Mount Zanibu (18328)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Mount Zanibu
Central coordinates: Latitude: 25.6833, Longitude: 94.3500
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1600 to 2426
Area of KBA (km2): 43.95348
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Located in Phek district in southern Nagaland, Mount Zanibu IBA is known for its lake, rich forest and for the presence of Blyth’s Tragopan Tragopan blythii and Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis. The lake is known as Dzudu and is surrounded by dense forest (Choudhury 2002a). This IBA is hilly, with Mount Zanibu being the highest point at 2,426 m above msl. The area is covered with primary Subtropical Broadleaf forest, with small areas of Temperate Broadleaf forest on the hill tops.
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: Besides the Rufous-necked Hornbill and Blyth’s Tragopan, Mrs Hume’s Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae has been reported, especially from the border, which is covered with secondary forest, trees and grass (Choudhury 2002b). There is an old record of another globally threatened species, the Purple Wood or Pale-capped Pigeon Columba punicea from near Phek (Ripley 1952), which is not far from this IBA. Except for a brief survey by Choudhury (2002a) there has been no detailed study in the area. The Purple Wood Pigeon has not been re-sighted by any one else recently. OTHER KEY FAUNA: Hoolock Gibbon Hylobates hoolock, Stump-tailed Macaque Macaca arctoides, Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Dhole or Wild Dog Cuon alpinus, Leopard Panthera pardus, Barking Deer Muntiacus muntjak and Serow Nemorhaedus sumatraensis are the noteworthy mammals (A. U. Choudhury pers. comm. 2003).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 | |
| Forest | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Felling of trees; Jhum cultivation on the slopes; Poaching. The major problems in this IBA are tree felling for timber, and jhum cultivation. Charaching including trapping of mammals and birds, which are common practices in the IBA, should be stopped with the help of involvement of local people and the Forest Department.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Shifting agriculture | 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 |
Additional information
References: Choudhury, A. U. (2002a) Major inland wetlands of north-eastern india. A report submitted to SACON, Coimbatore. Pp. 49. Choudhury, A. U. (2002b) Survey of Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant: NE India. Final Report to OBC, UK Technical Report No. 5 of The Rhino Foundation for Nature NE India, Guwahati. Pp. 30. Ripley, S. D. (1952) A collection of birds from the Naga Hills. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 50: 475- 514.