Latest news with #NithinLal
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Controlled burning ensures food security for Nilgiri tahrs in Eravikulam
In a strategic move to protect both wildlife and local communities, Eravikulam National Park (ENP) — the natural habitat of the endangered Nilgiri tahr — has embraced the controlled burning of grasslands. As fresh grass carpets the hills, wild animals find ample food, and the once-rising cases of human-animal conflict in Munnar are now on the decline. ENP assistant wildlife warden Nithin Lal said that this year, the Forest department conducted controlled burning on nearly 750 hectares. 'The controlled burning process starts in December and is completed in January. After the summer rain, hills where controlled burning was carried out changes into green carpets,' said the official. 'Every three years, the grass in the grasslands of ENP will become unsuitable for grazing. Nilgiri tahr and other animals will not feed on such grass. At that point, controlled burning will be carried out to ensure food security,' said Mr. Lal. 'Newborn Nilgiri tahr calves are eating the newly-grown grass from the grasslands. Controlled burning also ensures food security for wild elephants, including other animals in the Munnar landscape,' said the official. Since three decades According to officials, the Forest department started the process in Eravikulam around 30 years ago, based on the know-how from the tribal communities. According to Forest department sources, after the new grass grew following controlled burning on the hills, the wild animals, including wild elephants begin camping on the grasslands, which also reflects the reduction of human-animal conflict cases in Munnar. The Forest department, in association with the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) and the Scheduled Tribe Development department, has launched an initiative called 'Gothrabheri' to use tribal knowledge to mitigate human-animal conflict incidents in the State and also highlighted the importance of controlled burning. 'Gothrabheri' State nodal officer Raju K. Francis said that tribal population across Kerala an immediate tool to mitigate human-animal conflict cases in forest border areas. 'Controlled burning should be conducted inside forests in an emergency manner,' said Mr. Francis.
The Hindu
23-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Joint Nilgiri tahr census from Thursday; grasslands, rocky terrain of ENP attract tahrs
A four-day interstate Nilgiri tahr census will begin on Thursday (April 24). According to Forest department officers, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will jointly conduct the census from April 24 to 27. Minister for Forests A.K. Saseendran said that the Forest department had already completed all arrangements for the survey. Eravikulam National Park (ENP) Assistant Wildlife Warden Nithin Lal said that the grasslands and rocky hills were the most favourable habitat for the Nilgiri tahr. 'At the ENP, the grasslands ensure food availability for Nilgiri tahrs. It is the major reason why the ENP continues to be the major habitat for Nilgiri tahrs in the State,' said Mr. Lal. According to the Forest department officers, Nilgiri tahrs prefer grasslands, shola forests and steep rocky terrains. 'The ENP carries out controlled burning in its grasslands and the fresh grass that grows afterwards ensures food for the calves. Earlier, the presence of Nilgiri tahrs was noticed in the Munnar forest division areas. But after the planting of exotic varieties there, the food availability for the Nilgiri tahrs reduced, and they moved away from these areas. The proposed Neelakurinji sanctuary areas in Vattavada and Kottakkamboor are also filled with exotic species, and surveys have recorded very low presence of Nilgiri tahrs in these areas,' said a Forest department source. 'Once Nilgiri tahrs were found in most parts of the Western Ghats. But due to habitat destruction, the presence of tahrs is now limited to isolated areas,' said the source. 100 new births According to officials, in this calving season, over 100 new births have been reported in the ENP. Munnar wildlife warden K.V. Harikrishnan said that in the previous census, 817 tahrs and 144 calves were found in the ENP. Chief Wildlife Warden Pramod G. Krishnan said that camera traps would be deployed and pellet samples would be collected from selected blocks for scientific analysis, including studies on genetic variation. Officials said that Pramod P.P., field director of the Periyar Tiger Reserve, had been appointed as the nodal officer for the census. Officials from the Forest department stated that the joint survey was being taken up to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the ENP.
