ELEPHANTS

Division - Nilgiri South Location - Nilgiri District - Tamil Nadu Area - NA Status - Territorial Forest Division Latitude - 11°11' - 11°3' N Longitude - 76°27' - 76°52' E Min Elevation - 1500 m Max Elevation - 2635 m Highest Peak - Doddabetta (2635 m) Min Rainfall - 1000 mm Max Rainfall - 4000 mm

Geography

The division forms a contiguous and compact block lying in the southern sector of the Nilgiris District. The track is divided by the Nilgiri plateau and the south-eastern outer slopes.

Boundary

North : Nilgiri North forest division South : Silent Valley NP and Attapadi RF East : Udhagamandalam town West : Mukurthi NP

Elephant Population - 23 (very few resident elephants) Census 1993

Conservation Problems

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) has occupied a large area of the reserved forest in connection with the execution of various hydroelectric projects. These projects have fragmented the forest and have caused much disturbance. The greater demand for fuelwood has led to the conversion of grasslands into plantation areas. Forest produce of the division has been set apart for South India Viscose, Tan India Wattle Extract Company and Sesh Sayee Paper and Boards. The demand for forest products by these industries and fuelwood demand by the tea industries have reduced the quality of the habitat. Most of the areas under the division fall under tea and potato cultivation. These activities have fragmented and made the habitat unsuitable. Forest fire occurs frequently in some parts of the division, mainly in the grasslands.

Conservation Priorities

The proposal to bring some of the areas of this division under Mukurthi National Park has to be given priority.

Other Information

Crop raids / year - 8 Fragmentation index - 2.45 Population - 23 Elephant Distribution Area - 76 km2 Endemic Species - 35 Poaching / Year - 0 Corridors - 0 Preferred Habitat Area - 0 Rare Vegetation Area - 17.6 km2