Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary

Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary

Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary is a 402.4 km2 (155.4 sq mi) protected area in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu South India declared in February 2008. The area is a tiger habitat. The virgin forests of Kanyakumari District got transferred from Kerala to Tamil Nadu on the 1st November 1956 as a result of the state reorganization. Kanyakumari Forest Division came into existence from 1st April 1977, with the headquarters at Nagercoil. Government Reserved Forests occupy an area of 50486 ha, i.e., 30.2% of the total geographic area of the Kanyakumari District.

Kanyakumari Wildlife sanctuary with adjacent areas of Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary of Kerala State constitutes the southernmost tip of Western Ghats. The natural vegetation of this region represents biomes ranging from southern thorn forests, dry deciduous, moist deciduous, semi evergreen forests to ever green hill sholas with grassy downs. The tract is exceedingly rich in wildlife harbouring a variety of animals. The avifauna, the reptilian and amphibian fauna of this region are also rich and diverse.

The Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Kanyakumari, commonly known to the rest of the country as the southernmost tip of India. This tip of the Indian peninsula is a unique geographic point as it is one of a handful of places, if not the only, to be surrounded by all three of the sub-continent's vast oceans – the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. This, in combination with the fact that the sanctuary touches the southern tip of the Western Ghats is cause for - albeit understandably – the distinct and highly rare quality and combination of its biosphere.

Being surrounded by three major oceans has a direct and obvious effect on its monsoon. The sanctuary receives extremely heavy rainfall of 1369 mm each year which is both unevenly and oddly distributed. Tropical wet evergreen forests and southern thorn scrub forests are the extremes that form the spectrum of vegetation in this sanctuary. The variation in forest type is mainly due to the pattern of the monsoon. At the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary is a whopping 427 species of Indian plants, of which 123 are found in the state and 62 are endemic to Tamil Nadu.

In Upper Kodaiyar and other craggy regions of the Tirunelveli District, where the sanctuary lies, you will find a particularly interesting plant called Hill arecanut. It is an endemic palm occurring in these locales. In this category are also two other palms found in abundance   - the Arenga wightii and Poanaca docksonii. They yield a deadly brew that is locally known as toddy. Toddy is simply an alcohol made out of the tender water of these palms by fermentation; the toddy from these palms are glorified, relished and sought after by the tribals in the area. In fact, an interesting fact of the forests in Kanyakumari is that they are said to be more than 70 million old. Now that’s called an age old area, which has been developed.

The Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary is a crucial wildlife corridor with exceptionally high biodiversity. Inevitably, it is home to several species that are endangered, such as the Indian rock python, lion-tailed macaque, mouse deer, Nilgiri Tahr, Sambar deer, Indian bison and elephant.

Sadly, construction of hydel projects, encroachment, conversion of forest to farmland, poaching and poisoning have cause many species like tigers, panthers, black buck and deer to dwindle. Nonetheless, animal species that continue to be commonly spotted at the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary are bonnet macaque, jackal, Indian fox, leopard, small Indian civet, Indian chevrotain, otter, sloth bear, large brown flying squirrel, pangolin and flying fox among many others.

The Kanyakumari Sanctuary is simply fantastic for wildlife viewing and nature walks; it is also a unique experience to see the meeting point of the three main oceans. This is considered as one of nature's most wonderful phenomena, the blending of their waters and sand; a must do for all who visit the south of India and compelling in its own right to other travelers as well.

Wildlife

The vegetation and flora of Kanyakumari sanctuary are exceptional because of extraordinary variety of species occurring within a small area. Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary is floristically one of the richest areas in our country harbouring not less than 3500 species of flowering plants. The IUCN has identified 11 plant species as critically endangered, 12 species as endangered, and 21 species as vulnerable.   This indicates the fragile nature of the ecosystem. However the floral diversity is one of uniqueness of the forest. 

The area is a wildlife corridor with high biodiversity, and in addition to tigers, is home to  threatened species: Indian Bison, elephant, Indian Rock Python, Lion-tailed Macaque, Mouse deer, Nilgiri Tahr and Sambar deer.