Copious summer rain in core reserves cheer up wildlife managers

Forest fires and wildlife conflicts will reduce due to the rains. “We are expecting the rains to continue for the next few days so that the ungulates like elephants, gaur and Sambhar return back to the higher altitudes in the tiger reserves,” a senior wildlife official monitoring the summer management schedule of the Forest Department said.

“Currently the rainforests in TN located in Valparai, Mudumalai and Megamalai are recording good rains and this is good for the breeding of lion-tailed macaque and deer population giving the canopy and scrub jungle protection for them from the predators,” another Forest Department official said.

Spells of forest fires were reported in parts of Kurangani, Megamalai, Manimutharu and Jawadhu hills along the Eastern Ghats. The recent spells of rain are a relief to Western Ghats. However, the situation in Eastern Ghats connecting Sathyamangalam, Pachamalai are still vulnerable to forest fires, the official noted stating that the grassland habitats in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai were devastated in the forest fires in April.

“We are waiting for summer rains in this region so that the grassland start regeneration. The foresters are also hoping good spells of rain in The Nilgiris and Upper Carvery region by next month. So that the Burilayar, Moyar, Thala Cauvery, Bhavani start flowing filling up the reservoirs downstream, the official said.

According to the weekly weather report updates (ending on May 12) with the Regional Meteorological Department, Chennai large excess rainfalls had been recorded in Coimbatore, Kanniyakumari, Madurai, Ranipet, Theni, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar districts.

Tirunelveli comprising Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve and Tiruvarur district had also received excess rainfall in the past one week.

Tamil Nadu Water and drainage board managers and Tamil Nadu foresters are also enthralled over the fresh spells in the western region bringing inflow into the reservoirs and waterfalls in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kodaikanal.

According to wildlife and PWD sources, of the four tiger reserves housing the major dams in the state, two Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger (KMTR) reserve had received mild to good rains in the past five days. Kotagiri, Coonoor, Bikketi, Gudalur the catchment areas for Moyar and Buraliyar river received rains in the MTR region. Similarly, Papanasam and Manimutharu range coming under KMTR also received rains increasing the inflow into the Tamirabharani river. However, the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Erode received poor rainfall.