Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park (18389)
India, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1e, B2
Year of last assessment: 2018
National site name: Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park
Central coordinates: Latitude: 10.4197, Longitude: 76.9697
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 350 to 2500
Area of KBA (km2): 986.85843
Protected area coverage (%): 4.45
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, also called Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over an area of 98,700 ha. On its western side lies the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary (an IBA) of Kerala which covers 28,500 ha. The inter-state boundary between Tamil Nadu and Kerala separates the two protected areas administratively, but ecologically there is no barrier. The terrain is largely hilly with altitude varying from 350 m to 2,500 m. The Anamalai Hills cover an area of about 2,00,000 ha in the Western Ghats. Between the Anamalai Hills in the south and the Nilgiri Plateau in the north, is a 25 km wide stretch of flat land called the Palghat Gap, which has been an important biogeographic barrier for certain birds and other taxa. This isolation from the northern ranges has resulted in speciation in many plant and animal groups in the Anamalai Hills (Rodgers and Panwar 1988). The altitudinal range (<150 m to >2500 m) has led to a variety of habitats. Due to these factors, Anamalai Hills have assumed special conservation importance. Protected areas cover three-quarters of the total area of Anamalai Hills, of which Anamalai and Parambikulam Sanctuaries form more than 80%. The vegetation can be divided into five broad categories: Tropical Evergreen Rainforest, Tropical Montane Forest, Grassland and Moist Dry Deciduous Forest. Important plant species include Michelia nilagirica, Rhododendron arboreum, Cymbopogon sp., Terminalia-Anogeissus-Tectona grandis series, pure stands of Bambusa arundinacea and Dendrocalamus strictus. Monocultures include plantations of tea Thea sinensis, coffee Coffee arabica, Cinchona cinchona sp., rubber Ficus sp. and teak Tectona grandis which surround this IBA.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. Alliance for Zero Extinction (2018): site confirmed as an AZE site during the AZE project (2015-2018). Taxonomy, nomenclature and Red List category follow the IUCN 2016 Red List.
Additional biodiversity: AVIFAUNA: From 1991 to 1993, in a bird survey in Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, a total of 218 bird species were recorded. Of these, 12 were endemic and 75 were typical rainforest species (Kannan 1998, Raman 2001). In a recent study that was confined to two ranges (Ulandy and Pollachi) of this IBA, 139 species were recorded, of which 10 are restricted range and three are Vulnerable (Sivakumaran and Rahmani 2002) The Vulnerable Nilgiri Wood-Pigeon Columba elphinstonii, and Near Threatened Great Pied Hornbill Buceros bicornis are breeding residents in the Sanctuary, mainly in Kariyan-Shola, Anaikunthy-Shola, Varagalaiyar, and Vanathiar-Shola of Ulandy Range, and the other ranges such as Valparai and Manjam Patty. Ceylon Frogmouth Batrachostomus moniliger, an uncommon species, breeds in Kariyan-Shola, and probably in other sholas also (Sivakumaran and Rahmani, 2002). Stattersfield et al. (1998) have listed 16 restricted range species in the Western Ghats Endemic Bird Area. In this IBA site, 15 have been recorded till now (Raman 2001, Sivakumaran and Rahmani 2002). Except for the Nilgiri Laughingthrush Garrulax cachinnans, which is in any case not found south of the Palghat Gap (Ali and Ripley 1987, Grimmett et al. 1998), all the endemic birds of the Western Ghats were seen. This is one of the IBAs in the Western Ghats where every expected endemic has been found. Besides threatened species, this site also has five Near Threatened species. This IBA lies in the Biome-10 (Indian Peninsula Tropical Moist Forest), according to the classification by BirdLife International (undated). Fifteen species have been listed in this biome, of which ten are found at this site. OTHER KEY FAUNA: The Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary and the Eravikulam National Park (both in Kerala), in conjunction with the adjacent forests form a vital conservation unit for many endangered large mammals including the Asian Elephant Elephas maximus and the Nilgiri Tahr Hemitragus hylocrius (Rodgers and Panwar 1988). Mishra and Johnsingh (1994) estimate between 560 and 680 Tahrs in Anamalai and Parambikulam Sanctuaries, and between 1,360 and 1,480 if we include Eravikulam also – this conservation unit contains approximately half of the existing population of Nilgiri Tahr in the wild. Tiger Panthera tigris, Leopard Panthera pardus and Dhole or Wild Dog Cuon alpinus are the major predators of Tahr in the area. This area has a viable population of Gaur Bos frontalis. Mammals endemic to the Western Ghats, besides the Nilgiri Tahr, include the Lion-tailed Macaque Macaca silenus, the Nilgiri Langur Trachypithecus johni, the Dusky-striped Squirrel Funambulus sublineatus, and the Travancore Flying Squirrel Petinomys fuscocapillus (Prater 1980; Ashraf et al. 1993).
