kans

Conservation issues facing The Melagiris.

Sanjeev Kumar S RKenneth Anderson Nature Society

www.kans.org.in

Melagiris

Described in the British Documents.

Upper Ghats-Melagiris-Pikkili-Guttirayan-Anchetti valley-Natarapalayam-Urigam-Rayakotta group-Ankusagiri Group-Maharajagadai-Baramahal Durgams

Hosur Forest Division.

1482 sq km of dry deciduous, scrub and semi-evergreen forests.

Connected to Nilgiri Biospehere

Part of Eastern Ghats.

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Kodekarai hills

Kenneth Anderson

Fifth generation Scotsman.

Worked at HAL Bangalore as a draftsman. Shot 8 man eating leopards and 7 man eating tigers as per government records.

Familiar with Hindi, Tamil and Kannada. Comfortable in the company poor tribals

He admits to being a trigger happy as a young man who changed over time to hunt only those animals that were habitually dangerous to people. He spent his later years with a camera.

A skilled story teller.

Man eater of Manchi

Marauder of Kempakerai

Sherkhan and the Bettamugilalam Maneater

Black panther of Sivanipalli

A night in Spider valley

Man eater of Jowlagiri

Crossed tusker of Gerhatti

Annebidahalla Tigress

Sulekunta Panther

Suggested reading : Kenneth Anderson Omnibus part 1 and 2.

Speak about Aiyur workshop..

Lack of information about bio-diversity

Shortcomings in the administration and forest department. Unfamiliarity of other government departments with forest issues.

Anthropogenic pressure from people living around the forests.

Status enhancement to give more teeth to the forest department.

Story of KANS so far has been to address these issues. FD attitude towards resource extractin rather than conservation. Age of guards, vacant posts. Open grazing lands. Reserve lands.

2nd October 2008.

Formed as a Society with the ideal of becoming a open, democratic, transparent and inclusive forum.

To address the issues raised at the Aiyur Workshop.

Members from varied background and wide network.

Funded by well wishers.

Story of KANS so far has been to address these issues.

Aims and Objectives of the Society.

To promote awareness and appreciation of Nature in all its forms and manifestations.

To undertake and to aid the conservation of Nature.

To actively encourage and undertake study and documentation of nature and its life forms.

To undertake and aid ecologically sustainable development of forest dwelling communities.

Story of KANS so far has been to address these issues.

Lack of information about bio-diversity

Carried out a biodiversity survey with Asian Nature Conservation Foundation. Report awaited. Led to the discovery of near threatened Grizzled Giant Squirrel and unrecorded four horned antelope.

Exploring new areas and recording bio-diversity of the area.

Camera trapping being carried out in various places. We have first time photographic evidence of wildlife and a number of birds.

Cataloging floral diversity

Creating a GIS of the area.

Prediction of Mr.Ganesan DFO GGS, four horned antelope and Ratel

Some mammals found in Melagiris:

Indian elephant, Indian gaur,

Sambhar, Chital, Wild pig, barking deer, mouse deer, four horned antelope,

Slender loris, Common Langoor, Bonnet macaque,

Madras tree shrew, black naped hare, gerbil, grizzled giant squirrel,

Sloth bear, wild dog, jackal,

leopard, Jungle cat, rusty spotted cat (?),

small indian civet, palm civet, common grey mongoose, stripe necked mongoose, small indian mongoose,

Hyaena (?), Ratel (?), Tiger (?!)

Civil administration and forest department.

Using our network of contacts, we carry out training programs for forest department personnel.

Equipment donations

Wildlife census.

Public relations.

Volunteer in crisis situations.

Biotic pressure from people living around the forests.

Temples and shrines in forest areas.

Grazing, firewood gathering.

Revelers and merry-makers.

Minor forest produce collection.

Forest fire

Encroachments.

Resource extraction: (grazing, fuel wood, NTFP etc)

Propose alternate source of energy, fuel and income generation.

co-operative milk societiesfuel efficient stovesGobar gasPoultryetc

Man Elephant conflict

Began a minor incursions about in mid 2000.

The problem:

Around100 - 150 resident elephants.

migrant elephants from Bannerghatta

Fragmentation of habitat

Developed a taste for food crops?

Re-conquering old territories? Increasing elephant population ?

Increasing number of calves.

Beeline from Jawalagiri to
Denkanikota and Rayakota fields.

Status enhancement to give more teeth to the forest department.

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamilnadu)?

To safe guard bio-diversity (unique habitat - cusp of eastern and western ghats.)

Part of Tiger range and potential tiger habitat.

Human elephant conflict

Will be the first Sanctuary in the Eastern Ghat landscape(?)

Relieve the pressure on these forests caused by exploitation of forests by humans for fodder and fuel. This is a development issue, and probably all causes of forest degradation in the Melagiris are rooted here.

Strengthen the arm of the forest department by capacity building especially in the lower rungs that matter in the field and sensitizing other arms of the government administration to the cause of conservation.

Advocacy of Melagiris as an important bio-diversity reserve. The first step in this direction is pressing for the declaration of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary (TN).

Questions ?