Sigur Plateau
Encyclopedia
Sigur Plateau is a plateau
in the north and east of Nilgiri District in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu
, South India
. It covers the 778.8 square kilometres (300.7 sq mi) portion of the Moyar River drainage basin
on the northern slopes of the Nilgiri Hills, south of the Moyar River.
The Sigur Plateau is notable as an important wildlife corridor
maintaining connectivity between the Western Ghats
and the Eastern Ghats
to sustain elephant and tiger numbers and their genetic diversity
.
It is an important link between several contiguous protected areas forming the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
, the largest protected forest area in India. This area supports over 6,300 elephants,
that represents the largest single population of elephants
and tigers
in India.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
, which includes Sigur Plateau and the Nilgiri Hills, is part of the UNESCO
World Network of Biosphere Reserves
. The Western Ghats
, the Nilgiri Sub-Cluster ( more than 6000 square kilometres (2,316.6 sq mi)), including all of Mudumalai National Park
and the reserve forests of the Sigur Plateau, is under consideration by the UNESCO
World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site
. A proposal has been initiated to notify Sigur and adjoining forest areas as a wildlife sanctuary for Vultures.
the India
n Minister of State for Environment and Forests asked Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi for the Tamil Nadu government to favourably consider a proposal from his ministry to declare the Sigur Plateau in the Nilgiris as a buffer zone
of the Mudumalai National Park.
In 1954, the tiger was still classified as vermin in the Nilgiri Hills. As agriculture expanded and tiger habitat shrank, Tamil Nadu stopped all tiger hunting in the Sigur reserve in 1965.
In 1954, a young man-eating
male Bengal tiger
named the "Tiger of Segur
" killed 5 people between Sigur and Anaikatty villages in the Sigur Plateau.
In May 1859, a small monthly sanction was granted by the Government for the conservation and working of Sigur Forest. With only a small a sum to commence with, it was some time before any wood could be collected. However, the means for working the forest on a larger scale were obtained by an early sale of sandal wood,
However by this time the Conservator of Forests of Madras Presidency
, Dr. Hugh Cleghorn
stated that "This forest has been much exhausted by a succession of unscrupulous contractors, and there is very little teak
or Bombay Blackwood
(Rosewood) at present fit for felling. It is important that the forest should be allowed to recover, as it is the main source of supply to Utakamund
for house-building purposes. "
In the late 1700s, Tipu Sultan
maintained a fort and trading route between the Kingdom of Mysore
and Travancore
, along the Moyar River here.
s of the Nilgiris North Forest Division, the 321 km² (123.9 sq mi) Mudumalai National Park
and about 16.2 km² (6.3 sq mi) of private lands.
The Nilgiris North Forest Division includes the Sigur Range 257.3 km² (99.3 sq mi), Coonoor Range176.7 km² (68.2 sq mi) and the Udhagai North Range 14.3 km² (5.5 sq mi), which are in turn divided into the Kambatti
reserve forest, the Sigur reserve forest, the Kalhatti Slopes reserve forest, the Singara reserve forest, Bokkapuram reserve forest, Moyar reserve forest and Northern Hay reserve forest.
Sigur Plateau is located adjoining the Bandipur National Park
to the northwest, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to the west, and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary and Nilgiris East ranges to the east. The north side of the plateau is defined by the Moyar River and the 260 metres (853 ft) deep Moyar Gorge.
South of the Sigur Plateau is the higher Nilgiris Plateau.
Across the Moyar River, the Sigur Plateau is adjacent on the north to the Mysore Plateau, referred to as the Talamalai Range, bordered on the west by Nilgiri District, north by Mysore District
, east by the Sattyamangalam Range and south by the Moyar River and Gorge.
Elevation in the plateau ranges from 280 metres (919 ft) at the Bhavani Sagar Reservoir
and increases in the west to 1880 metres (6,168 ft) at Konabetta Peak (Sigur Peak).
The five major streams in the Sigur plateau are the Moyar River, the Sigur River, the Avarahalla River, the Kedarhalla River and the Gundattihalla River, which originate in the Nilgiris plateau.
