Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary established on 14 January 1987 under Section 18 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1973, is spread over an area of It lies in an elevation range of ("Ponnachi Betta" is the highest mountain in the centre of the sanctuary The river forms the interstate boundary between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states over a river reach of with dense forests on both banks. The sanctuary is named after the Cauvery River which flows through it over a total length of . Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is managed by the Deputy Conservator of Forests with four wildlife ranges at Kanakapura, Hanur, Cowdally and MM Hills wildlife ranges. The reserve forests, which are part of the sanctuary, are Basavanabetta S.F with , Chilandavadi S.F with , Muggur S.F , Chikkayalur S.F , and Mahadeswara Reserve Forest (. The boundary of the sanctuary is well demarcated with the surrounding border areas consisting of agricultural lands and forests; the bordering forest areas are: the Kollegal forest division to its west and south, Mandya and Ramanagaram forest divisions to its north, and Dharmapuri Forest division of Tamil Nadu state to its east. Human habitation inside the sanctuary and within radius of the sanctuary consists of eight enclosed villages and 30 villages respectively with a total population of 39,000 whose main occupation is agriculture. Along the boundary of the sanctuary, a trench is excavated to prevent elephant migration to neighbouring villages and to check damage to agricultural lands. ==Climate==

The sanctuary has a semi-arid climate, where the average temperatures are a minimum of and maximum of , and during summer it touches a maximum of . The sanctuary receives rainfall both during the Northeast monsoon and Southwest monsoon. The rainfall varies between and . ==Biology and ecology==

The sanctuary mainly consists of dry deciduous forest, southern tropical dry thorn and riverine forests. Hardwickia binata and Albizia amara are the dominant forest types. There is hardly any vegetation in the northwestern part while good forests exist in the rest of the sanctuary. Indian elephant (Elephas maximus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), Indian leopard (Panthera pardus),Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), dhole, spotted deer (Axis axis), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), sambar (Cervus unicolor), four-horned antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis), black-naped hare (Lepus nigricollis), chevrotain, common langur, bonnet macaque, honey badger, Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica maxima), grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) The smooth-coated otter sites in the sanctuary's river reach were specifically studied. It was noted that the otters inhabited riverine areas which were loosely packed sand and rock without compacted sand, rocks, gravel, and plant cover. Avifauna The sanctuary is listed as an IBA assessed bird area by the BirdLife International in 2004 which extends over the same semiarid area as the sanctuary. The two most endangered species in the sanctuary are Gyps species of vultures – the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Indian vulture (Gyps indicus). The four vulnerable species reported are Nilgiri wood-pigeon (Columba elphinstonii), greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga), white-naped tit (Parus nuchalis) and yellow-throated bulbul (Pycnonotus xantholaemus). Other bird species reported are 25 species of Malayan Tropical Dry Zone which includes the near threatened red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus). Some notable resident species here include brown boobook (Ninox scutulata), white-bellied blue-flycatcher (Cyornis pallipes), stork-billed kingfisher (Pelagorpsis capensis), green imperial-pigeon (Ducula aenea) and Indian scops-owl (Otus bakkamoena). There is a very notable, disjunct population of lesser fish-eagles in the sanctuary. This species is harder to find elsewhere across peninsular India. ==Threats==

The threats faced in the sanctuary have been recorded to be mostly of recent origin and of low intensity. These low level threats are related to farming and fishing activities, use of forest resources in the form of logging, tree harvesting, extraction of minor forest produce, least degree of recreational disturbance from human activities and low level of natural changes in the form of water harvesting structures. Upstream water impoundments have resulted in very low flows even in monsoon seasons, and dam releases introduce cold, low mineral content water at unpredictable times, all of which impact on riverine species. Still, the threats from exploitation of biological resources in the form of hunting and capture of animals is assessed as high. ==Conservation measures==

Conservation measures in force in the sanctuary are in the form of patrolling on foot and in jeeps, and functioning of 11 moving anti-poaching camps; two permanent camps have been proposed. Drinking water to wild animals are provided through building of water conservation structures. Fire lines are cut and burnt well in advance before the beginning of the forest fire season; fire lines are created and dry material burnt. Fire watchers are stationed at strategic locations. and Muthathi, Sangam and Mekedatu in the Kanakapura Wildlife Range, Gopinatham and Hogenakal falls of M.M.Hills Wildlife Range. Administrative set up has been proposed to be reorganized with additional staff. Improvement of patrolling paths has been envisaged. To increase awareness among the general public publicity pamphlets are planned, apart from fixing signages and plaques with information on the importance of preservation of wildlife of the sanctuary. ==References==