represent the vegetation in the rest of the Sanctuary. The northwestern part has been cleared, but good forests survive in other areas (Lal et al. 1994).
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) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Western Ghats Hotspot (2007). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat status follow the 2002 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: The avifauna of the Sanctuary is typical of semi-arid areas. Besides the two critically endangered Gyps species of vultures, which have a wide distribution and are not confined to this IBA or habitat alone, this IBA has four Vulnerable and two Near Threatened species. The sighting of Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon, a Vulnerable species (BirdLife International 2001), in Cauvery is interesting. This bird occurs in Moist Evergreen Forests in the Western Ghats complex, but moves a lot in search of fruiting trees. Therefore, it sometimes visits the Cauvery forests also. It seems that it is much more widespread than thought earlier. This site is an important area for the Pied Tit Parus nuchalis and has been recorded at several locations in and around this IBA (Lott and Lott 1999). BirdLife International (undated) have listed 15 species that represent Biome-10 (Indian Peninsula Tropical Moist Forest). Even with no detailed work on bird life, nine out of 15 species have been seen in this site, more are likely to be recorded if proper study on birds is conducted. Although, this site lies in the drier zone of Karnataka, it also has some patches of forest where species of tropical moist forest are also seen. In the Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone i.e. Biome-11, BirdLife International (undated) has listed 59 species. Most of them are common, but nevertheless important representatives of their biomes. In Cauvery, 25 species have been recorded belonging to this biome, including Near Threatened Redheaded Vulture Sarcogyps calvus. Lott (1987a, 1987b, 1987c) has identified 127 species in and around Kaveri Valley. Shivanand (in press) has shown that the Cauvery basin, covering about 81,15,500 ha is an important wintering area for the globally threatened Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga. He saw them on 29 sites, including two riverine areas. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Other fauna of the site includes Leopard Panthera pardus, Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Wild Boar Sus scrofa, Sambar Cervus unicolor, Spotted Deer Axis axis, Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak, Four-horned Antelope Tetracerus quadricornis, Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica maxima, Grizzled Giant Squirrel Ratufa macroura, Common Otter Lutra lutra and Black-naped Hare Lepus nigricollis. This Sanctuary is possibly one of the last refuges of the highly endangered Grizzled Giant Squirrel in Karnataka (Manjrekar 2000). Reptiles include Marsh Crocodiles Crocodylus palustris, Turtles Chelonia sp, Indian Rock Python Python molurus, Indian Cobra Naja naja, Russell’s Viper Daboia russelii and Banded Krait Bungarus fasciatus. This Sanctuary is known for its Mahseer fish Tor spp.
Habitats
Land use: tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 50 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Disturbance by tourists; Fuel wood collection by villagers; Cattle grazing/ browsing. The Kanipanpura Elephant Corridor connects the high elephant density areas such as Nagarhole NP - Bandipur NP - Wynaad WLS - Mudumalai WLS complex in the Western Ghats with areas in the Eastern Ghats, such as Sathyamangalam and Kollegal Reserve Forests and the Biligiriranga Temple Sanctuary to Cauvery WLS. However, this corridor is threatened by the Pykara Hydroelectric project. As the Sanctuary lies on the border of two states, poaching is a big problem due to lack of coordination among the forest staff of the two states.
| 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 | Large dams | 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 |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: BirdLife International (undated) Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Asia: Project briefing book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K., unpublished. BirdLife International (2001) Threatened Birds of Asia: The BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K. Lal, R., Kothari, A., Pande, P. and Singh, S. (1994) (Eds.) Directory of National Parks and Sanctuaries in Karnataka, Management Status and Profiles. Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi. Pp. 231 Lott, E. J. (1987a) Birds of the Kaveri Valley. Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 27 (1-2): 7-10 Lott, E. J. (1987b) Birds of the Kaveri Valley (continued). Newsletter for Birdwatchers 27 (3-4): 12-16. Lott, E. J. (1987c) Birds of the Kaveri Valley- additions. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 27 (9-10): 16. Lott, E. and Lott, C. (1999) On the occurence of White-naped Tit (Parus nuchalis) in Southern India. Forktail 15 : 93-94. Manjrekar, N. (ed.) (2000) A Walk on the Wild Side, Karnataka Forest Department, Wildlife Wing. Shivanand, T. (in press) Status of the Greater Spotted Eagle, Aquila clanga Pallas in the wetlands of the Kaveri Basin of Karnataka. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.
Contributors: Key contributor: S. Subramanya.