The Sigur Plateau is an important watershed area for the Cauvery River and its ecological health is important to the many people dependent on the Cauvery.
The Sigur Ghat Road (SH 67) crosses the Sigur Plateau for 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) from Ooty to Theppakadu.
, part of the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
ecoregion
in the west part of Sigur, while the eastern part has morethorn scrub forests
. Along the river and stream courses, there are dense shola
, or dwarf moist deciduous forest in both the west and east parts of the plateau. Some of the higher elevations of the plateau have montane grassland habitats.
The Sigur river valley acts as a crucial micro-habitat for herbivores, especially elephants, guar
and sambar and carnivores such as tiger, leopard
, wild dog
(dhole), sloth bear
and striped hyaena for feeding, resting and denning. Smaller carnivores such as palm civet, small Indian civet
, jungle cat
, jackal
and several species of mongoose
also use this valley intensively for feeding, resting and denning.
Of the nine species of Vultures which exist in India, the critically endangered
White-rumped Vulture, Long-billed Vulture
and King Vulture (or) Red-headed Vulture
and the endangered
Egyptian Vulture
have been documented in the forests of Nilgiris Eastern Ghats
landscape, which comprises the Sigur and Moyar Valleys. A proposal has been initiated to notify Sigur and adjoining forest areas as a wildlife sanctuary for Vultures.
, the entire area has the highest elephant population in India. The Sigur Plateau contains several discrete elephant migration corridors, including: Kallar Elephant Corridor, Anaikatty Elephant Corridor, Vazhikadavu Elephant Corridor, Glencorin Elephant Corridor, Kaniyanpura - Moyar Elephant Corridor, Masinagudi-Moyar Elephant Corridor, Singara-Masinagudi Elephant Corridor, Mavinhalla-Chemmanatham Elephant Corridor and Greater Moyar Valley Corridor.
In 2010, Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Environment and Forests, stated to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu that "adding the Segur Plateau as a buffer to Mudumalai would strengthen the population status of tiger, its co-predators and prey in the landscape".
The Tamil Nadu state government will initiate efforts to declare The Sigur Plateau as a buffer zone
to Mudumalai National Park due to its importance as a wildlife corridor
between the Western ghats
and the Eastern Ghats
. This sanctuary declaration is expected to bolster wildlife conservation efforts, as the sanctuary managers will get financial support from the central government under Project Tiger
.
, Masinagudi, Boothanatham, Mavanhalla, Bokkapuram, Hundi Moyar, Singhara, Tippakadu, Siriyur, Chamanatham and Kurumbarpallam.
The forests of Sigur, Singara and Nilgiris East ranges were also the territory of the notororius Indian bandit Koose Muniswamy Veerapan, who made a living poaching
ivory
and sandalwood
from the forests and selling them on the black market. Much to the relief of local residents, officials and tourists, Veerapan was killed by police in October 2004.
There are several major threats to the Sigur area caused mostly by expanding human population.These are cattle grazing, coffee and tea plantations and other crops cultivation, private tourist resorts, Invasive weeds
, fuel wood collection, non-timber forest products (NTFP) collection, legal status of the corridor, and vehicular traffic particularly during night hours.An estimated 1,801 tons of firewood are collected from the Sigur Plateau annually. Weed species, especially Lantana camara but also Parthenium
, Stachytarpheta
indica, Dodonaea viscosa
, Euphorbia antiquorum, and Opuntia dillennii
are widely distributed and are invading and degrading the quality of forage
on the plateau. The major impact of private resorts on the corridor areas are: fragmentation and destruction of habitats due to invasion of unpalatable weeds, loss of forest connectivity between habitats due new buildings construction and agriculture fields, including installation of barbed wire and electric fences, increasing rate of dependence by local communities on natural resources for fuel wood collection, cattle grazing, fresh water supply and waste disposal.