Habitats
Land use: forestry | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 25 | |
| Shrubland | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: MAIN THREATS: Encroachments in the foothills; Poaching; Excessive tourism. The Anamalai Hills were opened to planters in 1864 when the Government agreed to auction some of the rainforest areas, termed as ‘waste’ in official records, for tea and coffee plantations. Thus began the establishment of the British in the Anamalai, and a century of deforestation and habitat conversion. Vast areas were cleared for coffee, tea, and teak plantations (Kumar 1987). Most of the remaining forests were also selectively logged. These plantations also caused large-scale resettlement of a huge workforce (Kumar 1987). The area abounded in wildlife and attracted hunters, although notes of hunters and planter-naturalists from the early 20th century indicate that hunting was not on a major scale. At present, tea estates occupy about 18,000 ha and Cinchona plantations 4,000 ha within the Anamalai Sanctuary (Sundararaju 1987). The Anamalai is home to nearly 5,000 tribals of six groups: Malasar, Malai Malasar, Kadar, Muduvar, Ervallars and Pulayars. They grow traditional crops, without the use of chemicals. It is possible that due to onslaught of civilization, some of these crops varieties are going extinct, particularly in the plains. There is an urgent need to document the traditional knowledge and wisdom of these tribals.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Wood & pulp plantations | Agro-industry plantations | Only in the past and unlikely to return |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Ali, S. and Ripley, S. D. (1987) Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (Second Edition). Oxford University Press, Delhi. Ashraf, N. V. K., Kumar, A. and Johnsingh, A. J. T. (1993) On the relative abundance of two sympatric flying squirrels of Western Ghats, India. J. Bombay Nat. His. Society 90: 158-162. BirdLife International (undated) Important Bird Areas (IBAs) in Asia: Project briefing book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K., unpublished. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. (1998) Birds of the Indian Subcontinent, Christopher Helm, London. Kannan, R. (1998) Avifauna of the Anaimalai Hills (Western Ghats) of south India. J. Bombay Nat. His. Society 95(2): 193-214. Kumar, A. (1987) The ecology and population dynamics of the lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silensis) in south India. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Cambridge, U.K. Mishra, C. and Johnsingh, A. J. T. (1994) Status and Conservation of the Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius Ogilby, 1838) in Anamalai Hills, South India. Unpublished report. pp 27. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Prater, S. H. (1980) The book of Indian animals. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai. Raman, T. R. S. (2001) Community ecology and conservation of tropical rainforest birds in the southern Western Ghats, India. Ph.D. thesis, pp. 182. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Rodgers, W. A. and Panwar, H. S. (1988) Planning a protected area network in India. 2 vols. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Sivakumaran, N. and A. R. Rahmani (2002) Bird community study in various habitats of Western Ghats. Annual Report, Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay. Stattersfield, A. J., Crosby, M. J., Long, A. J. and Wege, D. C. (1998) Endemic Bird Areas of the World: Priorities for Biodiversity Conservation. BirdLife Conservation Series No. 7. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K. Sundararaju, R. (1987) Management plan for Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, Pollachi: 1987-88 to 1992-93. Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
Contributors: Key contributors: Sajeev Kumar, Ajith Kumar and N. Sivakumaran.