Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary (18230)
India, Asia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2004

National site name: Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary

Central coordinates: Latitude: 14.6337, Longitude: 75.6520

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 546 to 762

Area of KBA (km²): 107.39318

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Ranebennur Blackbuck Sanctuary, located in Dharwad district of Karnataka state, is one of the few sanctuaries established for the wildlife of the Indian plains. It is about 120 km from Dharwad town. Administratively, it is part of Godag Forest Division, divided into three blocks namely, Hunashi Katti, Hullai and Alalgeri. Alalgeri block is separated from the other two by intervening agricultural lands, dividing the Sanctuary into two areas, about 7 km apart. The Sanctuary is surrounded on all sides by agricultural land owned by the local farmers (Karanth and Singh 1981). This sanctuary harbours the highly endangered Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps. Till the 1970s, the whole area was denuded and overgrazed, with very few wild animals left. The Forest Department took on a massive plantation programme.With the protection to the plantation, the beleaguered Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra got some respite from poaching and started increasing in number. When the prey based improved, the Grey Wolf Canis lupus returned to the area. In 1974, the Forest Department declared it a Sanctuary. The vegetation of the Sanctuary is classified as Southern Tropical Thorn Forest, with the tree cover of Acacia sp. and ground cover of Dodonaea, Cassia, Carissa and Lantana species and grass species of Cenchrus and Stylosanthes. Due to afforestation work, Eucalyptus sp. has become established as the dominant tree. Other species used for afforestation are Santalum album, Albizzia lebbek, Cassia sp., Prosopis spp. and Leucaena sp.

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: About 90 species are known to occur in the Sanctuary. This site has been selected as an IBA mainly due to the presence of the Great Indian Bustard. Although the bustard population has drastically declined since the 1990s, the area still has potential for recovery if grassland habitat is maintained. Other common birds of the sanctuary are Indian Courser Cursorius coromandelicus, Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus, Montagu’s Harrier C. pygargus, Sirkeer Malkoha Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii, Common Sandgrouse Pterocles exustus, Peafowl Pavo cristatus, Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius and Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Blackbuck is the star attraction of this Sanctuary, with a population of nearly 1,000. Their main predator is the Grey Wolf while fawns are sometimes killed by Golden Jackals Canis aureus. Jungle Cat Felis chaus and Indian Fox Vulpes bengalensis are other smaller predators, especially for eggs and chicks of the Great Indian Bustard. Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena is also reported. There are unconfirmed records of Leopard Panthera pardus. Wild Boar Sus scrofa has increased, much to the concern of villagers. Owing to extensive plantation, forest species are being added to this Sanctuary. Common Langur Semnopithecus entellus and Slender Loris Loris tardigradus are now seen. In future Spotted Deer Axis axis may also appear.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | forestry | tourism/recreation

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Shrubland	33
Grassland	33
Artificial - Terrestrial	33

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Afforestation; Poaching; Fires; Overgrazing; Firewood collection; Unsustainable exploitation. Introduction of the indigenous species of plants will ensure a natural habitat structure for the wild fauna. The biggest conservation issue of this IBA is the gradual disappearance of the Great Indian Bustard during the last 20 years, mainly due to lack of focused attention on the habitat requirement of this grassland bird. Most of the so-called ‘blanks’ (grasslands) under the control of the Forest Department have been planted with exotic trees, while open areas outside their jurisdiction are under tremendous grazing pressure.This leaves the bustard with no habitat. For the last 5-6 years, it has not been seen in Rannebennur, but even now, if effective conservation measures are taken and grassland developed, this rare bird might reappear. A management plan for the protection of bustard grassland habitat has been given by Rahmani (1989).

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Wood & pulp plantations	Agro-industry plantations	Ongoing
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	Gathering terrestrial plants	Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target)	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting	Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]	Ongoing

Additional information