There are many visitor attractions in the Mudumalai park. Scenic spots are the Chief Minister’s Watchtower, the view point at Kargudi, the Ombetta Lake and the Safari Van rides on Sand Road, Circular Road, Manradiar Road, Jayadev Avenue and Bombax Road. The public roads: Kakkanalli – Torapalli road, Teppakkadu – Masanagudi road and Moyar – Masanagudi road are also rewarding places to see wild life in the Sanctuary. The Moyar River running through a dense forest is a good place to see animals when they come to drink water from the river. The Moyar River Gorge, also called the Moyar Canyon, is a dramatic 20 km (12.4 mi) long gorge which plunges into the gorge below Theppakadu in a roaring water-fall popularly known as Moyar falls.
Good wildlife sighting opportunities are the Elephant Safari and Van Safari, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department
departing from park headquarters at Theppakadu. One can interact with working elephants and see how they are fed at the Elephant Feeding Camp in Theppakadu. The captive elephants in the sanctuary are no longer used for timber extraction work. The elephants are now engaged mainly for Eco-tourism, patrolling for anti poaching operations, to control Man-Elephant conflict outside the sanctuary and as a conservation and training center for elephants which can be visited by public. Specimens of some animals who once lived in the Mudumalai Jungle are preserved in a museum near the Elephant feeding camp. Kallatty falls, located30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Theppakadu, is a beautiful waterfalls with a breathtaking view.
There are at least 66 tourist resort
s catering to wildlife tourism
, especially in the areas of Masinagudi and Bokkapuram. Other important tourist villages are Chadpatti, Mavanhalla, Valaithottum and Singara. There are also many unauthorised small homestay
s operating. Tourist facilities in these six villages cover 791 acre (3.2 km²). Half of
the facilities charge less than Rs 500 per night. In 2008, close to 73,000 people stayed at the tourist resorts on the Sigur Plateau with around 58% of these tourists coming just to see the wildlife. Of the 55 tourist facilities on the plateau only two had legally run bars, however, most of the facilities do serve alcohol to their guests. 69% of private facilities have a boundary connection to government revenue land or reserve forest and 91% are fenced, usually with electrified fence
. There are 11 government tourist facilities within Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary or within reserve forest or revenue land and none of them are fenced.
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
in the north and east of Nilgiri District in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
. It covers the 778.8 square kilometres (300.7 sq mi) portion of the Moyar River drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
on the northern slopes of the Nilgiri Hills, south of the Moyar River.
The Sigur Plateau is notable as an important wildlife corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
maintaining connectivity between the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
to sustain elephant and tiger numbers and their genetic diversity
Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity, the level of biodiversity, refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary....
.
It is an important link between several contiguous protected areas forming the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats, Nilgiri Hills range of South India. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster , conjoining the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World...
, the largest protected forest area in India. This area supports over 6,300 elephants,
that represents the largest single population of elephants
Indian Elephant
The Indian Elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to mainland Asia. Since 1986, Elephas maximus has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years...
and tigers
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
in India.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats, Nilgiri Hills range of South India. The Western Ghats, Nilgiri Sub-Cluster , conjoining the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is under consideration by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for selection as a World...
, which includes Sigur Plateau and the Nilgiri Hills, is part of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Network of Biosphere Reserves
World Network of Biosphere Reserves
The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves covers internationally-designated protected areas, known as biosphere reserves, that are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between man and nature The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves covers internationally-designated protected...
. The Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
, the Nilgiri Sub-Cluster ( more than 6000 square kilometres (2,316.6 sq mi)), including all of Mudumalai National Park
Mudumalai National Park
The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Tamil:முதுமலை வனவிலங்கு காப்பகம், now also declared a Tiger Reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills , in Nilgiri District, about north-west of Coimbatore in the westernmost part of Tamil Nadu, on the interstate boundaries with...
and the reserve forests of the Sigur Plateau, is under consideration by the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Committee for selection as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. A proposal has been initiated to notify Sigur and adjoining forest areas as a wildlife sanctuary for Vultures.
History
On August 26, 2010, Jairam RameshJairam Ramesh
Jairam Ramesh born April 9, 1954, is an Indian economist and an influential politician of the Congress Party in the United Progressive Alliance ruling coalition of center-left political parties heading the Government of India. He is a Member of Parliament representing Andhra Pradesh state in the...
the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Minister of State for Environment and Forests asked Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi for the Tamil Nadu government to favourably consider a proposal from his ministry to declare the Sigur Plateau in the Nilgiris as a buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
of the Mudumalai National Park.
In 1954, the tiger was still classified as vermin in the Nilgiri Hills. As agriculture expanded and tiger habitat shrank, Tamil Nadu stopped all tiger hunting in the Sigur reserve in 1965.
In 1954, a young man-eating
Man-eater
Man-eater is a colloquial term for an animal that preys upon humans. This does not include scavenging. Although human beings can be attacked by many kinds of animals, man-eaters are those that have incorporated human flesh into their usual diet...
male Bengal tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
named the "Tiger of Segur
Tiger of Segur
The Tiger of Segur was a young man-eating male Bengal tiger. Though originating in the District of Malabar-Wynaad below the south-western face of the Blue Mountains, the tiger would later shift its hunting grounds to Gudalur and between Segur and Anaikutty...
" killed 5 people between Sigur and Anaikatty villages in the Sigur Plateau.
In May 1859, a small monthly sanction was granted by the Government for the conservation and working of Sigur Forest. With only a small a sum to commence with, it was some time before any wood could be collected. However, the means for working the forest on a larger scale were obtained by an early sale of sandal wood,
However by this time the Conservator of Forests of Madras Presidency
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency , officially the Presidency of Fort St. George and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision of British India...
, Dr. Hugh Cleghorn
Hugh Francis Cleghorn
Hugh Francis Clarke Cleghorn of Stravithie was a pioneering Scottish physician, botanist and forester who worked in India...
stated that "This forest has been much exhausted by a succession of unscrupulous contractors, and there is very little teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
or Bombay Blackwood
Dalbergia latifolia
Dalbergia latifolia is an economically important timber species native to low elevation tropical monsoon forests of eastern India...
(Rosewood) at present fit for felling. It is important that the forest should be allowed to recover, as it is the main source of supply to Utakamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
for house-building purposes. "
In the late 1700s, Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
maintained a fort and trading route between the Kingdom of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
and Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, along the Moyar River here.
Geography
Sigur Plateau comprises about 448.3 km² (173.1 sq mi) reserve forestReserve forest
You may be looking for forest reserve, a generic term associated with protected forest areas, which is also used as a specific term for protected forests in some countries...
s of the Nilgiris North Forest Division, the 321 km² (123.9 sq mi) Mudumalai National Park
Mudumalai National Park
The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary Tamil:முதுமலை வனவிலங்கு காப்பகம், now also declared a Tiger Reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills , in Nilgiri District, about north-west of Coimbatore in the westernmost part of Tamil Nadu, on the interstate boundaries with...
and about 16.2 km² (6.3 sq mi) of private lands.
The Nilgiris North Forest Division includes the Sigur Range 257.3 km² (99.3 sq mi), Coonoor Range176.7 km² (68.2 sq mi) and the Udhagai North Range 14.3 km² (5.5 sq mi), which are in turn divided into the Kambatti
Badaga Hattis
Source: Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash in http://badaga.wordpress.com/badaga-villages-nakku-betta-hattis/Badaga Hatti, is a village or hamlet spread around the Nilgiri Hills,a Tamil Nadu district, in Southern India...
reserve forest, the Sigur reserve forest, the Kalhatti Slopes reserve forest, the Singara reserve forest, Bokkapuram reserve forest, Moyar reserve forest and Northern Hay reserve forest.
Sigur Plateau is located adjoining the Bandipur National Park
Bandipur National Park
Bandipur National Park is one of India's best known protected areas and is an important Project Tiger reserve. It is located in the Chamarajanagar district of southern Karnataka in South India,...
to the northwest, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary to the west, and Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary and Nilgiris East ranges to the east. The north side of the plateau is defined by the Moyar River and the 260 metres (853 ft) deep Moyar Gorge.
South of the Sigur Plateau is the higher Nilgiris Plateau.
Across the Moyar River, the Sigur Plateau is adjacent on the north to the Mysore Plateau, referred to as the Talamalai Range, bordered on the west by Nilgiri District, north by Mysore District
Mysore district
Mysore District is an administrative district located in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. The district is bounded by Mandya district to the northeast, Chamrajanagar district to the southeast, Kerala state to the south, Kodagu district to the west, and Hassan district to the north...
, east by the Sattyamangalam Range and south by the Moyar River and Gorge.
Elevation in the plateau ranges from 280 metres (919 ft) at the Bhavani Sagar Reservoir
Bhavanisagar Dam
The Bhavanisagar Dam and Reservoir, also called Lower Bhavani Dam, is located on the Bhavani River between Mettupalayam and Sathyamangalam in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, South India...
and increases in the west to 1880 metres (6,168 ft) at Konabetta Peak (Sigur Peak).
The five major streams in the Sigur plateau are the Moyar River, the Sigur River, the Avarahalla River, the Kedarhalla River and the Gundattihalla River, which originate in the Nilgiris plateau.
The Sigur Plateau is an important watershed area for the Cauvery River and its ecological health is important to the many people dependent on the Cauvery.
The Sigur Ghat Road (SH 67) crosses the Sigur Plateau for 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) from Ooty to Theppakadu.
Climate
The Sigur region is known for its moderate and pleasant climate. Average daytime temperatures vary from 32 °C (89.6 °F) in summer to 20 °C (68 °F) in Winter. Rainfall is locally variable, with the western part of the plateau lying in a rain shadow region, receiving less than 500 millimetres (19.7 in) annually, while the east part receives more than 1000 millimetres (39.4 in) of rainfall.Flora and fauna
Due to rainfall differences, there are tropical dry deciduous forestTropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons...
, part of the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
The South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests is a dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of southern India. The ecoregion lies in the southern Deccan Plateau, within the Western Ghats' rain shadow. It receives of rain annually, much less than the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests and South...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
in the west part of Sigur, while the eastern part has morethorn scrub forests
Deccan thorn scrub forests
The Deccan thorn scrub forests is a xeric shrubland ecoregion of India and northernmost Sri Lanka, a large area that was once forest and home to large numbers of elephants and tigers.-Location and description:...
. Along the river and stream courses, there are dense shola
Shola
Sholas are patches of stunted evergreen tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest found in valleys amid rolling grassland in the higher montane regions of South India. These patches of shola forest are found mainly in the valleys and are usually separated from one another by undulating...
, or dwarf moist deciduous forest in both the west and east parts of the plateau. Some of the higher elevations of the plateau have montane grassland habitats.
The Sigur river valley acts as a crucial micro-habitat for herbivores, especially elephants, guar
Guar
The guar/guwar/guvar bean or cluster bean is an annual legume and the source of guar gum. It grows best under conditions with frequent rainfall, but tolerates arid conditions well. About 80% of world production occurs in India, but, due to strong demand, the plant is being introduced into new areas...
and sambar and carnivores such as tiger, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, wild dog
Dhole
The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
(dhole), sloth bear
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
and striped hyaena for feeding, resting and denning. Smaller carnivores such as palm civet, small Indian civet
Small Indian Civet
The Small Indian Civet or Rasse is a species of civet found across south and South-east Asia as well as in the Indonesian archipelago. The Assamese name Johamaal refers to its glandular odour similar to a scented rice variety called Joha...
, jungle cat
Jungle Cat
The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....
, jackal
Jackal
Although the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
and several species of mongoose
Mongoose
Mongoose are a family of 33 living species of small carnivorans from southern Eurasia and mainland Africa. Four additional species from Madagascar in the subfamily Galidiinae, which were previously classified in this family, are also referred to as "mongooses" or "mongoose-like"...
also use this valley intensively for feeding, resting and denning.
Of the nine species of Vultures which exist in India, the critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
White-rumped Vulture, Long-billed Vulture
Long-billed Vulture
The Indian Vulture is an Old World vulture and is closely related to the Griffon Vulture, G. fulvus. It breeds mainly on hilly crags in central and peninsular India. The birds in the northern part of its range once considered a subspecies are now considered a separate species, the Slender-billed...
and King Vulture (or) Red-headed Vulture
Red-headed Vulture
The Red-headed Vulture , also known as the Asian King Vulture, Indian Black Vulture or Pondicherry Vulture,-Description:...
and the endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
Egyptian Vulture
Egyptian Vulture
The Egyptian Vulture is a small Old World vulture, found widely distributed from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to southern Asia. It is the only living member of the genus Neophron. It has sometimes also been known as the White Scavenger Vulture or Pharaoh's Chicken...
have been documented in the forests of Nilgiris Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
landscape, which comprises the Sigur and Moyar Valleys. A proposal has been initiated to notify Sigur and adjoining forest areas as a wildlife sanctuary for Vultures.
Conservation
The Sigur Plateau has played a significant role in the mixing of elephant populations in the Western and Eastern Ghats. There is a considerable gene flow between the nearly 2,000 elephants in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the 1,800 in the Eastern Ghats, especially Sathyamangalam. Due to the Sigur wildlife corridorWildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
, the entire area has the highest elephant population in India. The Sigur Plateau contains several discrete elephant migration corridors, including: Kallar Elephant Corridor, Anaikatty Elephant Corridor, Vazhikadavu Elephant Corridor, Glencorin Elephant Corridor, Kaniyanpura - Moyar Elephant Corridor, Masinagudi-Moyar Elephant Corridor, Singara-Masinagudi Elephant Corridor, Mavinhalla-Chemmanatham Elephant Corridor and Greater Moyar Valley Corridor.
In 2010, Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Environment and Forests, stated to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu that "adding the Segur Plateau as a buffer to Mudumalai would strengthen the population status of tiger, its co-predators and prey in the landscape".
The Tamil Nadu state government will initiate efforts to declare The Sigur Plateau as a buffer zone
Buffer zone
A buffer zone is generally a zonal area that lies between two or more other areas , but depending on the type of buffer zone, the reason for it may be to segregate regions or to conjoin them....
to Mudumalai National Park due to its importance as a wildlife corridor
Wildlife corridor
A wildlife corridor or green corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities . This allows an exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur within...
between the Western ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
and the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
. This sanctuary declaration is expected to bolster wildlife conservation efforts, as the sanctuary managers will get financial support from the central government under Project Tiger
Project Tiger
Project Tiger was launched in 1972 in India. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of tigers in their natural habitats and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the people. The selection of areas for the reserves represented as close as possible the...
.
Culture
These forests are home to indigenous tribal people belonging largely to the Kasaba sub-group of the Irular community. There are several tribal villages in the Sigur plateau. They include, from east to west: Sigur, Anaikatti, Chokkanalli, Vazhaithottam, SholurSholur
Sholur is a panchayat town in The Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.-Demographics: India census, Sholur had a population of 11,297. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Sholur has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male...
, Masinagudi, Boothanatham, Mavanhalla, Bokkapuram, Hundi Moyar, Singhara, Tippakadu, Siriyur, Chamanatham and Kurumbarpallam.
The forests of Sigur, Singara and Nilgiris East ranges were also the territory of the notororius Indian bandit Koose Muniswamy Veerapan, who made a living poaching
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
and sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
from the forests and selling them on the black market. Much to the relief of local residents, officials and tourists, Veerapan was killed by police in October 2004.
Threats
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
, fuel wood collection, non-timber forest products (NTFP) collection, legal status of the corridor, and vehicular traffic particularly during night hours.An estimated 1,801 tons of firewood are collected from the Sigur Plateau annually. Weed species, especially Lantana camara but also Parthenium
Parthenium
Parthenium is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae. The name is derived from either the Greek word παρθένος , meaning "virgin," or παρθένιον , an ancient name for a plant. Members of the genus are commonly known as feverfew. Notable species include Guayule and P...
, Stachytarpheta
Stachytarpheta
Stachytarpheta is a plant genus in the verbena family . The flowers are rich in nectar and popular with many butterflies, such as the South Asian Crimson Rose , Malabar Banded Swallowtail , and Grass Yellow .-Selected species:* Stachytarpheta cayennensis* Stachytarpheta indica*...
indica, Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa
Dodonaea viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, that has a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, the Americas, southern Asia and Australasia.-Description:...
, Euphorbia antiquorum, and Opuntia dillennii
Opuntia stricta
Opuntia stricta is a species of cactus from southern North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Common names include Erect Prickly Pear and Nopal Estricto ....
are widely distributed and are invading and degrading the quality of forage
Forage
Forage is plant material eaten by grazing livestock.Historically the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially...
on the plateau. The major impact of private resorts on the corridor areas are: fragmentation and destruction of habitats due to invasion of unpalatable weeds, loss of forest connectivity between habitats due new buildings construction and agriculture fields, including installation of barbed wire and electric fences, increasing rate of dependence by local communities on natural resources for fuel wood collection, cattle grazing, fresh water supply and waste disposal.
Visitor activities
Good wildlife sighting opportunities are the Elephant Safari and Van Safari, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department
Tamil Nadu Forest Department
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department was established as the Madras Forest Department in 1855 by Dr. Hugh Francis Cleghorn, "the father of scientific forestry in India". The department is responsible for managing all the protected areas and forests plus environmental and wildlife related issues of Tamil...
departing from park headquarters at Theppakadu. One can interact with working elephants and see how they are fed at the Elephant Feeding Camp in Theppakadu. The captive elephants in the sanctuary are no longer used for timber extraction work. The elephants are now engaged mainly for Eco-tourism, patrolling for anti poaching operations, to control Man-Elephant conflict outside the sanctuary and as a conservation and training center for elephants which can be visited by public. Specimens of some animals who once lived in the Mudumalai Jungle are preserved in a museum near the Elephant feeding camp. Kallatty falls, located30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from Theppakadu, is a beautiful waterfalls with a breathtaking view.
There are at least 66 tourist resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
s catering to wildlife tourism
Wildlife tourism
Wildlife tourism can be an eco and animal friendly tourism, usually showing animals in their natural habitat. Wildlife tourism, in its simplest sense, is watching wild animals in their natural habitat...
, especially in the areas of Masinagudi and Bokkapuram. Other important tourist villages are Chadpatti, Mavanhalla, Valaithottum and Singara. There are also many unauthorised small homestay
Homestay
Homestay is a form of tourism and/or study abroad program that allows the visitor to rent a room from a local family to better learn the local lifestyle as well as improve their language ability. While homestays can occur in any destination worldwide, some countries do more to encourage homestay...
s operating. Tourist facilities in these six villages cover 791 acre (3.2 km²). Half of
the facilities charge less than Rs 500 per night. In 2008, close to 73,000 people stayed at the tourist resorts on the Sigur Plateau with around 58% of these tourists coming just to see the wildlife. Of the 55 tourist facilities on the plateau only two had legally run bars, however, most of the facilities do serve alcohol to their guests. 69% of private facilities have a boundary connection to government revenue land or reserve forest and 91% are fenced, usually with electrified fence
Electric fence
An electric fence is a barrier that uses electric shocks to deter animals or people from crossing a boundary. The voltage of the shock may have effects ranging from uncomfortable, to painful or even lethal...
. There are 11 government tourist facilities within Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary or within reserve forest or revenue land and none of them are fenced.
External links
- 12 maps of Sigur Plateau
- land use map of Sigur Plateau
- geography map of Sigur Plateau
- & settlements map of Sigur Plateau
- Rivers and streams (halla) map of Sigur Plateau
- Forests & land use map of Sigur Plateau
- Villages map of Sigur Plateau
- Wells & GLR's map of Sigur Plateau
- availability in villages map of Sigur Plateau
- Jenu Kurumba tribe villages map of Sigur Plateau
- Report – Study on Water Resources in the Sigur Plateau
